EU, Australia oppose Olympic boycott
Tuesday, 18 March 2008
European Union nations, Australia and Olympic committees opposed a boycott of the Beijing Games over China's handling of the Tibet protests, reports agencies.
The EU sports ministers and Olympic committees, holding talks Monday, said sports should not be linked to such a political issue and that previous Olympic boycotts had already shown what limited impact they have.
"Under no circumstance will we support the boycott. We are 100 per cent unanimous," Patrick Hickey, the head of the European Olympic Commi-ttees, said in an interview with the Associated Press.
Milan Zver, the Slovenian sports minister who is chairing a meeting of top EU sports officials from the 27 member states and Olympic committees, said it was no different on the government side.
"I am against a boycott of the Olympic Games in China," Zver said. His sentiments were echoed by other ministers who discussed the issue informally at a gala dinner late Sunday. The only note of dissent came out of France.
The head of France's second-largest political bloc, Socialist Party leader Francois Hollande, raised the possibility of a French Olympic boycott to show displeasure over the crackdown in Tibet. Russia also came out in support for the games, arguing the situation in Tibet must not affect Olympics.
On Monday, Tibet's governor promised leniency to anti-Chinese protesters who turned themselves in before the end of the day, as troops fanned out to quell sympathy protests that have spread to three neighbouring provinces.
The fiercest protests against Chinese rule in almost two decades have embarrassed China's communist government and hurt its efforts to have a smooth run-up to the Aug. 8-24 Beijing Olympics.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana even said he still intended to go to the games.
Meanwhile, Australian Olympic Committee does not support a boycott of the Beijing Games because of concerns about human rights in China, committee president John Coates said Monday.
But Coates said Australia agreed with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) policy that boycotting the event would only hurt the athletes participating.
"It is not the role of the IOC to take the lead in addressing such issues as human rights or political matters, which are most appropriately addressed by governments or concerned organisations," Coates said in an open letter. In 1980, the then-Australian Olympic Federation sent a team to the Moscow Olympics in defiance of a directive of the Australian government to boycott the Games because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Coates said the Olympics were an overall "vehicle for good" and had a positive impact on any host city.
Australia's team of 500 athletes will be the third largest squad at Beijing, behind China and the US, and hopes to finish among the top five nations in terms of medal haul.
Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has described the violence in Tibet as disturbing and called on Chinese authorities to exercise restraint. He has indicated he will raise the issue at meetings in Beijing next month.
The EU sports ministers and Olympic committees, holding talks Monday, said sports should not be linked to such a political issue and that previous Olympic boycotts had already shown what limited impact they have.
"Under no circumstance will we support the boycott. We are 100 per cent unanimous," Patrick Hickey, the head of the European Olympic Commi-ttees, said in an interview with the Associated Press.
Milan Zver, the Slovenian sports minister who is chairing a meeting of top EU sports officials from the 27 member states and Olympic committees, said it was no different on the government side.
"I am against a boycott of the Olympic Games in China," Zver said. His sentiments were echoed by other ministers who discussed the issue informally at a gala dinner late Sunday. The only note of dissent came out of France.
The head of France's second-largest political bloc, Socialist Party leader Francois Hollande, raised the possibility of a French Olympic boycott to show displeasure over the crackdown in Tibet. Russia also came out in support for the games, arguing the situation in Tibet must not affect Olympics.
On Monday, Tibet's governor promised leniency to anti-Chinese protesters who turned themselves in before the end of the day, as troops fanned out to quell sympathy protests that have spread to three neighbouring provinces.
The fiercest protests against Chinese rule in almost two decades have embarrassed China's communist government and hurt its efforts to have a smooth run-up to the Aug. 8-24 Beijing Olympics.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana even said he still intended to go to the games.
Meanwhile, Australian Olympic Committee does not support a boycott of the Beijing Games because of concerns about human rights in China, committee president John Coates said Monday.
But Coates said Australia agreed with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) policy that boycotting the event would only hurt the athletes participating.
"It is not the role of the IOC to take the lead in addressing such issues as human rights or political matters, which are most appropriately addressed by governments or concerned organisations," Coates said in an open letter. In 1980, the then-Australian Olympic Federation sent a team to the Moscow Olympics in defiance of a directive of the Australian government to boycott the Games because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Coates said the Olympics were an overall "vehicle for good" and had a positive impact on any host city.
Australia's team of 500 athletes will be the third largest squad at Beijing, behind China and the US, and hopes to finish among the top five nations in terms of medal haul.
Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has described the violence in Tibet as disturbing and called on Chinese authorities to exercise restraint. He has indicated he will raise the issue at meetings in Beijing next month.