2008 Woodie Awards
Beijing '08: Wrong place, wrong time
Issue date: 3/25/08 Section: Opinion
The upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympic games could very well be one of the worst in recent history as a variety of problems and controversy are already ruining what will be one the biggest global events of the year. At the center of the numerous complaints and controversies is the Chinese government, which is guilty of a grave mishandling of preparations for 2008's Olympic games.
While Beijing has been busy getting a face-lift, China's government has ignored the rights of many of its own citizens, placing its Olympic priorities above its people. Varying accounts place the number of Chinese citizens in Beijing that will be displaced because of the Olympics somewhere between 300,000 and 1.5 million, many of whom will have been expelled from their homes against their will. Included in these estimates are many homeless, mentally ill, and transients that will also be banished from the city on account of the Olympic games. Those residents that manage to avoid eviction and expulsion will be subjected to some 70 new local laws tailored specifically for the arrival of the Olympics in August. One such discriminatory mandate addresses local hygiene concerns by restricting regular Chinese citizens working or living near the Olympic facilities from using new bathroom facilities, a glaring reflection of the meager social progress typical of modern China. A government that equates its common citizenry with filth demands a drastic recalibration of its priorities before taking on the Herculean and equally prestigious task that is hosting the Olympics. One of the landmark achievements of the Chinese government will be its relaxation of media regulations, allowing for the free movement of journalists and assuring no restrictions on media reporting, a right much of the free world assumes to be standard. The fact that this right we consider to be such an explicit certainty should be a special occasion in a country hosting arguably the most important global event should be a matter of serious concern for any freedom-embracing country. China's ties to the genocide in Darfur and current tension with autonomy-seeking Tibet have brought forth numerous calls to boycott the Beijing Olympics from a multitude of individuals and groups -- a signal that China is still not prepared to be a world leader much less a host to the Olympics.
While Beijing has been busy getting a face-lift, China's government has ignored the rights of many of its own citizens, placing its Olympic priorities above its people. Varying accounts place the number of Chinese citizens in Beijing that will be displaced because of the Olympics somewhere between 300,000 and 1.5 million, many of whom will have been expelled from their homes against their will. Included in these estimates are many homeless, mentally ill, and transients that will also be banished from the city on account of the Olympic games. Those residents that manage to avoid eviction and expulsion will be subjected to some 70 new local laws tailored specifically for the arrival of the Olympics in August. One such discriminatory mandate addresses local hygiene concerns by restricting regular Chinese citizens working or living near the Olympic facilities from using new bathroom facilities, a glaring reflection of the meager social progress typical of modern China. A government that equates its common citizenry with filth demands a drastic recalibration of its priorities before taking on the Herculean and equally prestigious task that is hosting the Olympics. One of the landmark achievements of the Chinese government will be its relaxation of media regulations, allowing for the free movement of journalists and assuring no restrictions on media reporting, a right much of the free world assumes to be standard. The fact that this right we consider to be such an explicit certainty should be a special occasion in a country hosting arguably the most important global event should be a matter of serious concern for any freedom-embracing country. China's ties to the genocide in Darfur and current tension with autonomy-seeking Tibet have brought forth numerous calls to boycott the Beijing Olympics from a multitude of individuals and groups -- a signal that China is still not prepared to be a world leader much less a host to the Olympics.
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