China Takes Tough Line on Olympic Protests

World attention will focus on Beijing with the 2008 Olympics, and China anticipates activists to use the event to draw attention to a variety of causes. The country intends to uphold anti-protest laws and stop advocates from taking the spotlight away from athletic events and the host nation. Backed by a UN resolution supporting action to “observe and promote peace” at the Olympics, China could silence groups, including those that support liberation of Tibet or peace in Darfur. The stakes are huge for China’s reputation – its legacy of the 2008 games could be either rising economic behemoth or repressive authoritarian state. Sheer numbers of foreign reporters, with more than 30,000 expected to cover the events, will test the limits of China’s will and ability to monitor journalism. China has planned long and hard for the Olympics. Many activists who oppose Chinese foreign and domestic policies acknowledge that the Olympics provide an ideal platform for demanding change. However, without support of other governments or international organizations such as the UN, gaining visibility and forcing change will prove difficult. – YaleGlobal