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China's Great Leap: Human Rights Watch on the Beijing Games and Olympian Human Rights Challenges
Thursday, April 10, 2008 :Thousands of protesters turned out in San Francisco to protest the Olympic torch relay and this year's Beijing Games. Similar protests condemning China's human rights abuses have attempted to disrupt the torch along its earlier stops in Athens, Istanbul, Paris and London. We speak with Human Rights Watch's Minky Worden, who is editor of a new book, China's Great Leap: The Beijing Games and Olympian Human Rights Challenges.
Thousands of protesters were disappointed Wednesday when San Francisco authorities suddenly altered the route of the Olympic torch relay in order to avoid the demonstrators. Similar protests condemning China’s human rights abuses had attempted to disrupt the torch along its earlier stops in Athens, Istanbul, Paris, and London.
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Jacque Rogge, the President of the International Olympic Committee, responded to the protests over this year’s Olympic games. Speaking in Beijing today, he said he was saddened by the disruptions to the torch relay in Europe. He reminded athletes of the Olympic rule against political demonstrations at the Games.
Meanwhile both Democratic Presidential candidates Senators Clinton and Obama have now called on President Bush to consider boycotting the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing this August. But on Tuesday President Bush told EWTN Television, a Catholic TV network, that “Nobody needs to tell old George Bush that he needs to bring religious freedom to the doorstep of the Chinese, because I’ve done that now for—I’m on my eighth year doing it. I’ve talked about freedom of religion every time I visited with them. I’ve talked about Darfur. I’ve talked about Burma. I’ve talked about the Dalai Lama. I don’t need the Olympics to express my position.”
To discuss the politics around the upcoming Beijing Olympics we’re joined in our firehouse studio by Minky Worden. She is the Media Director of Human Rights Watch and the editor of a new book coming out this May from Seven Stories Press. Its called “China’s Great Leap: The Beijing Games and Olympian Human Rights Challenges.”
Minky Worden, Media Director of Human Rights Watch. She lived and worked in Hong Kong for six years, is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and an elected member of the Overseas Press Club"s Board of Governors. She is the editor of a new book coming out this May from Seven Stories Press. Its called “China’s Great Leap: The Beijing Games and Olympian Human Rights Challenges.”
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For more information:
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/4/10/chin...
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One of DN's strengths have been the debates . There should be one on this issue . Many of the left are divided.
I, for example, i do not support the PRC govt.'s intervention in Tibet. I have no doubt they have been heavy handed and repressive , But i don't support the so called '' Free Tibet''movement . I don't think the Tibetan people really want a return to pre -1959 Tibet where the Monks ruled supreme, men workers and farmers were serfs and women were essentially slaves . (And The CIA doesn't fund genuine liberation movements . But they have backed this nationalist effort for decades. )
So who better than Amy to broker a honest debate on this issue . Perhaps followed by Public debates hosted by the various Pacifica stations .
My proverbial two cents.
I, for example, i do not support the PRC govt.'s intervention in Tibet. I have no doubt they have been heavy handed and repressive , But i don't support the so called '' Free Tibet''movement . I don't think the Tibetan people really want a return to pre -1959 Tibet where the Monks ruled supreme, men workers and farmers were serfs and women were essentially slaves . (And The CIA doesn't fund genuine liberation movements . But they have backed this nationalist effort for decades. )
So who better than Amy to broker a honest debate on this issue . Perhaps followed by Public debates hosted by the various Pacifica stations .
My proverbial two cents.
Thousands were on the streets supporting the right of China's government to host the Olympics, whatever westerners or others think of it.
Furthermore still, one would have to be fully ignorant of San Francisco waterfront history to think that an Embarcadero full of red flags was not a political demonstration, one quite supportable (if not quite fully supported) by the left, here and abroad.
Furthermore still, one would have to be fully ignorant of San Francisco waterfront history to think that an Embarcadero full of red flags was not a political demonstration, one quite supportable (if not quite fully supported) by the left, here and abroad.
Human Rights Watch is a notorious pro-Israel outfit. WHERE IS THE COMMEMORATION ABOUT DEIR YASSIN HERE? April 9 was the 60th anniversary of the US/Israel OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE, PAID FOR WITH US TAX DOLLARS TO THE TUNE OF $6 BILLION A YEAR TO PROTECT US OIL PROFITS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
Democracy Now is a Democratic Party front (the Democratic Party being a primary member of the anti-China gang) which can't seem to figure out that SAN FRANCISCO AVOIDED VIOLENCE with the outstanding change of route of the stupid torch. CAN YOU IMAGINE THE POOR TORCHBEARERS, MANY OF WHOM WERE DISABLED, TRYING TO RUN THROUGH THAT HYSTERICAL CROWD? Neither can I; they would have experienced the physical attacks that occurred in Europe and there would have been lots of police brutality lawsuits. They could just walk around in a circle if they wanted to; the whole thing is complete nonsense anyway. ALL OF THE WONDERFUL PICTURES HERE SHOWED THE WHOLE WORLD THE PREPARATION FOR VIOLENCE BY THE CIA AT SAN FRANCISCO'S HOSTING OF THE OLYMPIC TORCH, and this writer saw it in person. My favorite picture was http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/04/10/18491841.php where the middle class white boys defended their huge "free tibet" sign on city property (the Port of San Francisco), the Ferry Building, laughing with the white cops while the smaller Chinese protested. THE RACISM OF THE WHITE TIBET PROMOTERS AND THE COPS WAS OBVIOUS. No black person could have gotten away with that despicable provocation.
Global Research has posted an excellent article again, this time from Asia Times by Richard Bennett, "Tibet, the great game' and the CIA," 3/25/08 at
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8442
In pertinent part, it describes US TAXES PAYING FOR DESTABILIZING CHINA:
"Similarly, the funding and overall control of the unrest has also been linked to Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, and by inference to the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) because of his close cooperation with US intelligence for over 50 years."
"Respected columnist and former senior Indian Intelligence officer, B Raman, commented on March 21 that "on the basis of available evidence, it was possible to assess with a reasonable measure of conviction" that the initial uprising in Lhasa on March 14 "had been pre-planned and well orchestrated"."
"The CIA established a secret military training camp for the Dalai Lama's resistance fighters at Camp Hale near Leadville, Colorado, in the US. The Tibetan guerrillas were trained and equipped by the CIA for guerrilla warfare and sabotage operations against the communist Chinese."
"The CIA will undoubtedly ensure that its fingerprints are not discovered all over this growing revolt. Cut-outs and proxies will be used among the Tibetan exiles in Nepal and India's northern border areas."
"Large quantities of former Eastern bloc small arms and explosives have been reportedly smuggled into Tibet over the past 30 years, but these are likely to remain safely hidden until the right opportunity presents itself. The weapons have been acquired on the world markets or from stocks captured by US or Israeli forces. They have been sanitized and are deniable, untraceable back to the CIA. Weapons of this nature also have the advantage of being interchangeable with those used by the Chinese armed forces and of course use the same ammunition, easing the problem of resupply during any future conflict. Though official support for the Tibetan resistance ended 30 years ago, the CIA has kept open its lines of communications and still funds much of the Tibetan Freedom movement."
THE PRESIDENT's closest thugs, VP Cheney, now Sec of State Condoloezza Rice, former Sec of State Colin Powell, former War Secty Donald Rumsfeld, former AG John Ashcroft and CIA director George Tenet DISCUSSED TORTURE IN THE WHITE HOUSE to force innocent people to confess to perpetrating the 9/11 Inside Job WHEN IT WAS BUSH, CHENEY, RUMSFELD, RICE AND GIULIANI who led the perpetration of the 9/11 Inside Job. For more, see below. This story was originally on ABC News, 4/9/08 at:
http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=4583256
The truth about the 9/11 Inside Job for those who still cannot figure it out:
Listen to Guns & Butter on KPFA at 94.1 FM at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and online at:
http://www.gunsandbutter.net/archives.php
View
http://www.brasschecktv.com/
DVD that is a Must See at
http://www.loosechange911.com/
READ ALL OF THE FOLLOWING BOOKS:
1.Crossing the Rubicon by Michael Ruppert
2.The 9/11 Conspiracy, ed. By James Fetzer (2007), articles by John Austin, David Griffin, James Fetzer, Jack White, Judy Wood, Joseph Firmage, Morgan Reynolds, Rick Rajter, Elias Davidsson, Peter Dale Scott, John McMurty plus excellent photos
3. 9/11 Contradictions by David Griffin (2008)
4. The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions & Distortions by David Griffin
5. The New Pearl Harbor by David Griffin
6.. Debunking 9/11 Debunking by David Griffin
7.. Painful Questions by Eric Hufschmid
8. The Iron Triangle (on Carlyle Group) by Dan Briody
9.. 9/11 Revealed: The Unanswered Questions by Rowland Morgan & Ian Henshall
10. Waking Up From Our Nightmare by Don Paul and Jim Hoffman
11..9/11 Facing Our Fascist State by Don Paul
12..9/11 Synthetic Terror: Made in USA by Webster Tarpley
13. Body of Secrets by James Bamford
14. The War on Truth by Nafeez Mossadeq Ahmed
15. The Terror Conspiracy by Jim Marrs
16. Towers of Deception by Barrie Zwicker (with DVD enclosed)
17. 9/11 and American Empire edited by David Ray Griffin and Peter Dale Scott
18. Flight 93 Revealed by Rowland Morgan
Democracy Now is a Democratic Party front (the Democratic Party being a primary member of the anti-China gang) which can't seem to figure out that SAN FRANCISCO AVOIDED VIOLENCE with the outstanding change of route of the stupid torch. CAN YOU IMAGINE THE POOR TORCHBEARERS, MANY OF WHOM WERE DISABLED, TRYING TO RUN THROUGH THAT HYSTERICAL CROWD? Neither can I; they would have experienced the physical attacks that occurred in Europe and there would have been lots of police brutality lawsuits. They could just walk around in a circle if they wanted to; the whole thing is complete nonsense anyway. ALL OF THE WONDERFUL PICTURES HERE SHOWED THE WHOLE WORLD THE PREPARATION FOR VIOLENCE BY THE CIA AT SAN FRANCISCO'S HOSTING OF THE OLYMPIC TORCH, and this writer saw it in person. My favorite picture was http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/04/10/18491841.php where the middle class white boys defended their huge "free tibet" sign on city property (the Port of San Francisco), the Ferry Building, laughing with the white cops while the smaller Chinese protested. THE RACISM OF THE WHITE TIBET PROMOTERS AND THE COPS WAS OBVIOUS. No black person could have gotten away with that despicable provocation.
Global Research has posted an excellent article again, this time from Asia Times by Richard Bennett, "Tibet, the great game' and the CIA," 3/25/08 at
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8442
In pertinent part, it describes US TAXES PAYING FOR DESTABILIZING CHINA:
"Similarly, the funding and overall control of the unrest has also been linked to Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, and by inference to the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) because of his close cooperation with US intelligence for over 50 years."
"Respected columnist and former senior Indian Intelligence officer, B Raman, commented on March 21 that "on the basis of available evidence, it was possible to assess with a reasonable measure of conviction" that the initial uprising in Lhasa on March 14 "had been pre-planned and well orchestrated"."
"The CIA established a secret military training camp for the Dalai Lama's resistance fighters at Camp Hale near Leadville, Colorado, in the US. The Tibetan guerrillas were trained and equipped by the CIA for guerrilla warfare and sabotage operations against the communist Chinese."
"The CIA will undoubtedly ensure that its fingerprints are not discovered all over this growing revolt. Cut-outs and proxies will be used among the Tibetan exiles in Nepal and India's northern border areas."
"Large quantities of former Eastern bloc small arms and explosives have been reportedly smuggled into Tibet over the past 30 years, but these are likely to remain safely hidden until the right opportunity presents itself. The weapons have been acquired on the world markets or from stocks captured by US or Israeli forces. They have been sanitized and are deniable, untraceable back to the CIA. Weapons of this nature also have the advantage of being interchangeable with those used by the Chinese armed forces and of course use the same ammunition, easing the problem of resupply during any future conflict. Though official support for the Tibetan resistance ended 30 years ago, the CIA has kept open its lines of communications and still funds much of the Tibetan Freedom movement."
THE PRESIDENT's closest thugs, VP Cheney, now Sec of State Condoloezza Rice, former Sec of State Colin Powell, former War Secty Donald Rumsfeld, former AG John Ashcroft and CIA director George Tenet DISCUSSED TORTURE IN THE WHITE HOUSE to force innocent people to confess to perpetrating the 9/11 Inside Job WHEN IT WAS BUSH, CHENEY, RUMSFELD, RICE AND GIULIANI who led the perpetration of the 9/11 Inside Job. For more, see below. This story was originally on ABC News, 4/9/08 at:
http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=4583256
The truth about the 9/11 Inside Job for those who still cannot figure it out:
Listen to Guns & Butter on KPFA at 94.1 FM at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and online at:
http://www.gunsandbutter.net/archives.php
View
http://www.brasschecktv.com/
DVD that is a Must See at
http://www.loosechange911.com/
READ ALL OF THE FOLLOWING BOOKS:
1.Crossing the Rubicon by Michael Ruppert
2.The 9/11 Conspiracy, ed. By James Fetzer (2007), articles by John Austin, David Griffin, James Fetzer, Jack White, Judy Wood, Joseph Firmage, Morgan Reynolds, Rick Rajter, Elias Davidsson, Peter Dale Scott, John McMurty plus excellent photos
3. 9/11 Contradictions by David Griffin (2008)
4. The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions & Distortions by David Griffin
5. The New Pearl Harbor by David Griffin
6.. Debunking 9/11 Debunking by David Griffin
7.. Painful Questions by Eric Hufschmid
8. The Iron Triangle (on Carlyle Group) by Dan Briody
9.. 9/11 Revealed: The Unanswered Questions by Rowland Morgan & Ian Henshall
10. Waking Up From Our Nightmare by Don Paul and Jim Hoffman
11..9/11 Facing Our Fascist State by Don Paul
12..9/11 Synthetic Terror: Made in USA by Webster Tarpley
13. Body of Secrets by James Bamford
14. The War on Truth by Nafeez Mossadeq Ahmed
15. The Terror Conspiracy by Jim Marrs
16. Towers of Deception by Barrie Zwicker (with DVD enclosed)
17. 9/11 and American Empire edited by David Ray Griffin and Peter Dale Scott
18. Flight 93 Revealed by Rowland Morgan
For more information:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?con...
Just to be clear, a country whose leaders openly plan and perpetrate torture is clearly OPPOSED TO HUMAN RIGHTS and thus its claim to be concerned about human rights in China is a vicious lie. WEHRE IS THE PROTEST ABOUT THE US GOVERNMENT OPENLY PLANNING TORTURE IN THE WHITE HOUSE?
All human rights organizations throughout the world have condemned China for arresting political dissidents, for torture and forced labor of political prisoners, for harvesting prisoners organs to sell to the highest bidder, for ethnic cleansing and geocide in Tibet, and for numerous other atrocities.
Hell Yes there should be a debate ! I went down there (SF Emb. ) not intending to be a political ''tourist'' but i couldn't bring myself to join either the Pro-Tibet Nationalist contingent or the Pro-Chinese govt. crowd .
I find a lot to object to in both groups . I wasn't alone in this. I ran into a KPFA/Labor activist and he felt similar . He leaned toward the Pro-China group but found their uncritical attitute towards the Bejing govt. offputting . As for the Pro-Tibetan contingent , they had many open Right wingers among them . Probably the worst were the supporters of the Old US puppet regime in Saigon. If one has any doubt where they're coming from talk to progressives in San Jose . They're very right wing and Very violent . Over a dozen Vietnamese-Americans have been murdered in California over the last three decades by the ''Vietnamese Anticommunist Army ''. Only one was ever arrested. He was a Cal State -Fullerton student who shot a Professor , a Non-Vietnamese man active in the US-Vietnam Friendship society.
But they were a welcome part of the "' Free Tibet '' rally .
There were, are, sincere leftists on both sides of this . So instead of e-warfare why not a a serious public discussion on this ? (But i would suggest one that would only have speakers that are undoubtly part of the left. For example No one that supports the occupation of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine has ANY moral or political authority to talk about a alleged occupation (If that's what it is ) of Tibet !
So the Richard Blums, (Feinstein's hubby ) or the Notoriously antiunion Chinatown '' six Companies ''. should stay home !
Let people who really do care about Human rights engage and debate .
I find a lot to object to in both groups . I wasn't alone in this. I ran into a KPFA/Labor activist and he felt similar . He leaned toward the Pro-China group but found their uncritical attitute towards the Bejing govt. offputting . As for the Pro-Tibetan contingent , they had many open Right wingers among them . Probably the worst were the supporters of the Old US puppet regime in Saigon. If one has any doubt where they're coming from talk to progressives in San Jose . They're very right wing and Very violent . Over a dozen Vietnamese-Americans have been murdered in California over the last three decades by the ''Vietnamese Anticommunist Army ''. Only one was ever arrested. He was a Cal State -Fullerton student who shot a Professor , a Non-Vietnamese man active in the US-Vietnam Friendship society.
But they were a welcome part of the "' Free Tibet '' rally .
There were, are, sincere leftists on both sides of this . So instead of e-warfare why not a a serious public discussion on this ? (But i would suggest one that would only have speakers that are undoubtly part of the left. For example No one that supports the occupation of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine has ANY moral or political authority to talk about a alleged occupation (If that's what it is ) of Tibet !
So the Richard Blums, (Feinstein's hubby ) or the Notoriously antiunion Chinatown '' six Companies ''. should stay home !
Let people who really do care about Human rights engage and debate .
Last night on KPFA's Apex express program they had a representive from the Chinese progressive assoc. While part of the Pro-China contingent he wasn't uncritical of the PRC''s actions in Tibet. He did say something that wasn't accurate . He talked about that while Tibetans and Chinese were engaging in reasonable discussion and dialogue "' Whites'' were shouting '' Go back to China '' and other racist tauts . Not a accurate picture . Certainly some of the European -Americans on the Tibet side were especially outrageous . But so were many Tibetans !
Many in the pro-PRC delegations were likewise very militant and chanting and cursing the '' Free Tibet '' marchers . (And Vice versa )
I personally saw at least six low level violent encounters. Quite frankly I thought that there might be a fullscale confrontation with serious injuries on both sides .
I support the PRC being in the Olympics . I detect more than a little China Bashing in the '' Free Tibet '' campaign. But the direction the PRC is heading will elimate the '' Peoples'' in it's name in a decade ! There are serious issues in Tibet .
Yes , a large scale Public debate among progressives could be very useful .
Many in the pro-PRC delegations were likewise very militant and chanting and cursing the '' Free Tibet '' marchers . (And Vice versa )
I personally saw at least six low level violent encounters. Quite frankly I thought that there might be a fullscale confrontation with serious injuries on both sides .
I support the PRC being in the Olympics . I detect more than a little China Bashing in the '' Free Tibet '' campaign. But the direction the PRC is heading will elimate the '' Peoples'' in it's name in a decade ! There are serious issues in Tibet .
Yes , a large scale Public debate among progressives could be very useful .
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/12/warcrimes.kosovo
Mind you, we have no idea what the U.$. is doing in its secret prisons abroad...
Mind you, we have no idea what the U.$. is doing in its secret prisons abroad...
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