Athletes Face Ban Over Tibet Flags

Athletes Face Ban Over Tibet Flags

news.sky.com

Athletes who display Tibetan flags during the Beijing Olympics face being kicked out of the Games - even if they are placed in their bedrooms.

(visit the link for the full news article)

What happened to the right to free speech? nice to see the Olympic organisation does nothing to support it's athletes and bends over backwards to appease the Chinese dictatorship.

news.sky.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by solidshot


Where as I agree with you, you must realize that this is communist China not democratic republic USA.

You have no rights, god given or otherwise, over there.

You get to do only what they say, when they say.

This should make you appreciate what freedoms you have that others do not.

Whilst China may not be democratic surely the Olympic officials should be able to twist some arms to ensure that the athletes taking part are allowed to express themselves? yet the Olympic officials seem to be more interested in keeping their heads down and preparing to count the cash that will be lining their pockets after the games has taken place

reply to post by solidshot


Free speach and China?
i think free speach went out the window a few decades ago
its all about Money these days and anyone and company would roll over backwards for the greens.

Mao ended free speech long ago.

It seems the cultural revolution is happening again in China! Now, where is my little red book...hmmm

So, if we have any olympic athletes reading this forum, then get your medals first then you can wear your free tibet arm bands.

Of course, you may be expelled from the country immediately but hay it's great political protest.

Just another great reason to boycott the games.
Start writing letters to protest the games and boycott them. Don't watch them if they take place.

reply to post by solidshot



Isn't THAT a signal strong enough to silence all those hypocrites who claim that "sports" are or should be "above politics"?
(The same hypocrites who seem to forget that the OG apparently weren't "above politics" in 1980 and in 1984 - not to mention 1972, but that really was a different thing...)

Giving in to thugs of any description, in any circumstances, is immoral in my book - period. (And I did say "in MY book", didn't I?)

Frankly, it's been a long time since I've had it with the OG.
There's WAY too much money - and other venal interests - involved for them to be about sports. And besides, what's the point of a few individuals pushing the upper limits of human endurance (which they can only do by means of an atypical lifestyle), anyway?

I am having a splitting headache right now - nothing to do with China or the OG (I don't care that much about either) - so forgive my possible lack of coherence...

(Now where's that Natrum muriaticum...?)

So, if we have any olympic athletes reading this forum, then get your medals first then you can wear your free tibet arm bands.

Of course, you may be expelled from the country immediately but hay it's great political protest.

How about: forget your medals, don't go there, and leave the Chinese government with the expensea of organising such an event?

That would be a great "political protest", too.


(Not that I think it's likely to happen. Professional sports are so into money that many of those involved would rather sell their own grandmothers if they could...)

Who is prohibiting the flags? The Chinese gov't or the Olympic Committee?

Dennis Miller had an excellent idea - have everbody attending the opening ceremonies wear a shirt or armband or other piece of clothing made out of that bright red/orange color of the Tibetan flag.





[edit on 12-4-2008 by jsobecky]