To Boycott or Engage - Europe and the Beijing Olympics

Wednesday, 08 August 2007

CO: Should Europe send athletes to Beijing in 2008 if China is still committing human rights abuses? If governments do not take action, can corporations get off the hook?

Corpobligation and a practical risk calculation might lead corporations to avoid doing business in China without, at least tacit, government support in their home countries.
But what happens if the World shows up in Beijing? What happens to corporate investments?
This is a worthwhile debate to have
Take action: support Olympic sponsors OR sign a human rights petition

Brown urged to boycott Olympics

Press Association - Guardian Website - Thursday August 9, 2007 12:53 AM

Gordon Brown has been urged to start a Europe-wide debate on whether athletes should boycott the Beijing Olympics in response to human rights abuses.

Senior Tory MEP Edward McMillan-Scott claimed there was evidence of "persecution and genocide" in China and said EU countries should consider pulling out of the Games.

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"The civilised world must seriously consider shunning China - and using the Beijing Olympics to send the clear message that such abuses of human rights are not acceptable.

"The debate must take place - whether the countries of the European Union are present at the Beijing Olympics or whether they stay away."...

Repression continues in China, one year before Olympic Games

No Olympic Games without democracy!

Reporters Without Borders calls on the National Olympic Committees, the IOC, athletes, sports lovers and human rights activists to publicly express their concern about the countless violations of every fundamental freedom in China.

After Beijing was awarded the games in 2001, Harry Wu, a Chinese dissident who spent 19 years in prisons in China, said he deeply regretted that China did not have “the honour and satisfaction of hosting the Olympic Games in a democratic country.”

Russian dissident Vladimir Bukovsky’s outraged comment about the holding of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow - “Politically, a grave error; humanly, a despicable act; legally, a crime” - remains valid for 2008.

Official Olympic's Site - On the same day as the Reporters sans borders report

BEIJING 2008: A Test Of Good Luck - 7 / 8/ 2007

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Key to Success

Speaking about the importance of testing, IOC President Jacques Rogge said, “These events are important as they allow the organisers and all entities involved in Games operations to have a kind of 'dry run' – that is do a dress rehearsal and in so doing, identify and assess potential issues and then work towards any fine-tuning that might be needed. We have learnt through our Olympic experience that test events are key to the success of the Games.”

Beijing Olympics Official site - which does not overemphasize human rights but does have at least one promising claim:

BOCOG announces investigation results of alleged labor laws violations in four Olympic licensees

Updated：2007-07-31

July 31, 2007 - BOCOG announced the investigation results on labor issues in four licensees.

In June this year, after FairPlay 2008 released a report on alleged labor abuses in four licensees, BOCOG attached great importance to the issue and immediately requested that the four companies provide detailed information and explanations on the situation.