Jason HeimOlympics: IOC Tells Beijing No Politics
July 28th 2008 09:58
Category: Olympic Games
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) reminded China on Wednesday to draw a line between sports and politics, after a Communist party official lashed out at independence sentiment in Tibet during the Olympic flame relay there.
"The IOC regrets that political statements were made during the closing ceremony of the torch relay in Tibet," it said, reacting to Saturday's remarks by Zhang Qingli, the Chinese Communist party secretary in Tibet.
"We have written to BOCOG (Beijing Olympics organising committee) to remind them of the need to separate sport and politics and to ask for their support in making sure that such situations do not arise again," it added in an email from its headquarters in the Swiss city of Lausanne.
In his remarks Saturday about striving for "the glory of the motherland," Zhang accused supporters of the Dalai Lama of trying to destroy the Olympics that open on August 8 in the Chinese capital.
"In order to bring more glory to the Olympic spirit, we should firmly smash the plots to ruin the Beijing Olympic Games by the Dalai clique and hostile foreign forces inside and outside of the nation," he said.
Tighter security was in place as the Olympic flame made its final stop in front of the Potala Palace, the one-time home of the exiled Dalai Lama, in a ceremony that was shortened for reasons that were not disclosed.
The global running of the Olympic flame has been mired in controversy and headline-grabbing incidents since riots broke out three months ago in Lhasa and prompted a harsh crackdown on Tibetan opponents of Chinese rule.
Tibetans in exile claim 203 people have died as the result of what they call Chinese government "repression". Beijing counters than 21 have died at the hand of "rioters," and that it had suppressed a Tibetan "rebellion".
"The IOC regrets that political statements were made during the closing ceremony of the torch relay in Tibet," it said, reacting to Saturday's remarks by Zhang Qingli, the Chinese Communist party secretary in Tibet.
"We have written to BOCOG (Beijing Olympics organising committee) to remind them of the need to separate sport and politics and to ask for their support in making sure that such situations do not arise again," it added in an email from its headquarters in the Swiss city of Lausanne.
In his remarks Saturday about striving for "the glory of the motherland," Zhang accused supporters of the Dalai Lama of trying to destroy the Olympics that open on August 8 in the Chinese capital.
"In order to bring more glory to the Olympic spirit, we should firmly smash the plots to ruin the Beijing Olympic Games by the Dalai clique and hostile foreign forces inside and outside of the nation," he said.
Tighter security was in place as the Olympic flame made its final stop in front of the Potala Palace, the one-time home of the exiled Dalai Lama, in a ceremony that was shortened for reasons that were not disclosed.
The global running of the Olympic flame has been mired in controversy and headline-grabbing incidents since riots broke out three months ago in Lhasa and prompted a harsh crackdown on Tibetan opponents of Chinese rule.
Tibetans in exile claim 203 people have died as the result of what they call Chinese government "repression". Beijing counters than 21 have died at the hand of "rioters," and that it had suppressed a Tibetan "rebellion".
Olympic Stadium Beijing
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