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Last update - 01:44 16/03/2008 Monks' bodies strike at Beijing Olympics By Roey Beit Halevi Lhasa is ablaze. Armed soldiers shoot protesters as the dead bodies of Buddhist monks lie strewn on the sides of the street. Newspaper headlines in the West speak of a massacre. It's exactly what the organizers of the Olympics, the biggest sports event in the world, which is expected to open in Beijing in five months, fear the most; a fear that seems to have become reality. The games' immense popularity (some five billion people are expected to watch them at least once on TV) has turned the sports event into a circus. The Falun Gong movement, for instance, which is banned in China, organized mass rallies in protest against the arrests of its members. Protesters claim that Chinese authorities remove internal organs from Falun Gong members and sell them. Advertisement The Beijing games are supposed to be a unique opportunity to market China's political and financial might; to present its new face, which countenances tolerance and openness. But since the Olympics committee announced Beijing will host the games, China has come under unprecedented attack by various human rights organizations calling for a boycott of them because of Beijing's human rights violations. In the wake of violent events in Myanmar last September, various human rights organizations censured China's political and material support of the country's military junta. They called for a boycott of the Olympics because of Beijing's support of the violent suppression of Buddhist monks. Human rights organizations have also criticized China's stance on the genocide in Darfur. Last February, protesters scored a minor victory when film director Steven Spielberg, who was pressured by Hollywood friends (who dubbed the Beijing games the "genocide Olympics"), announced his resignation as artistic adviser to the games. Throughout the ruckus, it seemed that boycotting the games had turned into a goal in itself, instead of a method of turning the spotlight on the disturbing acts for which China is responsible. Tibet remained relatively calm. Even the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, said on several occasions that he was not averse to China's holding the games. Rights groups were "too radical," he said, and he called for a separation of sports and politics. Such an artificial separation of the two fields, which have been entangled since the inception of the Olympic Games more than 100 years ago, has been used as an excuse by Olympics committee members and the games' hosts. As long as they had to deal with an intangible protest over human rights, this argument allowed China and Olympic organizers to justify the miserable and controversial decision to pick China as a host of an event that is supposed to celebrate cooperation and the brotherhood of humankind. If bodies continue to pile up on the streets of Lhasa and blood covers the streets, diplomats will have to look for a new excuse. Bookmark to del.icio.us   The Chancellor's visit Angela Merkel arrives in Israel to 'open new chapter' in bilateral ties. London paying Netanyahu says PR trip to U.K. wasn't funded by Israeli taxpayer.

Today Online IAF resumes Gaza strikes, kills 3 Islamic Jihad men Responses: 172 Gideon Levy: Barak trying his best to ruin peace process Responses: 96 Netanyahu: I acted for the state, not at its expense Responses: 93 Obama asked to explain after his minister 'damns' America Responses: 135 More Headlines 02:48 Next IAF chief: Presence of IDF in Gaza will stop rocket manufacture 23:04 22 rightists detained after storming E. J'lem village 21:56 PA to rebuild home of W. Bank militant leader killed in IDF raid 02:56 Ashkelon to have longer warning time before rocket fall 19:12 Paris fair honoring Israeli writers briefly vacated after bomb alert 23:10 Jews, Arabs, Americans join Jerusalem Palm Sunday march 23:28 Holocaust survivors march from Krakow ghetto to mark 65 years since liquidation 19:17 Merkel arrives in Israel to 'open new chapter' in bilateral ties 19:31 Fischer: Bank of Israel to avoid meddling in int'l currency market 18:52 Syrian FM: Israel gained most from Mughniyah's assassination 14:02 Report: Eichmann intervened to save 800 Jews in Berlin in WW2 18:38 Obama asked to explain after his minister 'damns' America 16:29 Cheney en route to Mideast for 9-day visit with regional leaders Previous Editions Select Day 16 mar 14 mar 13 mar 12 mar 11 mar 10 mar 09 mar 07 mar 06 mar 05 mar 04 mar 03 mar

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