XPost: can.politics, aus.politics, alt.politics.british   
   From: ar231@FreeNet.Carleton.CA   
      
   (K): Two-faced wimp....   
   	   
   Harper says he won't be going to the Olympic opening ceremony, 'but it's   
   not a boycott'.   
      
   Harper says: ""I think experience would suggest that such boycotts are   
   generally not effective".   
      
   Harper says: "Even the Dalai Lama has not called for such a boycott,"   
      
   What this all says about HARPER, is that he is a hypocrite.  His 'concern   
   for human rights abuses' in China are at the same depth as his concern for   
   loss if profits by corporations doing business with China.   
      
   Even Hillary Clinton has more balls than Harper.... she's telling Bush to   
   boycott the Games.  (Boy, does she overestimate the size of any balls on that   
   man!)   
      
   Good for you, Gordon Brown!  Britain should be proud.   
      
   Now it's time for the Aussie PM to show some intestinal fortitude.  After   
   all, China DID boycott your Olympic Games.   
      
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""   
    	               1956 Melbourne Olympics   
      
        The People's Republic of China boycotted the Melbourne Games to   
        retaliate against Taiwan's participation under the name "Formosa."   
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""   
   April 9, 2008   
      
   British PM won't attend Olympic opening ceremony   
   European Parliament expected to pass motion urging boycott   
      
   Facing intense pressure from human rights campaigners, British Prime   
   Minister Gordon Brown has decided to skip the opening ceremonies of the   
   Beijing Olympics, the BBC reported Wednesday.   
      
   The British news organization said Brown's decision does not mean he will   
   boycott the entire Games. He still plans to attend the closing ceremonies.   
      
   Officials at his office were not immediately available for comment.   
      
   The news came as the European Parliament pondered a motion urging European   
   countries to boycott the ceremony, unless Chinese authorities begin talks   
   with the Dalai Lama.   
      
   The motion, which is non-binding, stems from China's crackdown in Tibet   
   after violent protests against Chinese rule broke out last month.   
      
   "There is this growing momentum to send some sort of signal to China,"   
   CBC's David Common said.   
      
   The resolution, which was obtained by Reuters, says:   
   "The European Parliament calls on the EU presidency in office to strive to   
   find a common EU position with regard to attendance at the Olympic Games   
   opening ceremony with the option of non-attendance in the event if there   
   is no resumption of dialogue between the Chinese authorities and His   
   Holiness the Dalai Lama."   
      
   Common said the motion is expected to pass.   
   ______________________________________   
      
   Australian PM opposes Beijing Games boycott   
      
   BEIJING (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Wednesday   
   reiterated his opposition to a boycott of the Beijing Games but called on   
   China to solve its "significant" human rights problems in Tibet through   
   dialogue.   
   [....]   
   Rudd on Wednesday reiterated his opposition to a boycott of the Beijing   
   Games but called on China to solve its "significant" human rights   
   problems in Tibet through dialogue.   
      
   "Some have called for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics because of recent   
   problems in Tibet. As I said in London on Sunday, I do not agree," Rudd   
   said in a transcript of a speech delivered to students at Peking   
   University on Wednesday.   
      
   "I believe the Olympics are important for China's continuing engagement   
   with the world," Rudd said.   
   ________________________________________   
      
   China scorns Olympic boycotting   
      
   CHINA said countries that boycott the Olympic opening ceremony in August   
   would undermine their own interests, while skirting the issue of why it   
   stayed away from the 1980 Moscow Games   
      
   The Chinese foreign ministry made the remark when asked to respond to a   
   call by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for President George W Bush to   
   consider boycotting the Olympic opening ceremony in Beijing.   
      
   "The Olympics is a sporting event for people around the world. Not   
   attending does not mean isolating China. Officials and heads of state who   
   come to China are participating in a gathering of the Olympic family and   
   show support for their own athletes," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang   
   Yu said.				   
      
   "If someone wants to use the Olympic Games to flatter themselves it will   
   not succeed. If they don't participate, it is the same as leaving the   
   Olympic family. It will undermine their own interests,'' she said.   
      
   When asked to comment on China staying away from the Moscow Games 28 years   
   ago, she did not address the issue directly.   
      
   "We have been opposed to boycotting the Olympic Games for any reason. It   
   is a sports event for people around the world. It is not a venue for the   
   discussion of political issues or a platform to give a political show,''   
   she said.   
      
   China today also hit out at Amnesty International ahead of a new report by   
   the rights group, saying any attempt to threaten it over the Beijing   
   Olympics would fail.   
      
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""   
     Many of us believe that wrongs aren't wrong if it's done by nice people   
     like ourselves.                   ~Author Unknown   
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)