8 replies to this topic

[Birch]

"The military rulers of Burma have arrested three of the last remaining leaders of the recent pro-democracy protests, the BBC has reported. Among those detained was Htay Kywe, who led some of the first marches, which were violently suppressed. He was a prominent activist in a 1988 uprising.

The arrests came as thousands attended a rent-a-mob, pro-government rally in Rangoon, attended by citizens forced to show up. . .

Following the latest arrests, few, if any, leaders of the 1988 generation of former student activists are thought to remain at large. Other leaders detained overnight included Thin Thin Aye, also known as Mie Mie, and Aung Htoo, according to human rights group Amnesty International.

"All three were involved in the early demonstrations at the end of August of this year and then basically went into hiding and were sought by the authorities, and they were only discovered today," Amnesty representative Daniel Alberman told the BBC's Newshour programme.

Burmese activists and dissidents say several thousand people have been taken into detention since troops and armed police cracked down on the protests at the end of September. The Burmese military says it is also holding more than 100 monks arrested in recent weeks, though correspondents say the true figure is much higher.

Mr Alberman said UN pressure had not prevented the arrests."

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=122627

BOYCOTT THE CHINA OLYMPICS !!!

[Snowy]

I would support a Boycott.

Much as we would like to think otherwise, condemnation of Burma on gay boards in Thailand and calls for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics will have absolutely zero effect.

It would take united action by the international community to make a boycott happen and to be effective and unfortunately such a united front is a pipe-dream. Some countries would probably support such a boycott but the Olympics would still go ahead - as with the 1980 boycott of the Moscow Olympics -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American-led_...Summer_Olympics

A boycott would not sway China to change it's support for Burma unless the boycott was virtually 100% unanimous and that is just not going to happen because too many countries are reliant on Chinese financial and technical aid and support and have ideological goals similar to them.

[conrad]

Maybe I am a little short minded but IMO I think that a sporting event like the olympic games shouldn't be used to direct politics.

Pls.advise if you have reasons to think different, I am here to learn and to discuss.

[Snowy]

Maybe I am a little short minded but IMO I think that a sporting event like the olympic games shouldn't be used to direct politics.

Pls.advise if you have reasons to think different, I am here to learn and to discuss.

In normal circumstances you are absolutely right but, if the boycott of an international sporting event is the ONLY way that the host country will listen, there may be some justification for bringing sport into the political equation.

In the case of the Beijing Olympics only a total boycott which makes it's geriatric leaders lose considerable face and which costs the country billions of dollars is going to have even the slightest effect on it's stance and support for Burma.

[J.Bell]

Maybe I am a little short minded but IMO I think that a sporting event like the olympic games shouldn't be used to direct politics.

The Olympics have always been political in the modern age. Hitler's 1932 Olympics was the most glaring example of how the Nazis tried to use them to legitimize their regime. China is trying to do the same thing by trying to make its authoritarian comminist dictatorship look like benevolent leaders who have nothing on their agenda but playful sports competition.....while hundreds of dissidents are jailed in both China and Burma for opposing the government.

BOYCOTT THE CHINA OLYMPICS !!!!

[TheYenta]

There's a poll in the Nation newspaper today asking this question:

"Should the International Community threaten China with a Beijing Olympics boycott to force the Chinese government to put pressure on the Burmese junta?"

67% of the people responding have voted YES; 32% voted NO.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/qvote/view...0&par_vid=1

[Khor tose]

I am only one person, but I intend to boycott the Olympics and all sponsors of it on television and will so write to them. Now if I could only get 2,000,000,000 more people to join me.
______________________________________________
Boycott the Olympics

[Hedda]

Much as we would like to think otherwise, condemnation of Burma on gay boards in Thailand and calls for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics will have absolutely zero effect. It would take united action by the international community to make a boycott happen and to be effective and unfortunately such a united front is a pipe-dream.

You may be right, but my guess is that King George's ministers probably said the same thing when Tom Paine's pamphlets first started to appear in the colonies.

There is people power laying untapped somewhere in this vast gizmo we call the internet and it has yet to be organized into a tool that can be used for mass international community action by people who do not have to depend on governments to lead it.

For example, what do you think would happen if millions of internet users started to send a "Boycott the China Olympics" messages to the official Chinese government itself. They have a website identified on Google and which you can find at: http://www.china.org.cn

If you look at the site, you will see that it has a prominent place for a daily countdown to the Olympics in 2008. It's obvious that the leaders in China view these games as their jewel in the crown of international prestige and respectability.

The Chinese site also has a button which invites "Feedback" and says:

"Anything you would like to tell us? Any comments, suggestions or questions? For most of us here at china.org.cn, English is our second language. So please give us your comments, questions, suggestions, broken links, anything!!"

I sent the following message to that site today, which says:

"I will boycott the Chinese Olympic Games to protest your role in aiding the slaughter of people and democracy in Burma. I will not travel to China. I will not watch any olympic events on TV. I will not purchase any product relating to the Olmpics."

You can find that "Feedback" button at:
http://service.china.org.cn/link/wcm/comments_e

All you have to do is take a minute to copy the message in red above with your mouse, click on the "Feedback" link, paste it, insert whatever name you like ( I chose Tom Paine) and send it to the Chinese.

There's a old Chinese proverb that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. If everyone on the internet took that first step with that kind of a message to the Chinese government, it would be interesting to see if some of the people running China might start paying more attention.

[Khor tose]

Thanks Hedda for being smart enough to find a better way to send the message and giving us all a means to do so.