Beijing Is Awarded the 2008 Olympicsgreenspun.com : LUSENET : Unk's Wild Wild West : One Thread |
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010713/sp/oly_ioc_meetings.htmlFriday July 13 1:44 PM ET
Beijing Is Awarded the 2008 Olympics
By LARRY SIDDONS, AP Sports Writer
MOSCOW (AP) - Beijing was awarded the 2008 Olympics on Friday, winning the games for the world's most populous country for the first time despite criticism of its human rights record.
The International Olympic Committee (news - web sites) picked China over rival bids from Toronto; Paris; Istanbul, Turkey; and Osaka, Japan.
Beijing won on the second round of a secret ballot by receiving 56 votes, three more than a majority.
It set off an official celebration of fireworks, songs and flag-waving by thousands of people in Millennium Square in the western part of the Chinese capital. Traditional lion dancers joined a group of ballerinas after the announcement as spotlights and green lasers swept the sky.
``Comrades! We express our deep thanks to all our friends around the world and to the IOC for helping to make Beijing successful in its Olympic bid,'' President Jiang Zemin (news - web sites) shouted to the crowd after he and other members of the cabinet and Communist Party politburo appeared briefly on stage in Beijing.
Toronto got 22 votes, Paris 18 and Istanbul nine on the final round. Osaka was eliminated in the first round of voting, with six votes, when Beijing led with 44.
``I want to express the gratitude of the International Olympic Committee to all five candidate cities for their excellent work,'' IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch said just before announcing the winner.
Then came the words the Chinese capital had waited seven years to hear:
``The games of the 29th Olympiad in 2008 are awarded to the city of Beijing.''
In the trade center hall where the vote took place, Beijing supporters screamed and pulled out Chinese flags. A banner appeared with the slogan, ``Eternal Beijing, Olympic Games (news - web sites), a century dream come true.''
``It's a milestone for the future of our country,'' said Yang Lan, a member of Beijing's official presentation to the IOC earlier in the day.
Beijing was the front-runner throughout the race, even though it drew criticism about its human rights record. IOC members clearly believed the Olympics will open China to the world, improve the human rights situation and speed social and economic reforms.
``We are totally aware at the IOC there is one issue on the table ... and that is human rights,'' IOC director general Francois Carrard said. ``Human rights is a very serious issue in the entire world. ...
``It is not up to the IOC to interfere in these issue, but we are taking the bet that seven years from now, we sincerely and dearly hope we will see many changes.''
Beijing's victory came seven years after it lost to Sydney by two votes in the election for the 2000 Olympics. Human rights issue were a factor in that defeat, with memories of the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square still fresh.
The 2008 bid was also targeted by human rights activists, who said giving the games to China would reward a Communist regime that brutally represses its citizens and occupies Tibet.
But many IOC members - as well as some politicians - embraced the position that the Olympics would promote positive change in the country of 1.3 billion people.
Henry Kissinger, the former U.S. secretary of state who helped open China to the West in the 1970s and is now a ceremonial member of the IOC, agreed the victory ``will have a positive impact.''
In Washington, Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., who introduced a bill in Congress opposing China's bid, denounced the selection of Beijing.
``This decision will allow the Chinese police state to bask in the reflected glory of the Olympic Games despite having one of the most abominable human rights records in the world,'' he said. ``China lacks political, religious and press freedoms, and it is an absolute outrage that the IOC has decided to reward China's deteriorating human rights record by giving Beijing the honor of hosting the Olympics.''
IOC officials also said China deserved the games because it is a rising sports power which has been a force in the Olympics since returning to the games in 1984 after a 32-year absence.
At the White House, President Bush (news - web sites)'s national security adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) said the selection was ``an IOC decision.''
``What we do know is that American athletes are going to go there and they're going to compete and hopefully compete very well and bring home lots of gold medals,'' Rice said. ``As to human rights in China and the agenda for human rights in our bilateral relationship with China, the president has made very clear that human rights will be on the agenda.''
Toronto and Paris had cast themselves as risk-free ``bids of certainty.'' Toronto portrayed itself as the best bid for the athletes, while Paris played on its allure as the world's favorite tourist city.
But Toronto was hurt by its mayor, Mel Lastman, who recently said he feared attending an Olympic meeting in Africa because ``I just see myself in a pot of boiling water with all these natives dancing around me.''
African IOC members raised the matter during Toronto's presentation to the general assembly Friday. Canadian officials said Lastman had apologized, and he was left off Toronto's official team at the ceremony.
``The power of the IOC wanted Beijing. Now they have to live with it,'' said Paul Henderson, a Canadian IOC member who led Toronto's unsuccessful bid for the 1996 Games. ``I think it was theirs all along. I think Beijing had to make mistakes. Toronto people can be very proud. They knew the odds were against them. ... We knew Beijing had great strengths.''
Paris was unable to convince members to keep the Olympics in Europe for a third straight time after the 2004 Summer Games in Athens and 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy.
The awarding of the 2008 Olympics was the first of two major decisions being taken by the IOC at its 112th session. On Monday, the IOC will elect a successor to Samaranch, who is stepping down after 21 years in office.
-- (in@the.news), July 14, 2001
Trivia question: Where were the 1976 Olympics? Who cares? I don't. The Olympics have devolved to another over-sponsored TV special. No doubt the Chinese version will have a cuddly panda bear logo and no mention will be made of the slave laborers/political prisoners who fabricated them. No mention will be made of the Chicom rape of Tibet. Beijing will be shown as a modern clean city of enlightened happy citizens doing Tai Chi every morning in lovely manicured parks.Anyone remember the 1984 Winter Olympics from Sarajevo? Sarajevo was portrayed as an interesting Old World town inhabited by peaceable multi-ethnics.
Only eight years later it was a genocidal killing field.
-- Lars (larsguy@yahoo.com), July 14, 2001.
I LIKE CHinese food tho.
-- Porky (Porky @in.cellblockD), July 14, 2001.
Specially those little things on the stick, what are those anyway??
-- Porky (Porky@in.cellblockD), July 14, 2001.
The heads of dissidents!
-- Tastes (like@chicken.chicom), July 14, 2001.
Montreal in 1976.Lars, I don't know if we agree on all issues here, but we seem to be in a similar temper over the situation. Though I'm not that interested in the Olympics as a whole, I don't agree with the choice of Beijing. As the article above pointed out, the Chinese didn't even SHOW UP for 32 years. So why should they care about having the Games? If the government didn't want to participate then, why now?
Another matter is China's lack of involvement in the world community. When was the last time China stepped in to help disaster victims outside its own borders? When there's a flood, earthquake or hurricane, do you see Chinese assistance? Nope. When there's unrest between nations, and a third country needs to step in and moderate the discourse, do you see Chinese diplomats anywhere on the scene? Uh uh. Hell, China has made it a policy to repatriate starving North Korean refugees, even though North Korea and China are ALLIES. They were shamed into allowing one NK refugee family to go to South Korea a few weeks ago solely because of the impending IOC vote. Further, the Chinese are known to employ slave labor in their prisons to produce products, but when other nations ask (because of their own laws prohibiting the importation of slave-produced goods), those nations are told "that's none of your business, our production methods are an internal matter."
All this points to a selfish nation (I make no comment on the Chinese people; just the government) that wants appeasement and concessions from the international community and gives nothing in return.
If the Chinese government wants their nation to be treated like a responsible member of international society, then let them start behaving like one.
Sending the Games to Beijing only rewards bad behavior.
-- Already Done Happened (oh.yeah@it.did.com), July 15, 2001.
I disagree, Already. I think it's great that China will host the 2008 summer olympics, weather aside [and weather seems to be a great concern to the olympians.]IMO, the Olympics are a great opportunity for the folks of the world to learn about the host country. In return, it provides a great opportunity for the folks in the host country to learn about the folks in OTHER countries. I have friends visiting China this summer. I'm anxious to learn of their experience, as I've never been there. The only person I know who's previously visited China was an old boss who made a trip perhaps 12 years ago. At that time, the Chinese were still searching rooms while travelers toured.
I doubt that the Chinese government would have time to search the rooms of the hordes of folks who attend Olympic events from all over the world. I think that the Chinese populace would benefit immensely from their exposure to folks who think differently. I also don't think that sporting events should be held as a carrot or stick dependent on a government's ideology. I understand that the Amnesty International report on human rights violations is an issue, but has anyone read what the Amnesty International report has to say about human rights violations in the U.S.?
-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), July 15, 2001.
(spoken) The world today is absolutely cracked. With nuclear bombs to blow us all sky high. There's fools and idiots sitting on the trigger. It's depressing, and it's senseless, and that's why... (singing)I like Chinese, I like Chinese,
They only come up to you knees,
Yet they're always friendly and they're ready to to please.
-------------------
I like Chinese, I like Chinese,
There's nine hundred million of them in the world today,
You'd better learn to like them, that's what I say.
-----------------
I like Chinese, I like Chinese,
They come from a long way overseas, But they're cute, and they're cuddly, and they're ready to please.
----------------
I like Chinese food,
The waiters never are rude,
Think the many things they've done to impress,
There's Maoism, Taoism, I-ching and chess.
--------------------
I like Chinese, I like Chinese,
I like their tiny little trees,
Their Zen, their ping-pong, their Ying and Yang-ese.
----------------------
I like Chinese thought,
The wisdom that Confucius taught,
If Darwin is anything to shout about,
The Chinese will survive us all without any doubt.
----------------------
So, I like Chinese, I like Chinese, They only come up to you knees,
Yet they're wise, and they're witty, and they're ready to please
--------------------
Wo ai Zhongguo ren,
Wo ai Zhongguo ren,
Wo ai Zhongguo ren,
Ni hao ma, Ni hao ma, Ni hao ma, Zai jian.
-----------------
I like Chinese, I like Chinese,
They're food is guaranteed to please,
A fourteen, a seven, a nine and lychees
-----------------------
I like Chinese, I like Chinese,
I like their tiny little trees,
Their Zen, their ping-pong, their yin and yang-ese
----------------
I like Chinese, I like Chinese, (fade out....) .
---Monty Python
-- (nemesis@awol.com), July 15, 2001.
"I disagree, Already. I think it's great that China will host the 2008 summer olympics, weather aside [and weather seems to be a great concern to the olympians.]"I guess we will have to agree to disagree there, Anita. Though I would agree that you are right about the weather. I took a jaunt to a couple of events in Atlanta in '96, and it was hotter than heck. I hope Beijing is more temperate.
"IMO, the Olympics are a great opportunity for the folks of the world to learn about the host country. In return, it provides a great opportunity for the folks in the host country to learn about the folks in OTHER countries."
I agree, but I think the contact will necessarily be limited. A tourist like myself didn't learn jack about other nations from my brief (and crowded) visit to the Games five years ago. I did, however, learn that some college-age Danes will get tanked at 7 AM and then cheer raucously for their nation at an event that doesn't even HAVE any Danes competing. If you ask nicely, I'll tell you more about that. :)
In any event, I don't think that there's that much contact. At least, not enough contact to build significant bridges.
"I have friends visiting China this summer. I'm anxious to learn of their experience, as I've never been there. The only person I know who's previously visited China was an old boss who made a trip perhaps 12 years ago. At that time, the Chinese were still searching rooms while travelers toured."
My father has been to China twice for extended academic visits, and may return next year (Mom has been to Taiwan twice, but never to the PRC). He is (as some of the vegetarians on this board may remember) an agricultural scientist and a college professor, and has a considerable number of contacts in both China and India. He speaks highly of the Chinese citizenry, but hasn't got much good to say about the Chinese government or its officials -- and Dad has met a provincial vice-governor. Dad never told me about any negative run- ins with the Chinese authorities, but considering they invited him there, I don't suspect there were many. However, the experience of tourists or businesspeople could be quite different.
"I doubt that the Chinese government would have time to search the rooms of the hordes of folks who attend Olympic events from all over the world."
I agree. But I didn't raise that concern. You did.
"I think that the Chinese populace would benefit immensely from their exposure to folks who think differently."
And I think that contact will be extremely limited. The Moscow Olympics in 1980 didn't do much to open that nation up, did it? Granted, the US didn't attend then, but many nations in the First World did.
"I also don't think that sporting events should be held as a carrot or stick dependent on a government's ideology."
I didn't recommend withholding them based on ideology. I oppose sending the Games to China -- as I said -- because of that nation's obvious disdain for the international community. China is interested in trade, sport and public relations, but not in exerting its power and influence to help anyone else. I think that the PRC government's aim is to burnish its image and generate additional trade -- and nothing further. I don't think the Games will induce China to be a better international citizen.
"I understand that the Amnesty International report on human rights violations is an issue, but has anyone read what the Amnesty International report has to say about human rights violations in the U.S.?"
Actually, I have. But I must have missed the part about prisoners in US jails being forced to produce products for export. You might also want to help me find the part that mentions ongoing American invasions and occupations of peaceful neighbor nations. ;)
BTW, as an aside, I understand that the marksmanship event will be held in Tien'an'men Square, that "volunteers" are being sought to help with the event, and that Target will be the corporate sponsor.
You may now groan. :)
-- Already Done Happened (oh.yeah@it.did.com), July 15, 2001.
LET THE GAMES BEIJING....
-- sAM (bogus@large.net), July 16, 2001.
ADH: The only area wherein I disagreed was that you thought it a bad idea to hold the Olympics in Bejing and I thought it a good one. The rest of my post consisted of MY reasoning, NOT a debate on your own [I actually agree with much of your reasoning, BTW.]The marksmanship event seems more appropriate for the infamous square than the first suggestion of Volleyball, which was dismissed.
-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), July 16, 2001.
"ADH: The only area wherein I disagreed was that you thought it a bad idea to hold the Olympics in Bejing and I thought it a good one."My apologies. But you did bring up several items that seemed to indicate disagreement. I posted in order to clarify my own position.
"The rest of my post consisted of MY reasoning, NOT a debate on your own [I actually agree with much of your reasoning, BTW.]"
I didn't think there was any debate going on there, just discourse. I apologize if I gave you that impression.
-- Already Done Happened (oh.yeah@it.did.com), July 17, 2001.
ADH: *I* was unclear in my first post, so there's no need for you to apologize. I think it was when you mentioned that YOU didn't raise a concern that I began to think that you thought I was responding to YOUR post in its entirety rather than the post that started this thread or the countless news articles I'd read on this issue. I think the misunderstanding has been resolved, and I appreciate your patience.Here's an article that may or may not stir some dialogue on this issue.
-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), July 17, 2001.