China's Beijing Olympic Human Rights Promises
While bidding in April of 2001 for the International Olympic Committee contract to host the 2008 Olympics, Liu Jingmin, the Executive Vice President of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Bid Committee, told the world:
"By allowing Beijing to host the Games you will help the development of human rights. China and the outside world need to integrate. China’s opening up is irreversible. The Olympic Games is a good opportunity to promote understanding."
Upon being awarded the contract in July of 2001, Wang Wei, the Secretary General of the Beijing Olympics Organizing Committee confirmed:
"We are confident that the Games’ coming to China not only promotes our economy but also enhances all social conditions, including education, health, and human rights."
These weren't just passing words. Beijing's loss of the 2000 Olympics to Sydney was attributed mainly to its poor human rights record. After sitting out the bidding for the 2004 Olympics, China made its promise of improved human rights record the centerpiece of its bid for the 2008 Olympics. China reminded the world that Article 35 of the Chinese Constitution guarantees:
"Citizens of the People’s Republic of China enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession, and of demonstration."
And just before launching in 1998 its bid for the 2008 Games, China voluntarily signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 19 of which declares:
"Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice."
As recently as September 27, 2006, Liu Qi, a Politburo member of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee and the President of the Beijing Olympics Organizing Committee (http://en.beijing2008.cn/bocog/) reassured the world:
"China will live up to its words and will turn its words into deeds... The government will honor the promises and commitments made during our bid to host the Games."
So far, China has neither lived up to its words nor turned its words into deeds nor honored the promises and commitments made during its bid to host the Games. Let's start with China's role in today's holocaust.