In my lifetime, I have never seen as much negative publicity surrounding the Olympic games as in the current storm around the upcoming summer games in China. Not a day passes that I don't hear something about Free Tibet protesters trying to disrupt the passing of the Olympic torch on its journey around the world or about some president boycotting the opening ceremonies. As a Chinese-American who has lived in China and visited it many times, it makes me sick to hear this news and angers me of how little of "the other side of the story" we are exposed to.
The Olympics are a symbol of peace and unity between the continents of the world. They are about athletes and spectators coming together from many different countries to better understand each other's cultures while competing for a chance at glory. China has been awarded the honor of holding the 2008 Summer Olympics, and as a proud country with a rich history, this is the first time China has been given the chance to show the world who they are.
Human rights are a big issue, and the strides that China has made since the 1960s are tremendous compared to any country's progress in such a time frame around the world. I'll admit that the censoring of media coverage to foreign media in China and the censoring of some Internet sites to Chinese citizens are not positive aspects of the country, but to boycott the Olympics because of this is absolutely ridiculous.
If the U.S. were to boycott the Olympics completely, the athletes who have been training day in and day out for the past four years might lose their only chance to compete with the best athletes of their sport in the world - talk about loss of human rights. It would not matter what the athletes' opinions on the political issues were - they would not be able to compete for their country even if they wanted.
As seen through recent media coverage about political issues surrounding China and the Olympics, the news that we see and hear in the United States is not without bias. The only Tibetans who have been featured in media outlets are the ones advocating for Free Tibet. What about the other 2 million Tibetans who actually live in Tibet? What's their say in the future of Tibet?
Before unification with China, Tibetan society was based on a caste system. Women were property, and slaves remained slaves with little chance of rising any higher. Since Tibet became an active part of China again in 1951, China has tried to abolish its old ways of suppression and invested billions of dollars to build railroads to connect it to rest of the country and improve its economy.
The Tibetan Youth Congress is a worldwide organization of Tibetans, most of whom have never even set foot in Tibet. They were the ones who started this rebellion. They were the ones who did not care about the people their protesters killed when they burned Han shops to the ground with people still inside, when they pillaged the streets shouting for their freedom while ending the freedom and lives of others.
The Dalai Lama teaches non-violent protest. However, the congress thought that his ways were too placid and completely ignored his suggestions when they took to the streets. He was appalled by their actions.
The Chinese army eventually had to step in to control the protesters. If Texans were to decide one day that they wanted thier state to become a country again, would the U.S. government just smile and wish us good luck? What happened when the southern states tried to secede? Abraham Lincoln wanted to keep the United States unified. Why should we deny the Chinese government of the same goal?
China is a beautiful country, with history and conflicts just like any other. It is a country of change, of progression, but most of all of unification. The Chinese want to be united and rule in peace, just like any other country. There are internal conflicts, but let China work them out. You didn't see the world join in on the U.S. civil war, did you?
Athletes should not be denied the opportunity to compete in the Olympics, which are a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And China should not be denied its right to rule itself in its own way. The torchbearers should not be denied their privilege to run through streets without people trying to snatch the torch away. And most of all, don't deny yourself the opportunity to go to the Olympics. See what China is really like, and judge for yourself what China really represents.
Zhou is a biomedical engineering senior.
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