Sudeep: The recent turmoil in Tibet has refocused the world's attention on China's egregious human rights record.
More than a hundred Tibetans have died over the past two weeks. Beyond Tibet, thousands of journalists, writers and other proponents of free speech lie imprisoned in China's jails. Religious freedom is mercilessly suppressed. State propaganda dominates the Internet, newspapers and other media.
With conditions like these, it is surprising that Beijing won the bid for the 2008 Olympic Games. The goal of the Games, according to the Olympic Charter, is to "place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity." China does none of this.
The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) complacency in allowing China to host the Olympic Games presents conscious global citizens with the opportunity to promote positive political change in China. Boycotting the Olympic Games, by either not watching the television broadcasts or not buying from companies partnered with the Games (like Coca Cola, McDonald's, Omega and Budweiser), sends a clear message that China's activities and the corporate compliance that funds them are not tolerated beyond its borders.
Olympic boycotts have been used quite frequently over the past fifty years. Whether it was apartheid South Africa or communist Russia, coordinated global action has shamed countless governments into mending their ways. If Tufts students take a stand now, it would be a step toward pressuring China to change its policies and improve the way it treats its citizens.
Peter: Flashback to December 1955 - Rosa Parks made a courageous and historic move that led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a tailored and effective boycott that left a legacy. Fast-forward to today - a call to action for Jumbos, who can boycott the Olympics in order to... do what?
Putting China in the spotlight during the Olympics gives advocacy groups and governments a chance to voice their opinions and allows China's practices to be examined under an international microscope. The focus on China has already encouraged its government to spend billions on improving its environment in preparation for the Olympics. But major corporate contracts have already been inked and checks have already been cashed - so who would a boycott affect?
For one, it would affect the Olympic athletes, who have maintained an impeccable work ethic to prepare to perform on a world stage. Should we shun our most dedicated and promising athletes because we believe the country in which they are competing needs reform?
I think Tufts students should enjoy the Olympics and cheer on our hard-working athletes. This doesn't mean that we cannot also be active in supporting human rights in all forms and advocate for the protection of human lives around the globe. Tufts students attempting to put a stranglehold on "multinational" corporate sponsors (U.S. companies like Coke and NBC) aren't going to motivate the Chinese government. Shouldn't we instead boycott companies like Google for bending to China's call for censorship technology? The games are viewed by billions of people in countless countries. Leave the actual boycotting to those that will have an effect on China's leadership: world leaders and prominent international organizations.
Sudeep Bhatia is a junior majoring in philosophy; Peter Radosevich is a junior majoring in political science. They can be reached at Sudeep.Bhatia@tufts.edu and Peter.Radosevich@tufts.edu, respectively.
