The Christchurch Press, New Zealand
16 October 2006

"By allowing Beijing to host the games, you will help the development of human rights," Liu Jingmin, now vice-president of the Beijing Olympic Bid Committee, said in 2001.

Events have proved this to be a lie. The reality is one of continuation of the labour camps, arbitrary detention and torture, oppression in occupied Tibet and of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, detention of internet dissidents at times aided by Yahoo and Google, greater restraints on press freedom, increased internet controls, and the passing of legislation threatening the destruction of democratic Taiwan.

The Olympic construction programme has seen the forced eviction of citizens without compensation, associated corruption and graft, and the persecution of any who dissent.

Lately, there are revelations of state-sanctioned organ harvesting of executed prisoners and Falun Gong followers, and reports of the shooting of Tibetans fleeing oppression.

The Olympic Charter speaks of promoting a society concerned with the preservation of human dignity. The International Olympic Committee should stop counting the dollars, show some morality, follow its stated values and reverse the decision to award the Olympics to Beijing.

TERRY KERR Lincoln

(c) 2006 Press, The; Christchurch, New Zealand. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.