A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY of OLYMPIC PROPORTIONS

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By Gordon Mailer

We are approaching the season of traveling Olympic flames and gold medals. The eyes of the world and more importantly the lens of the world media will be focused on everything dealing with the Olympics in China in August.

With this high profile, global event a golden opportunity is being presented to the oppressed people of Burma and Tibet. An opportunity to organize themselves to guarantee that they are a visible presence at any and all events leading up to the actual Olympics.

Many activists and sympathetic organizations representing both of these countries are encouraging people to boycott the games in China as a way of bringing attention to China’s abuse of human rights not only in its own country but in the nations of Burma and Tibet. It is well know that China sent its troops into Tibet over 50 years ago. It engaged in the wholesale humiliation, beating and slaughter of Buddhist monks and Tibetan citizens. The Chinese government has destroyed tens of thousands of Buddhist temples and continued its effort to completely erase the Tibetan culture from the face of the earth. The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, had to be smuggled out of the country under threat of death.

Additionally, China is the biggest supporter of the military dictatorship in Burma. It is its largest business partner and also supplies the illegal regime with billions of dollars in armaments and weapons.

All Burmese and Tibetans and their supporters can seize the months leading up to the Olympics in August to demonstrate and gain high visibility for their cause. They should be thinking about getting organized to: _

• Boycott the Olympics
• Boycott all companies endorsing the games and refuse to buy their products and services.
• Refuse to watch the games on television
• Be on hand to greet the runners carrying the Olympic Flame as they pass through their cities

All cities on the flame’s route can be found at the IOC sites:

• www.olympic.org
• www.torchrelay.beijing2008.cn/en

The torch site is particularly complete in identifying the cities of the world where the torch will be run. The site provides a route map, cities and dates.

Media will be on hand to cover this event in every town and city through which the flame is carried. Burmese and Tibetans should be certain they are visible wherever the flame appears. It is a golden opportunity to present their point of view to a potentially huge world audience.

Yes, the games are intended to be a non political way of bringing people and nations together in the spirit of fair play. The biggest game on earth is the human race. Calling China to task for its abuses of human rights in Tibet and its support of an illegal, heartless regime in Burma is all about fair play in a game with the highest of stakes.

It is time to award gold medals for the most important events in the human experience. It is time to score a win for fair play, humanity and decency. It is time to win in a way that will ennoble us all and make us all proud to be members of the global community.