Korean Job Discussion Forums

[nasigoreng]

Would you boycott the olympics in China because of current (and not so current) events:

* China's threating posture towards Taiwan . China recently passed a law that allowed the use of military force towards the rogue province should they declare independence.

* Recent anti-Japanese demonstrations targeting Japanese businesses and civilians. the government isn't doing much to control these mobs and refuses to apologize.

* China's occupation and human rights abuses in Tibet. human rights violations in general.

* The EU reneging on the weapons sales ban to China.... just think of all the aircraft, missles, and cattle prods they can buy with all the revenues from the olympics.

[funplanet]

absolutely

[On the other hand]

None of the items on the list strike me as representing a qualitative change from anything that China was doing at the time they were awarded the Olympics(with the exception of the anti-Japanese riots, but hasn't the government pretty much cracked down on those?) If you wanted to make a case for not giving them the Olympics in the first place, that's another story. But having already awarded them the games, it seems a little arbitrary to then just turn around and say "oh, on second thought we don't like your human rights record, so we're not gonna come".

[Apple Scruff]

Boycott the Olympics period. Overrated and over commercialized.

[Cthulhu]

Well, its certainly easier than boycotting Chinese products, cause these days you can't avoid them.

[kangnamdragon]

None of the above are reasons to boycott the Olympics.

[Paji eh Wong]

[Gwangjuboy]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I think it would be nice if a bunch of countries got together and held the 'freedom games' (or some other tacky name) instead in protest. Allow only genuinely amatuer athletes, and start off the opening ceremonies with video tapes of all China's recent human rights abuses. I really hope that some athletes have the guts to boycot on principle. Give China til 2007 to show some serious changes and then pull the plug.

Look at what the 1988 Olympics did for helping to reform Korea. The same *could* happen in China but it's not looking likely, and the fact that other countries never back up their complaints about human rights abuses with any action is one of the reasons why.

[kangnamdragon]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[kangnamdragon]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[tzechuk]

Oh purleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease.

I am Chinese, my granddad was a General for Chiang Kai Shek. He fought the communists right until the end. He stayed at his station and was thrown in jail. He spent 15, yes, 15 long years in a Chinese jail. He went to Hong Kong when I was 2 years old... I don't bear a grudge. Why should you? There are more to what goes on between the two places than meet the eyes. I have families in both places and both sides want unification. Sure, what the mainland Chinese doing may not necessarily be to your liking, but I don't really see why boycotting the olympics will make it any better for the Taiwanese. It doesn't matter to the government, but the people suffer because of the loss of income as a result of your boycott - and what KND said about the athletes. The mainland Chinese people will end up further blaming the Taiwanese for the failure of their Olympics and it will be a vicious circle that never ends.

My husband and I will go with Letty!

[Eunoia]