What's so wrong with China?
Is it just me or does everyone think conversations are sometimes the most powerful tool we have?
Your kids might be wondering about the protest surrounding the Olympic flame as it makes it’s way to Beijing. And the term human rights abuses might not mean that much to them.
In basic terms, China is a communist regime – and as such, they don’t believe in God…in any God.
50 years ago china invaded Tibet – a very religious country - and all these years later the Tibetens just won’t bow down and say they don’t believe in God. Instead, Tibetan monks routinely protest, silently and peacefully.
In the past month, Chinese police have killed at least 140 of those silent protesters…that we know about….and that’s why everyone is so upset.
The Olympics was supposed to be a chance for China to clean up its human-rights record. Even Amnesty International agreed the games were a good incentive for positive change.
So far, China has refused to come to the party.
It might seem risky to mix sport with politics, but I think it’s far worse to turn a blind eye to injustice.
In China, there are 68 crimes that incur the death penalty. Amnesty estimates about 3000 people were sentenced to death in 2006.
Execution is by lethal injection, allowing the safe extraction of organs from executed prisoners; a very lucrative business….they sell the harvested organs of murdered prisoners.
In November, a senior Chinese official admitted there were probably 30 wrongful convictions and executions in China every year because of confessions obtained through torture.
Popular torture methods include suspending prisoners from the ceiling by their arms, cigarette burns, beatings with heavy chains and sticks, electric shocks to the toes, fingers and genitals, and
forced injection of hot pepper, petrol and ginger into the nose.
Most victims of torture have not even been charged with a crime. In China that’s called Administrative Detention. The rest of the world calls it unlawful.
For me, the Olympics will be more exciting than ever this year. It is unquestionably the world’s premier sporting event and we have at least four locals going for gold.
However, while I promise to rejoice in every moment of physical triumph (and valiant effort), I also promise to never fool myself that the Olympics is just about sporting prowess.
The Olympics have always been political and no one understands that better than the Chinese.
Enjoy the spectacle, but never let them use glitz, glamour and our sporting stars to hide their transgressions.
Your kids might be wondering about the protest surrounding the Olympic flame as it makes it’s way to Beijing. And the term human rights abuses might not mean that much to them.
In basic terms, China is a communist regime – and as such, they don’t believe in God…in any God.
50 years ago china invaded Tibet – a very religious country - and all these years later the Tibetens just won’t bow down and say they don’t believe in God. Instead, Tibetan monks routinely protest, silently and peacefully.
In the past month, Chinese police have killed at least 140 of those silent protesters…that we know about….and that’s why everyone is so upset.
The Olympics was supposed to be a chance for China to clean up its human-rights record. Even Amnesty International agreed the games were a good incentive for positive change.
So far, China has refused to come to the party.
It might seem risky to mix sport with politics, but I think it’s far worse to turn a blind eye to injustice.
In China, there are 68 crimes that incur the death penalty. Amnesty estimates about 3000 people were sentenced to death in 2006.
Execution is by lethal injection, allowing the safe extraction of organs from executed prisoners; a very lucrative business….they sell the harvested organs of murdered prisoners.
In November, a senior Chinese official admitted there were probably 30 wrongful convictions and executions in China every year because of confessions obtained through torture.
Popular torture methods include suspending prisoners from the ceiling by their arms, cigarette burns, beatings with heavy chains and sticks, electric shocks to the toes, fingers and genitals, and
forced injection of hot pepper, petrol and ginger into the nose.
Most victims of torture have not even been charged with a crime. In China that’s called Administrative Detention. The rest of the world calls it unlawful.
For me, the Olympics will be more exciting than ever this year. It is unquestionably the world’s premier sporting event and we have at least four locals going for gold.
However, while I promise to rejoice in every moment of physical triumph (and valiant effort), I also promise to never fool myself that the Olympics is just about sporting prowess.
The Olympics have always been political and no one understands that better than the Chinese.
Enjoy the spectacle, but never let them use glitz, glamour and our sporting stars to hide their transgressions.
posted by Caroline Hutchinson at 10:04 AM
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