China and the Olympics

China and the Olympics When the Games become not about individual athletes, however, but about national success, the end result is to bring out the worst in us. All too often judges are influenced in their scoring by the nationality of the athletes. Countries go to extraordinary lengths such as providing vast subsidies to young athletes to take up esoteric sports in hopes of increasing their “medals won.” East Germany became notorious for its systemized program of providing steroids and other drugs to its athletes (at great cost to their health) to give them an “edge.” In some sort of weird way, the medal count came to be seen as an indication of a country’s strength or prominence in the world. Playing the national anthem of the winner of the Gold Medal at every award ceremony may make us feel good, but it also implies that the victor is not simply the athlete, but the nation itself. It is not only about the individual medals, either. All too often, countries vie to host the Olympics as a way of showcasing their system. Nazi Germany did so in 1936. Ironically, the former Yugoslavia did so very successfully with the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. Because hosting the games has become seen as a prize and something prestigious for the host country, it has also made them hostage to political winds. Thus, sixty-five countries boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980 to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Moscow and most of the Warsaw Pact returned the favor at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984. China fought very hard to win the right to host the 2008 Summer Olympics. Its leaders saw the event as a major way to demonstrate the increased power and prestige of China in the world today. They are determined that the events will go perfectly and to the honor of the Host country. But it is now possible that they will fall victim to that old saying of "be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it." In other words, hosting the Olympics may end up doing them more harm than good. Since its invasion of Tibet in 1951, China has labored hard and unsuccessfully to bring it firmly under its control. This has led to an uprising in 1959 during which the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, had to flee the country and a subsequent series of protests in 1989. China has encouraged an influx of Han Chinese into the country (particularly to its cities) to change the ethnic mix and diminish Tibetan influence. It has kept a tight rein over its political, economic and religious structures. This has included denigrating the exiled Dalai Lama and in asserting the right to choose his successor. Tibetan activists felt that they were losing their identity. The Dalai Lama recently accused the Chinese authorities of cultural genocide. They have seized on the Olympic Games as perhaps their last best chance to capture the attention of the world to their plight. Beginning with the protests of Tibetan monks (similar to what happened earlier in Burma), riots have broken out not only in Tibet's capital of Lhasa, but in other cities in Tibet and three neighboring provinces of China. Shops and vehicles belonging to Han Chinese have been burned, as have other symbols of the Chinese occupation. Protests have taken place against Chinese missions around the world. As this column is being written more Chinese troops are heading towards Tibet and the neighboring provinces to put down the escalating protests. The Chinese authorities were caught in an unfamiliar bind. Keenly aware that the Olympics are less than five months away (and the Olympic torch is scheduled to arrive in Lhasa on June 20 after being carried up the Chinese side of Mount Everest), they were at least initially reluctant to be seen using the sort of heavy-handed force which they applied in Tiananmen Square in 1989 to put down student protests and which they also used to suppress the Tibetan uprising of 1959 and Tibetan protests in 1989. Nevertheless, Tibet is for all intents and purposes now under Martial Law and access by the media is prohibited. First-hand knowledge of events there is now coming more from cell phones than anything else. International news media in China find their access more restricted and problems in their communications links. Internet sites have been shut down. But none of the above has stopped the story from being front-page news around the world. Simply put, it is a public relations disaster. From the time that China first started competing for the right to host the Olympic Games, it has been bitterly opposed by a wide variety of human rights advocates around the world. The events in Tibet have given all of them new energy. There are renewed calls either to boycott the entire Games or at least the opening ceremony. While at least at this stage, it still seems highly unlikely that any countries will actually boycott the Olympics that by no means guarantees that China can breathe easily. Certainly the actions in Tibet will be sobering reminders to the people of Taiwan of the potential costs of reunification. Moreover, China will face heightened scrutiny and protests around the world in the period leading up to the Olympics. Despite all of its efforts and its vast security system, China will certainly have to deal with attempts by many to disrupt the Games themselves. Every international tourist attending the games will be a potential demonstrator. The bottom line is that once again, the Olympic Games will be impacted by political developments totally beyond the control of the athletes themselves. Just how much of a pall this will cast over the Olympics is a work in progress. Chances are pretty high, however, that coverage of the Olympics may well be as high on regular news channels as on the sporting competitions which will be underway. While China may well succeed with its tightly-controlled media to portray the Games as a major success to its domestic audience, it is going to have a difficult, if not impossible task to do the same internationally. The Dalai Lama accused China of cultural genocide (FoNet) A significant part of the attraction that the Olympic Games hold for us –and their curse—is national pride. In their best moments, the achievements of an individual or a team against the very best athletes in the world can uplift an entire nation with an impact far beyond sports. All of us who have watched the Olympics remember such times. William Montgomery "The Dalai Lama recently accused the Chinese authorities of cultural genocide. Tibetans have seized on the Olympic Games as perhaps their last best chance to capture the attention of the world to their plight."

China and the Olympics

When the Games become not about individual athletes, however, but about national success, the end result is to bring out the worst in us. All too often judges are influenced in their scoring by the nationality of the athletes. Countries go to extraordinary lengths such as providing vast subsidies to young athletes to take up esoteric sports in hopes of increasing their “medals won.”

East Germany became notorious for its systemized program of providing steroids and other drugs to its athletes (at great cost to their health) to give them an “edge.” In some sort of weird way, the medal count came to be seen as an indication of a country’s strength or prominence in the world. Playing the national anthem of the winner of the Gold Medal at every award ceremony may make us feel good, but it also implies that the victor is not simply the athlete, but the nation itself.

It is not only about the individual medals, either. All too often, countries vie to host the Olympics as a way of showcasing their system. Nazi Germany did so in 1936. Ironically, the former Yugoslavia did so very successfully with the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. Because hosting the games has become seen as a prize and something prestigious for the host country, it has also made them hostage to political winds. Thus, sixty-five countries boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980 to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Moscow and most of the Warsaw Pact returned the favor at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984.

China fought very hard to win the right to host the 2008 Summer Olympics. Its leaders saw the event as a major way to demonstrate the increased power and prestige of China in the world today. They are determined that the events will go perfectly and to the honor of the Host country. But it is now possible that they will fall victim to that old saying of "be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it." In other words, hosting the Olympics may end up doing them more harm than good.

Since its invasion of Tibet in 1951, China has labored hard and unsuccessfully to bring it firmly under its control. This has led to an uprising in 1959 during which the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, had to flee the country and a subsequent series of protests in 1989. China has encouraged an influx of Han Chinese into the country (particularly to its cities) to change the ethnic mix and diminish Tibetan influence. It has kept a tight rein over its political, economic and religious structures. This has included denigrating the exiled Dalai Lama and in asserting the right to choose his successor.

Tibetan activists felt that they were losing their identity. The Dalai Lama recently accused the Chinese authorities of cultural genocide. They have seized on the Olympic Games as perhaps their last best chance to capture the attention of the world to their plight. Beginning with the protests of Tibetan monks (similar to what happened earlier in Burma), riots have broken out not only in Tibet's capital of Lhasa, but in other cities in Tibet and three neighboring provinces of China. Shops and vehicles belonging to Han Chinese have been burned, as have other symbols of the Chinese occupation. Protests have taken place against Chinese missions around the world.

As this column is being written more Chinese troops are heading towards Tibet and the neighboring provinces to put down the escalating protests. The Chinese authorities were caught in an unfamiliar bind. Keenly aware that the Olympics are less than five months away (and the Olympic torch is scheduled to arrive in Lhasa on June 20 after being carried up the Chinese side of Mount Everest), they were at least initially reluctant to be seen using the sort of heavy-handed force which they applied in Tiananmen Square in 1989 to put down student protests and which they also used to suppress the Tibetan uprising of 1959 and Tibetan protests in 1989.

Nevertheless, Tibet is for all intents and purposes now under Martial Law and access by the media is prohibited. First-hand knowledge of events there is now coming more from cell phones than anything else. International news media in China find their access more restricted and problems in their communications links. Internet sites have been shut down. But none of the above has stopped the story from being front-page news around the world. Simply put, it is a public relations disaster.

From the time that China first started competing for the right to host the Olympic Games, it has been bitterly opposed by a wide variety of human rights advocates around the world. The events in Tibet have given all of them new energy. There are renewed calls either to boycott the entire Games or at least the opening ceremony. While at least at this stage, it still seems highly unlikely that any countries will actually boycott the Olympics that by no means guarantees that China can breathe easily.

Certainly the actions in Tibet will be sobering reminders to the people of Taiwan of the potential costs of reunification. Moreover, China will face heightened scrutiny and protests around the world in the period leading up to the Olympics. Despite all of its efforts and its vast security system, China will certainly have to deal with attempts by many to disrupt the Games themselves. Every international tourist attending the games will be a potential demonstrator.

The bottom line is that once again, the Olympic Games will be impacted by political developments totally beyond the control of the athletes themselves. Just how much of a pall this will cast over the Olympics is a work in progress. Chances are pretty high, however, that coverage of the Olympics may well be as high on regular news channels as on the sporting competitions which will be underway. While China may well succeed with its tightly-controlled media to portray the Games as a major success to its domestic audience, it is going to have a difficult, if not impossible task to do the same internationally.