Boycotting the Opening Ceremony is Worth Considering -- Pelosi Wants
Bush to Weigh Skipping Olympic Ceremony/The New York Times
The New York Times
April 2, 2008
Pelosi Wants Bush to Weigh Skipping Olympic Ceremony
By CARL HULSE
WA****NGTON ¡ª Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, suggested Tuesday
that President Bush consider skipping the opening ceremony of the
Olympics in Beijing to protest China¡¯s actions in Tibet, its overall
human rights record and its trade policies.
The speaker, a California Democrat who has just returned from a meeting
with the Dalai Lama in India, said a high-profile boycott of the opening
festivities, which are typically a celebration of the host country,
could send a strong message without interfering with the Games themselves.
¡°The president of the United States, if he is going to give credibility
to the Chinese government, he should also take the time to say to them
we are very concerned, not only about human rights, which are a very
im****tant value to us, but we are also concerned about our trade
situation,¡± Ms. Pelosi said in an interview.
Ms. Pelosi, a longtime critic of China, said German representatives to
the Games had already said they would not attend the opening ceremony in
August, and the idea had been raised by other foreign officials as a way
to show sup****t for Tibetans seeking more independence from China. Ms.
Pelosi made it clear that she was not advocating any interference with
the s****ting events.
She did say that if the International Olympic Committee wanted to
****tray the Games as a gathering that transcends s****ts, its members
should hold the host country to high human rights standards.
¡°They are a committee that organizes s****ting events,¡± she said. ¡°If
they are going to contend that they are something beyond that, then the
country that is honored with the Olympic Games should honor its
commitments.¡±
The spokeswoman for China¡¯s Foreign Ministry, Jiang Yu, said: ¡°If
someone wants to use the Olympic Games to flatter themselves, it will
not succeed. If they don¡¯t participate, it is the same as leaving the
Olympic family. It will undermine their own interests.¡±
Mr. Bush intends to attend the Olympics, and the White House said he was
not considering bypassing the opening ceremony.
¡°The president views the Olympics as a s****ting event and an im****tant
op****tunity to sup****t America¡¯s athletes,¡± said Tony Fratto, a White
House spokesman. ¡°He has also made it very clear that the Olympics will
****ne a bright light on China regarding a variety of issues.¡±
Representative F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., Republican of Wisconsin, who
made the trip with Ms. Pelosi, said it would be premature to make a
decision on attendance of the ceremony now, but that China should be
aware that its actions are being closely watched as the Games approach.
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