Beijing 2008 and Tibet: The Orwellian Games

It's 1984 all over again, and I don't mean the '84 Olympic games in Los Angeles. China's recent behavior following Tibetan unrest and calls for the region's independence seems straight out of George Orwell's novel, with its "Big Brother," double-speak, and thought control.

When protesters disrupted the Olympic-flame procession in London, the whole world watched -- except for Chinese television viewers, who witnessed an absolutely serene, protest-free journey of the torch. Not a "Free Tibet" banner in sight.

Along with massive censorship and cyber-policing at home, China indulges in propaganda so absurd it would be funny if the consequences weren't tragic. Tibet communist party boss Zhang Qingli called the Dalai Lama "an evil spirit with a human face and the heart of a beast." Well, he also has a Nobel Prize and innumerable statements urging dialogue, non-violence, autonomy and human rights. Evidently, those are beastly goals.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu held a press conference on April 8. He stated that the Tibetan people enjoy "democratic rights," "freedom of religious belief is protected in Tibet," and "a handful of rioters and outlaws could not speak for the Tibetan people." Such claims may play well among information-starved residents of Shanghai and Beijing, but not in Peoria or Paris.

Democratic rights in the world's biggest police state, run by a totalitarian regime? The Tibetans are ruled by the Beijing government; they have no freedom of speech, political autonomy or self-determination. The "freedom of religious belief" line is equally ludicrous, and somehow it doesn't harmonize with Tibetan Buddhist monks being forced to attend "re-education" classes that (surprise) denounce the Dalai Lama and praise Chinese rule. And, that "handful of rioters" is certainly raising a ruckus. Similarly, according to the Apr. 14 international edition of Newsweek, when over 100,000 Uighurs recently staged a protest in Hetian in China, the city-government web site termed them a "tiny number" of people representing the forces of "separatism, terrorism and extremism."

From Orwell's Pocket Beijing Dictionary, 2008 edition:
Dissent = lies.
Censorship = elimination of lies.
Protests = terrorism.
Many political protesters = small band of hoodlums.
Totalitarian = democratic.
Re-education = freedom of religious belief.
Suppression = harmony.
Ignoring China's politics = undisturbed growth in global economy.

So, how far do we have to go to protect the Olympic spirit? Do we stage the Olympics in any nation, no matter how undemocratic their government, no matter how dark their human-rights record? Should the Olympic Games be held in Sudan, despite Darfur? Should they be held in North Korea? Could Saddam Hussein have hosted them? Or Idi Amin? If a nation similar to Nazi Germany (who held the Games in '36) appeared in the future, would they be acceptable hosts this time around? I think most people would say no to all of those choices. So why was China given the games?

The Olympic Games are supposed to promote "human dignity," and should be staged in countries that respect human rights and self-determination. They shouldn't be held in totalitarian nations with abuses of liberty similar to those in Orwell's 1984.

Comments

[yexiaonan]

Anyone concerned with the "Tibet Qusetion" must read Louise MacBain's article,"Heads of State
Be Aware oif Facts of Tibet and China." which clearly listed the demands of the Tibet Government'
In-Exile (TGIE) on China of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).

The Tibet Question is a political one - not so much about human right, compassion or non-violence
which Dalai Lama preaches - while his followers (or power behind him) are demanding the creation of a state within a state - not only on Tibet but on a Greater Tibet that encrouches on China's
provinces where various other ethnic groups reside.

Dalai Lama as a spiritual leader is to be revered. As he is mixng politics with religion, hiding his politcal agenda behind the veil of compassion, it is simply deceit and hyprocrisy that is to be condemned.

Dalai Lama is no Martin Luther King

[JRandomPoster]

Not trying to diminish your points, but it isn't hard to come up a similar list of Newspeak for Americans:

Disagreement with BushCo = Anti-American
Against the war = Hates America
Unable to accept BushCo's DoubleThink = Supports the Terrorists
Right kind of Christian = freedom of religion
Fascism = Democracy
Spying on our own people = Keeping America Safe
Coming to power by judicial fiat = Will of the People / mandate

[December7]

Our pretension against the Olympics stinks, dedicating a few hrs for the cameras, while passing by Walmart to shop and keep the Chinese economy growing at 10%! Why cant we hit them where it hurts, no more "Made in China" for a day or two if we can survive it.....

[wingman1]

I agree, agree, agree.

[thismachinekillsfascists]

We live in an age of instant communication, fact-checking, and access to knowledge thanks to the internet. No longer can our governments and so-called "leaders" pull the wool over our eyes. We know what's going on.

It's a shame that it cannot be said about the Chinese, as evidenced by the hundreds of pro-Chinese demonstrators living and studying in America. Of course, they've been brainwashed by the Chinese government that Tibet is and always has been historically Chinese property. They may be right about that, since history proves only that whenever China is ruled by Beijing, Tibet becomes part of China. However the systematic eradication of Tibetan culture over the past 50 years is nothing short of evil.

Eradicating a culture is called genocide, plain and simple. And rewarding a country that practices genocide with the Olympics is an act of willful blindness on the part of the IOC.

For shame. This is going to turn out to be the most highly charged and politicised Olympics in history, thanks to the Tibetans. Is China going to crack down on every international visitor and athlete that comes to Beijing? How are they going to stop people from making very simple acts of solidarity? What's going to happen to the first international athlete that wears a "Free Tibet" t-shirt on the podium?

It'll be interesting, that's for sure!

[margie4]

HuffPost's Pick

Sadly, our country has lost any viable voice in the world as regards to objecting to other countries violations of civil and/or human rights. We need to clean up our own house before we start pointing fingers at others.

[cynara]

HuffPost's Pick

Our country may have lost its voice, but I sure as hell have not. I protested the Iraq war as an exercise in US imperialism where we impose our will on another people, and I would be hypocritical if I did not equally denounce the Chinese government for the same crime. Just cause the US does it, doesn't make it right. And forcing people to accept a government where they have no representation, no control over their local or state affairs, where another people are homesteading on their traditional lands, and where they are pressured to reject their cultures and beliefs, is wrong - it is wrong here, it is wrong in Iraq, and it is wrong in Tibet.

[IronMikeHouston]

I would recommend that you start supporting causes that you can actually win. We still have troops in Iraq after more than 5 years of protesting. Hillary and G W was (supported) for the war. Barack has voted to fund the troops. If the USA pulls out tomorrow, the radial muslims will kill many more than have been killed already. Now, I don't care if millions are killed by radial muslims or USA troops but I'm sure your heart will be happy when they die because you stand for peace and with more muslims died, there might be more of a chance for peace.

About Tibet (and Sudan), no one in the USA really cares about these two countries and their problems. You can imagine citizens are all up in arms about these two crisis but is anything being done about it. People starve all the time in Sudan so dying is fairly common.

BTW, how does charging innocent Torch relay racers support Tibet? Most of the kooks and fruitcakes don't really care about Tibet. I bet most of the clothes and footwear they are wearing is made in China.

[TacticalGrace]

It is only too appropriate that our representative of the Big Brother mentality and violator in chief of human and civil rights, George W. Bush attend the opening of this perversion of the Olympic spirit. He should, in fact give the opening address for he has much to teach the Chinese about the oppression of a nation, the torture of human beings, lies and blatant propaganda. 1984 is personified in our President and Commander and Chief.

[mamak]

I was quite amazed to learn that 200 foreign chinese students from a California university went to wave Chinese flag in San Francisco today to support the Olympic games. I wonder how many of them are funded by the Tax payers of California. So these students can exercise their freedom of right to support China in US soil but the Tibetians are not allowed similar rights in Tibet?....­The world has been sleeping for a long time on such issues..an­d I'm unsure how a growing totalitarian superpower is going to behave in the world stage soon.....

[yexiaonan]

Can't be worse that the U.S.right now under GWB

[hartkid]

Well, if that's the criteria, the games certainly can't be held in the United States of America.