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| NEWS | Sunday, 20 April 2008|NEWS | Sunday, 20 April 2008 Casa supports Olympic boycott, Muscat cautious of ‘theatrical moves’ James Debono Nationalist MEP David Casa is calling on Malta to join other democracies in boycotting the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.
But Labour MEP Joseph Muscat cautions against “theatrical moves” which would have little long-term impact. Last week, Malta’s five MEPs voted in favour of a resolution condemning human rights abuses in Tibet and calling on member states to consider “the option of non-attendance” in the opening ceremony, “in the event that there is no resumption of dialogue between the Chinese authorities and His Holiness the Dalai Lama”. “I personally think that all the democracies in the world should boycott the opening ceremony so as to send a clear message to China that the Tibetans as a people have their fundamental right for freedom, which right is being brutally suppressed,” Casa told MaltaToday. David Casa and Joseph Muscat were the only MEPs who replied to MaltaToday’s questions on whether Malta should boycott the opening ceremony. Labour MEP Joseph Muscat was more cautious ABOUT the idea of a boycott, noting that “sporadic and theatrical moves, unaccompanied by a long-term rationale in all sectors, have little effect.” He also spoke of the “need for a united and coherent policy by EU Member States.” According to Muscat this stand should go beyond the Olympic Opening Ceremony and should have the respect of human rights in China, Tibet and elsewhere as its objective. Some MEPs who supported the motion also pointed out that the EU should show the same concerns for human rights when it comes to trade deals and investments in the emerging super power. Italian left-wing MEP Vittorio Agnoletto called for the respect of human rights of millions of workers employed by European companies in China. The EU’s parliament resolution coincided with protests directed against the passing of the Olympic torch through major world cities. But concern is mounting on the impact these protests are having on Chinese public opinion. According to global human rights organisation Avaaz, “within China, where the Olympics were once seen as a victory for greater openness and internationalism, the internal debate has taken a bitter turn with most Chinese growing angry over Olympic activism, seeing it as biased and anti-Chinese.” “If the games are a fiasco, China's repressive hardliners will win the day – and we could see the worst crackdown yet,” the organisation warned. The organisation now aims to reach out to China and Chinese people to show that they are not anti-Chinese but pro-humanitarian. Avaaz is launching a major new campaign: “Save the Olympics.” “We'll ask China to save the Olympics for all of us, by making specific, reasonable progress in dialogue with the Dalai Lama, securing release of Burmese and Tibetan political prisoners, and supporting peacekeeping in Darfur.” In its resolution the European Parliament was very attentive not to offend Chinese sensibilities by reiterating its support for “China's territorial integrity”. It also endorsed “the Dalai Lama's statement that the Olympic Games are a great opportunity for freedom for all the Chinese people.” While the Olympics has cast a spotlight on the human rights situation in China and Tibet, the worsening of an already dramatic humanitarian situation in Gaza went largely unnoticed, prompting acclaimed linguist and foreign policy critic Noam Chomksy to denounce a conspiracy of silence on this issue. While noting “a close analogy between the Palestinian occupied territories and Tibet right now,” Chomsky observes that “while, rightly or wrongly, Tibet is internationally recognised even by the US as part of China, outside of Israel and, in practice, the US, no one recognises the Occupied territories as part of Israel.” The Israeli siege has destroyed the Gazan economy and civil infrastructure, and doubled the number of unemployed. According to the Al Mezan centre for human rights, 42 children have lost their lives in the first three months of 2008 alone. Israel claims that the siege is a response to rockets fired from Gaza against Israeli targets. Any comments? |
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Managing editor Saviour Balzan | Tel. ++356 21382741 | Fax: ++356 21385075 | Email
Managing editor Saviour Balzan | Tel. ++356 21382741 | Fax: ++356 21385075 | Email