Comments on: Gagging the Olympians http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/02/11/gagging-the-olympians/ Insights from the UK and beyond Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:06:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: A Chinese http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/02/11/gagging-the-olympians/#comment-800 A Chinese Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:31:00 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/02/11/gagging-the-olympians/#comment-800 Tibet is part of China, we will not submit to anyone who wants to break China apart. Britain is a country with small territory who wants China to be as small as it. Tibet is part of China, we will not submit to anyone who wants to break China apart. Britain is a country with small territory who wants China to be as small as it.

]]> By: Five Times http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/02/11/gagging-the-olympians/#comment-696 Five Times Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:59:42 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/02/11/gagging-the-olympians/#comment-696 There should not be a gagging order at all because it should be irrefutably known that Politics and Sport should never mix. There should not be a gagging order at all because it should be irrefutably known that Politics and Sport should never mix.

]]> By: Mike T http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/02/11/gagging-the-olympians/#comment-659 Mike T Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:40:55 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/02/11/gagging-the-olympians/#comment-659 Athletes attending the games are guests of the host country so should conduct themselves accordingly. If they have any problem with the politics of the host country they should either keep quiet or stay away. That view doesn't alter the fact that the attempt to gag the athletes was wrong. It seems the BOA must have taken its cue from the mindset of the UK government and miscalculated the response. We would do well to get our own country in order before lecturing the Chinese about how to run theirs. Athletes attending the games are guests of the host country so should conduct themselves accordingly. If they have any problem with the politics of the host country they should either keep quiet or stay away.

That view doesn’t alter the fact that the attempt to gag the athletes was wrong. It seems the BOA must have taken its cue from the mindset of the UK government and miscalculated the response. We would do well to get our own country in order before lecturing the Chinese about how to run theirs.

]]> By: C. Gifford http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/02/11/gagging-the-olympians/#comment-658 C. Gifford Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:47:20 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/02/11/gagging-the-olympians/#comment-658 If China has something to be ashamed of (human rights) then rather than gag our athletes perhaps it would be better to boycott the Games by those nations who profess to be upset by the abuses. It is another occassion of pretending that the offensive is not happening. If China has something to be ashamed of (human rights) then rather than gag our athletes perhaps it would be better to boycott the Games by those nations who profess to be upset by the abuses.
It is another occassion of pretending that the offensive is not happening.

]]> By: Shaan http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/02/11/gagging-the-olympians/#comment-653 Shaan Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:49:59 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/02/11/gagging-the-olympians/#comment-653 Yeah, I think it would make some difference to China--it still relies quite heavily on a sense of nationalism to maintain unity, and I don't think it'd like to have those issues on display at the biggest media event in the world, where millions of its own people would be watching. How would officials explain it to Chinese citizens without turning the matter into a face-losing fiasco? Especially when a lot of Chinese would agree with the messages being expressed? Yeah, I think it would make some difference to China–it still relies quite heavily on a sense of nationalism to maintain unity, and I don’t think it’d like to have those issues on display at the biggest media event in the world, where millions of its own people would be watching. How would officials explain it to Chinese citizens without turning the matter into a face-losing fiasco? Especially when a lot of Chinese would agree with the messages being expressed?

]]>