Tibet crisis won't dissuade Bush from attending Olympics

AFP ^ | 3/20/2008 | AFP

[John Robie]

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States made a high-level plea Thursday to China to show restraint in Tibet and open talks with the Dalai Lama but said the unrest will not force President George W. Bush to miss the Olympics Games.

Bush intends to visit Beijing for the Olympics in August because it is a sporting rather than a political event, but in making the trip, he will be able to speak his mind to President Hu Jintao, Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

Unlike other people, "he's able to speak very frankly to the Chinese president or the Russian president or whoever it might be," Perino told reporters, recalling that Bush has said previously he wants to meet with Hu.

And at Bush's request, she said, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke to Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi late Wednesday to urge China to show restraint with protesters in Tibet and open a dialogue with the Dalai Lama.

Rice, who briefed Bush on events in Tibet during a breakfast meeting with him, told reporters that she had urged Yang to ensure his government acts with restraint as well as open a dialogue with the Tibetan spiritual leader.

"I urged restraint and most importantly we have urged for many years that China engage in a dialogue with the Dalai Lama who represents an authoritative figure who stands against violence and who also stands for the cultural autonomy of the Tibetan people but made very clear that he does not stand for independence," Rice said.

"And I believe that this would be a basis on which China could reach out to an authoritative figure for peace and so we are encouraging that," Rice said.

"So I hope that China would exercise restraint but it is also important that all parties refrain from violence."

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Tuesday that Beijing was willing to hold talks, but only after the Dalai Lama gave up what is viewed in China as a campaign for Tibetan independence.

Chinese authorities have repeatedly accused the Dalai Lama, who fled his homeland after the 1959 uprising, of masterminding the latest unrest, a charge the Buddhist monk strongly denies.

But Perino said the ongoing crisis will not force Bush to change plans.

"The president's position is that this should be about the athletes and not necessarily about politics," Perino said when asked whether Bush should rethink his plans for the Olympics.

"It is a chance for that country to put its best face forward and it's also a chance for other countries to learn more about the country," Perino said, recalling Bush's position.

"And we are very concerned about what's happening in Tibet and we have expressed those concerns," she said.

A week of protests against China's 57-year rule of Tibet erupted into rioting in Lhasa on Friday. Demonstrations have since spilled over into nearby Chinese provinces with sizeable ethnic Tibetan populations.

China said rioters killed 13 innocent civilians in Lhasa while denying that it used deadly force to end the protests. Exiled Tibetan leaders have said about 100 people were believed to have been killed in the Chinese crackdown.

Thousands of soldiers were seen in Lhasa on Thursday amid reports of a huge military build-up.

With no presence on the ground in Lhasa, the United States is not in a position to give details about events in Tibet.

"I can say that our embassy has requested access to those areas and thus far that access has not yet been granted," US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

[John Robie]

So the Beijing Olympics are not a political event?

[NoLibZone]

Sad day for America.

Sad.

[John Robie]

We have put money above our ideals and our national security. One day Americans may pay the price for the short-sightedness and lack of courage shown by our leaders.

[Bobibutu]

“So the Beijing Olympics are not a political event?”

Sigh ...

And Islam is a religion of peace ...

[Stonewall Jackson]

And the World Wars were merely minor disagreements between neighbors.

[John Robie]

I have strongly defended Bush for several years no, but I have about had it. The disturbing thing is that the democrats running would be much worse, so I will just vote for McCain and hope that he governs as a conservative and with courage. His comments on the recent Supreme Court hearing were encouraging, but I do have some concerns. I really do not think he could be any less conservative than Bush though, so hopefully it will work out for us. Our country certainly needs to make some serious changes.

[NoLibZone]

We swapped Tibet and our American Soul for 19.00 dollar toaster ovens.

[John Robie]

It is disgraceful.

[patch789]

I am very saddened by this.

[bannie]

Yup...or selling it for cheap glass beads.

[Candor7]

QUOTE: " The United States made a high-level plea Thursday to China to show restraint in Tibet and open talks with the Dalai Lama but said the unrest will not force President George W. Bush to miss the Olympics Games." UNQUOTE

TRANSLATION: The Presidents attendance at the Beijing Olympics is now in play. If the Chinese want to be assured of President Bush's attendance, then they should open a dialoguue with the Dalai Lama. If violent suppression events accelerate in Tibet, Presdient Bush may decide to NOT attend the Olympics in Beijing.( Maybe he will attend the Tibetan Olympics being held in Dharamsala!)END OF TRANSLATION

We should have boycotted the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. I can assure you that China's hegemonic aggression in the world is scheduled to increase after the 2008 Olympics, and we will eventually have to fight them, just as we did the Nazis. Lets give it about 5 years after the Olympics, we should be at war with the ChiComs by about 2013.

Why wait?

[OeOeO]

Maybe he'll take a few million Mexicans with him.

[TigersEye]

[TigersEye]

And Kosovo deserves independence and Bush has promised to arm them.

[LeoWindhorse]

the Chinese Gov are such lying scurrilous scum

Bush should NOT go to Beijing

have a little class, Give McCain some genuine Republican street creds for once.

[GregH]

I remember once Republican leaders were strongly against the communist chinese, now they are kissing up the china business dollars.

[mkjessup]

President Bush: “It has been a pleasure attending the 2008 Olympics here in Beijing, and during the course of our visit, I had the opportunity to speak directly with President Hu Jintao, and I can tell you that I looked into his eyes, down into his soul, and just below that point I got a whiff of Szechuan Cat w/noodles and onions, and maybe with a dash more soy sauce, I might try it sometime.”

[Dahoser]

Maybe it was because I was a kid, but back in the days when ABC televised the Olympics, they were something special and enjoyable to watch. Now yes, they had that total clymer Avery Brundage running the IOC so that tempers what I'm saying, but still, the games themselves seemed better than this dreck now where tennis, baseball, X-Games events, and the ultimate worst, beach volleyball, are so-called Olympic sports, and NBC's coverage consists of only Americans competing in between inane profiles right off Oprah's couch.

In a way, giving the games to the Chicoms might be the best thing in the world if it buries the Olympics once and for all. It was great when you could watch a Greco Roman match between two guys whose names you couldn't pronounce or a team handball game. That's what the Olympics seeemed to be—events you didn't always see along with the standards like track and boxing and skiing and hockey.

So here's to the Chicoms doing to the Olympics what they've done over the past year to pet food and toys.

[Caramelgal]

And at Bush's request, she said, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke to Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi late Wednesday to “urge” China to show restraint with protesters in Tibet and open a dialogue with the Dalai Lama.

“Since you own most of the US debt and we are now dependent on your cheap goods, I’m asking pretty please, show a little restraint, like don’t kill quite so many protesters or keep it more on the QT. It’s not good for your PR or ours”.

If the Chicoms are not willing to open a dialogue with the Dalai Lama now, they never will be. They are blaming the Dalai Lama for stirring up the recent unrest but he has never advocated independence from China nor has he ever advocated violence.

While he is greatly revered in Tibet, it is the Tibetan people who have grown weary of the brutal oppression and PRC’s relentless efforts to wipe out their religion and culture and are now seeing that the Dalai Lama’s “middle path” approach has not worked – you can’t negotiate with Communists.

And while many people all over the world and on both sides of the political spectrum sympathize with the Tibetans, the reality is that China is now such an economic and military superpower, there’s little left for anyone to do but plead.