Playing The Games

From Time:

Even when he’s not filming, Richard Gere knows how to do drama. In the wake of the deadly protests in Tibet, Gere, a longtime Tibet activist and friend of the Dalai Lama, made a splashy announcement. The Hollywood star declared that “if [the protests] are not handled correctly, yes, we should boycott [the Olympics]. Everyone should boycott.”

Gere does have a point: the unrest in Tibet stems from years of brutal Chinese religious, economic and political repression. And well before Gere’s statement, many other activists had called for a Games boycott, for myriad reasons. Press watchdog Reporters Without Borders argued that a boycott should be considered given China’s jailing of journalists. Darfur advocates Steven Spielberg, who recently withdrew as an artistic adviser to the Games, and Mia Farrow have called for a boycott because of China’s Sudan links. “I find that my conscience will not allow me to continue business as usual [with the Olympics],” Spielberg said in February. Burmese activists have echoed the Darfur protesters, trying to shame Beijing for its close ties to Rangoon. Even many top athletes are now mulling a boycott.

Read also China’s genocide Games by Eric Reeves.

CDT EBOOKS

Subscribe to CDT

SUPPORT CDT

Browsers Unbounded by Lantern

Now, you can combat internet censorship in a new way: by toggling the switch below while browsing China Digital Times, you can provide a secure "bridge" for people who want to freely access information. This open-source project is powered by Lantern, know more about this project.

Google Ads 1

Giving Assistant

Google Ads 2

Anti-censorship Tools

Life Without Walls

Click on the image to download Firefly for circumvention

Open popup
X

Welcome back!

CDT is a non-profit media site, and we need your support. Your contribution will help us provide more translations, breaking news, and other content you love.