This wasn't exactly the celebration that China had hoped for, said The Washington Post in an editorial. To kick off the one-year countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China last week unleashed a dazzling spectacle of fireworks, musical performances, and other displays of grandeur. But then came a much-needed reality check, as protesters, 'œwith less pomp but considerable courage,' used the occasion to highlight China's dismal record on everything from human rights to environmental degradation. In Beijing, Reporters Without Borders demanded the release of 100 imprisoned journalists and online activists, rolling out a banner depicting the Olympic rings as handcuffs. At the Great Wall, six Westerners unfurled a banner with the Olympic motto, 'œOne World, One Dream,' to which they added a kicker, 'œFree Tibet.' Rights groups spotlighted China's repression of the Falun Gong religious movement. In short, if China thought its coming-out party would make us forget everything else, it was, thankfully, quite mistaken.
If anything, said Peter Navarro in the Providence Journal, the buildup to the Games is only underscoring China's repressive mind-set. To win the Olympics, Beijing pledged unrestricted press coverage, yet the authorities last week roughed up journalists covering the protests. We're also learning how more than 1 million Chinese have been 'œruthlessly' displaced by Olympics-related construction projects, while the government has stepped up harassment of dissidents. For Beijing, the Olympics provide an unparalleled opportunity to show off its 'œshiny new convention center,' its cutting-edge subway system, and other massive public works projects. But for the rest of the world, the Olympics provide what may be 'œthe last and best opportunity' to pressure China to truly join the family of civilized nations.
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