China threatens to cancel Indian leg of Olympic torch relay

PTI via The Times of India ^ | 26 Mar., 2008 | PTI

[TexasCajun]

And when are these games suppose to kick off?

[CarrotAndStick]

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23431560-421,00.html

 

 

 

China wants army to oversee torch relay in Australia

By staff writers and wires

March 26, 2008 08:40am

 

• China fears torch relay will attract protests
• Offers army to oversee Australian leg of event
• AFP says thanks, but no thanks

 

CHINA wants its army to oversee the Australian leg of the Olympic torch relay to ensure protests do not mar the event.

The move, which has been rebuffed by the Australian Federal Police, comes as Beijing reels from an embarrassing relay launch in Athens when human rights activists hijacked the event.

China has responded by radically cutting back relay legs in cities where it expects more trouble, including San Francisco and Paris.

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FOXSPORTS: Latest news on the Beijing Olympic Games

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It is understood Beijing has deep concerns that protesters will turn the Canberra leg of the relay on April 24 into another public relations disaster.

The Canberra leg will feature several Australian Olympic superstars including Ian Thorpe, Jodie Henry, Petria Thomas, Marjorie Jackson-Nelson and Ron Clarke.

"We have explained to the Chinese Embassy that people have a democratic right in Australia to stage demonstrations and people are free to demonstrate when the torch does arrive but we would hope that demonstrations are peaceful and won't disrupt the relay in any way," AOC spokesman Mike Tancred said.

Boycott threat

Meanwhile, France overnight threatened to boycott the Games' opening ceremony.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said a boycott of the ceremony was possible over China's crackdown in Tibet, though leaders of other major powers vowed to attend.

The White House said US President George W Bush still planned to be present for the August 8 opening of Olympics, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's office said he would be there for the closing ceremony on August 24.

Australia has ruled out boycotting the Olympics.

But Mr Sarkozy spoke out amid growing political calls for stronger action against the deadly crackdown on anti-Chinese protests in Tibet.

Mr Sarkozy said "all options are open" regarding a boycott and appealed to the "sense of responsibility" of China's leaders over the unrest.

Growing pressure

In Britain, the country's Foreign Office reproached China for its handling of Tibet and its use of torture, according to Associated Press.

In its annual human right report, the Foreign Office said China had made little progress towards a peaceful settlement in Tibet and accused Beijing of human rights violations there and harassing people for their religious beliefs.

And China also came under pressure at a United Nations' human rights forum to ease its clampdown on Tibet by lifting curbs on movement and information and not using force in the restive Himalayan region.

The European Union, in a speech to the UN Human Rights Council, urged Beijing to refrain from force against a wave of Tibetan protests that began on March 10 - the 49th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule - and led to riots.

China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council whose economic clout makes it a strategic ally for both rich and poor countries, rarely faces direct criticism at the United Nations.

- With The Daily Telegraph, AFP and Reuters
 

[goldstategop]

The Chicoms have discovered their repression of the Tibetans is not cost-free.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[domenad]

I’m loving this. The only thing that makes me at all sorry is the fact that there are world class athletes who trained themselves viciously for years who are caught in the middle of this mess.

[Resolute Conservative]

Lesson, do not train for an event that is globally controlled and can be a political hot potato.

[keats5]

Tibetan monks and nuns lie dead in the street, and China is worried about it’s torch?

[numberonepal]

Choke on it you commies. Chinese aggression is antithetical to the Spirit of the Games.

[numberonepal]

The Chicoms have discovered their repression of the Tibetans is not cost-free.

The greedy freedom hating murderers are reaping what they've sown.

[Joe Boucher]

GOD I love this crap:
Chi-Coms up to their necks in b.s. from Tibet,
Mrs. Clinton being abandoned by the enabling M.S.M.
Spitzer and his madam problem & his coke blind guy replacement?
Obamma Lamma Ding Dong and his”spiritual leader”?
War.
And so many other things hitting the fan.
And the media is more interested in D.B.Cooper.

[Zhang Fei]

Maybe they’re under the impression that - like the pandas China rents out to zoos - when the Olympics are held in China, the torch actually belongs to China. Given that the latter isn’t actually the case, I don’t see how they can cancel the Indian leg.

[indcons]

LOL...the ChiComs are conducting the Genocide Olympics and they are more worried about some protests by Tibetian monks? Why can’t the ChiComs just send a few “policemen” to India and shoot these monks? After all, this is their modus operandi for dealing with dissent in the occupied territories (and in the rest of that country for that matter).

[Toddsterpatriot]

Tibetan monks and nuns lie dead in the street, and China is worried about it’s torch?

They were worried about this torch too.

[GovernmentShrinker]

The White House said US President George W Bush still planned to be present for the August 8 opening of Olympics, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's office said he would be there for the closing ceremony on August 24. Australia has ruled out boycotting the Olympics.

WTH is is wrong with these people ?!?!?

But Mr Sarkozy spoke out amid growing political calls for stronger action against the deadly crackdown on anti-Chinese protests in Tibet. Mr Sarkozy said "all options are open" regarding a boycott and appealed to the "sense of responsibility" of China's leaders over the unrest.

It's a sad day when I'm forced to have more respect for the French head of state than for my own.

[GovernmentShrinker]

The global governing bodies of the sports, or alliances of right-thinking national governing bodies, should announce their withdrawal from the Olympics and stage their own World Championships instead.

[indcons]

BTTT

Looks like Pres. Bush’s lofty ideas about freedom and democracy are mere platitudes. What a tragedy when the leader of the free world refuses to even issue a statement opposing the current genocides in China.

I guess he’s afraid that the ChiComs will stop bankrolling American debt if he says a single word that the ChiComs might not like.

[ANGGAPO]

You could be right, unfortunately. It's about time for that line in the sand.

[PGR88]

China’s view - IT’S OUR OLYMPICS NOW!

[TigersEye]

I wonder if they asked India to let PLA troops provide security instead of Indian police as they did Australia?

China wants its troops to guard Olympic torch in Australia

[TigersEye]

Note to self: read whole thread first. lol

Thanks for posting that.