Groover asked me the other day: “If I’d been selected to run in the Olympic Torch Relay in Canberra – would I pull out?” and it’s a question that has been plaguing me all week.
I imagine the thrill of being asked. The honour. The excitement of representing my chosen field, my family, my country, my Olympic representatives – the athletes who have trained so hard and for so long – in such a public event.
Then the dilemma. Does running mean that I support China’s action in Tibet? And if it does, can I live with myself if I run?
And then the horror of watching the other relays – in London, in Paris, in San Franscisco – and the debacle they’ve turned into. Watching other runners being caught up in the protest. Being attacked.
Being shoved into a warehouse as organisers try and work out what to do next.
Being surrounded by a phalanx of secret service guards.
Where is the honour in that? Where is the glory? Where is the pride?
So imagine. You’re sitting at home watching the news on the telly. Your torch relay uniform, clean and sparkling new is in its box. Your brand new sandshoes gleam. And you, with your heart in your mouth, have to decide whether you’ll take part.
It’s easy to say “No I won’t take part” from your lounge room when you don’t have to make that decision but if you were actually in those gleaming new sandshoes… would you withdraw?
I am torn on this question.
What I will say on behalf of those who decided to run is that at least they have provided a very public platform for the protesters.
What about our athletes? Do they boycott? What difference would it really make? Did boycotting Moscow back in 1980 really achieve all that much? Could you turn your back on four years of training, of dreams?
Sport and politics should not mix. Is that possible in the real world?
And so we get to Kevin Rudd, our Mandarin-speaking Prime Minister. Is telling the Chinese that he doesn’t agree with what they’ve done in Tibet enough?
Does he have to turn his back on the Olympic Games now?
Does he risk Australia’s relationship with China?
I’m sure of my response here. I’m afraid the answer is yes. I know we might risk our trade and that our resources boom is largely dependent on China. But greed cannot trump human rights.
So in summary: I think I would run in the relay as it is a great forum for the Tibetans to make their protest. I don’t think athletes should boycott the games, after all we don’t expect our companies to give up their trade contracts. And at this stage I think Kevin Rudd should consider not going to the Games although, I can’t imagine the Chinese would care if he were there or not.
Your thoughts?
photo credit: Monster Pete
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I worked with a man whose wife is Chinese. She grew up under Mao; got into trouble one day at school for copying some of Mao’s poems into an exercise book (because she admired them so). This was, apparently, a disrespectful act. She’s lived in Australia for about 15 years and when China was announced as the next Olympic host and the human rights and Tibet stuff started coming up she was outraged – it was all lies, damned lies and people just didn’t understand the Chinese way of life.
I don’t think you can underestimate the Chinese government’s ability to spin to its own people. I think boycotts can work and maybe this is one of those occasions where one is needed. They can seem like blips from a historical perspective but at the time they can mean and achieve so much more.
Interesting.
So a boycott.
What form should that boycott take?
Just the world leaders? Imagine none of them turning up.
The athletes as well?
Some say they should boycott the opening ceremony but compete… would that be enough?
The runners in the torch relay?
All three groups?
I haven’t contemplated the torch question, but I have discussed with my 9 year old about my unhappiness of the situation with China and the Olympic Games. He then wearily asked me if he would be able to watch them and at that time, I said I was not sure and needed him to give me reasons why he should be able to.
We have since had a follow up discussion, which included some stuff he learnt at school about the torch relay debacle. We agreed that he could watch some of the sporting activities (no opening ceremony) and that he would also read some articles and watch some other shows on what things are really like in China. The aim that he would achieve a balanced understanding of China.
Ideally I would loved to have said no as part of a “boycott”, but I was not certain what good that would do. You make a great point about why should it only be the athletes who are asked to boycott? What about the multinationals who profit off cheap labour and less stringent environmental restrictions and ignore the human rights abuses?
At least by having the Olympic Games in China, Tibet is now making the news headlines. I can understand why the protesters are taking this opportunity. I just wish China would also take the opportunity to show that it is changing and move towards a peaceful resolution.
I don’t know how I feel. I fear if there was a boycott (which I instincitvely feel in my gut there should be) there might be bad consequences people haven’t considered.
It puts the athletes in a difficult position of they’re told “Its up to you to decide to go or not.” I’m not sure that’s fair.
Can we as individuals make much of a difference if we choose not to watch it on the TV? The only people we’re ‘hurting’ there are the TV networks, aren’t we?
I just have a very very bad feeling about it. I’ve said as much on Twitter where I’ve thrown the topic out for discussion
I don’t think the athletes should be asked to boycott. It’s hard work, getting ready for an Olympic Games. Can you imagine? Can you imagine training for four years only to be told you can’t go? Whatever the reason for boycotting (and this IS a good reason) it would be a very bitter pill to swallow if you’d been training all that time.
I live in Canberra but wont be in town the day the torch is coming. I’m very disappointed to be missing it, actually. I don’t know what I would do if I was there. Maybe turn my back on it? But then I have two friends who carried the torch in 2000 and I couldn’t have turned my back on them.
If someone can tell me how to register my protest without asking the athletes to boycott, and without ruining an otherwise proud moment for a torch-bearer, I’d be grateful. In the meantime I might write a letter to my government, and a letter of support to the Australia Tibet Council (www.atc.org.au)
Why Tibet issues heated up recently? The chaos happened in Tibet happened because Olympic games are getting nearer. Activists use the chace to draw attention and to humiliate the Chinese government. Whether we support the cause of independent Tibet or autonomy of Tibet, the core of the issue is that if we response to such “use” of Olympics, future Olympics will always be used for other polictical purposes.
The spirit of Olympic will never be the same. There will never be a peaceful Olympic. I have more opinion on Tibet and Olympic here.
It’s always sad when politics gets involved with sport.
Even if the cause for the protests is just, I don’t like that they’re using the Olympics as a vehicle to get their message across.
By holding the Olympic torch, all you would be saying to the world is that you promote peaceful coexistence and the spirit of athletics.
It does NOT mean encouraging China’s actions in Tibet. However, I really hope you read what I wrote on my blog a while ago about the whole Tibet situation. I explain why Tibet is not free and why it should never be free. What the western media presents is a highly skewed image (two extremes really, the Chinese state media vs. western giants like CNN).
I just really wish people did some research before taking stance on Tibet, then they’ll see how weak and hypocritical the cause is and why pro-tibet people in Lhasa have become nothing more than terrorists.