HRWF Int'l (17.05.2008) / Website: http://www.hrwf.net - Email: info@hrwf.net - On Thursday, May 15, 2008 the Greens/European Free Alliance (EFA) hosted a conference entitled 'Olympic Rights for Human Games' at the European Parliament. Several members of Parliament spoke, including MEP Monica Frassoni (Co-President of the Greens/EFA Group), MEP Hélène Flautre (Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights), MEP Eva Lichtenberger (Vice-President of the Greens/EFA Group), and MEP Daniel Cohn-Bendit (Co-President of the Greens/EFA Group). The panels covered the topics of accountability for the games and the human rights crises in China, the censorship the reporters will face at the Olympics, and whether or not a boycott of the opening ceremony should take place.
Panel 1: Beijing's pledges and the running of the games: Who is accountable?
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided China would host the Olympics in 2001. As Michel Bonnin, research director at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, pointed out, because China had joined the WTO and freed political prisoners it seemed the country was making progress. However, since then talks with Tibet have faltered and some situations are worsening, such as the demolition of houses in Beijing to construct Olympic buildings and the crackdown on the press, both foreign and domestic. Ingo-Rolf Weiss of the German Olympic Sports Confederation stressed the need for mutual respect in EU-China relations and said that the IOC rules should be kept. Gella Vandecaveye, a Belgian Olympic judo champion, agreed that etiquette must be followed but also said that silent diplomacy on the part of the West will not work and that the Olympics should be an opportunity for China to show its best and to talk about its problems, such as Tibet. Carole Crabbé of Play Fair 2008 expressed the opinion that there were economic reasons behind China's successful bid and said that the IOC needs to make sure the ILO codes are respected so as to better the human rights of workers.
Panel 2: Should the media live with censorship and surveillance?
According to Eva Lichtenberger, the press situation was improving but has been deteriorating for the past year. Erich Möchel, a journalist at ORF (Austria), gave a presentation showing how European companies such as Ericsson and Nokia Siemens sell their surveillance products in China and therefore help the government censor journalists. Philippe Rochot, from France 2, described the situation of foreign journalists in China, which is difficult but better than that of local reporters. Sensitive topics and areas are censored and permission must be granted. Journalists must 'follow the rules' to cover areas like Tibet. He said that the Olympics will be strictly monitored and that it may be hard to get permission to report on social issues at that time. Rémy Fière from l'Equipe added that there is a limit to what journalists can do and that sports journalists like him would be there primarily to cover the sports and not human rights. Another journalist, Sabine Verhest with La Libre Belgique, said that it is much easier for the written press to get around because they can do so surreptitiously. She expressed the need to scrutinize what we see because of questions of reliability regarding the Chinese press.
Panel 3: Boycott of the opening ceremony…and what else?
Nancy Li, a mission expert with La Fédération Internationale des Droits de l'Homme, said there must be respect for the athletes and the people who have been affected in China (such as those facing eviction) on this issue. The special envoy of the Dalai Lama to the EU, Kelsang Gyaltsen, expounded on the situation in Tibet and said that the international community has let it go too long. James Moran, the Director for Asia of the European Commission's External Relations Directorate General, said that the Commission does not consider a boycott an effective means of progress; he said that it is not about headlines, but rather about improving the situation. Chloé Froissart, a researcher specializing on China, emphasized the progress that is being made, such as the international agreements China has signed and legislation it has passed, but also said that China's positions on human rights should have been reconciled with the West's before they were committed. Robert Ménard, Secretary General of Reporters Without Borders, expressed clearly that the opening ceremony should be boycotted. No one is taking responsibility, he said, and he wants the athletes to speak out. Another option that was expressed was for the heads of state to boycott but for the athletes to attend.
