In print | Published April 3, 2008

To the Editor:

I’d like to commend you for the editorial that you ran in last week’s Phoenix on boycotting the Olympics. The suppression of Tibetan culture and religious practices is something that all newspapers that claim to endorse free speech should find appalling. The state-run media in China has yet to report on the deaths of Tibetans in the current wave of violence, and it seems that the Chinese government intends on approach the upcoming Olympics in the spirit of aggressive and boisterous nationalism, not the spirit of openness and inclusion that the games are supposed to be about. It should also be noted that China is one of the biggest roadblocks to the international response to the genocide in Darfur.

Critics will claim hypocrisy, or that the United States is scared of a rising power and wishes to ruin their moment on the world stage, but I don’t think any outrageous demands are being made. Contrary to how his opinions are portrayed in Chinese media, the Dalai Lama is not seeking a break from China, but merely a level of autonomy that would allow for the preservation of Tibetan culture and religion. Also, China is not being asked to send troops or aid to Darfur, only that it stop doing business with a government that is known to fund the genocide of its own people, and to allow UN troops to be approved.

This is not to say that China is alone at fault in either case, but it is China that wishes to exalt their country while attempting to suppress the voices of a portion of its people. I have no problem with China celebrating its own heritage and culture with pride as host of the 2008 Olympic games, as long as its government is willing to live up to a certain level of human rights and tolerance.

James Robinson ’10

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