First, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that President George W. Bush should consider boycotting the opening ceremony at Beijing’s Summer Olympics in August (“I think boycotting the opening ceremony, which really gives respect to the Chinese government, is something that should be kept on the table,” Pelosi told ABC’s “Good Morning America” last week).
Now, Sen. Hillary Clinton has joined Pelosi in the call.
Recommended Stories
“I believe President Bush should not plan on attending the opening ceremonies in Beijing, absent major changes by the Chinese government,” Clinton said in a statement released Monday. “The violent clashes in Tibet and the failure of the Chinese government to use its full leverage with Sudan to stop the genocide in Darfur are opportunities for Presidential leadership. These events underscore why I believe the Bush administration has been wrong to downplay human rights in its policy towards China.”
“I encourage the Chinese to take advantage of this moment as an opportunity to live up to universal human aspirations of respect for human rights and unity, ideals that the Olympic games have come to represent,” writes Clinton. “Americans will stand strong in support of freedom of religious and political expression and human rights. Americans will also stand strong and root for the success of American athletes who have worked hard and earned the right to compete in the Olympic Games of 2008.”
Tibetan protests against Chinese rule in Tibet began nearly a month ago and China’s crackdeown on protesters has resulted in numerous deaths (China puts the number at around 20, while Tibetan exile groups claim up to 140 lives have been lost). As a result of the bloody crackdown on protesters, several countries are reconsidering the extent of their participation in the Games.
