Athletes under pressure to stage a protest on the podium

Tibetan activists aim to use Olympics to gain publicity for their cause

Daphne Bramham
Vancouver Sun

Friday, July 25, 2008: Canadian athletes are being urged by human rights activists to use the Olympics as an opportunity for non-violent protests over China's human rights' record.

Tibetan activist Victor Chan says he's concerned that if athletes protest in Beijing, there may be a terrible and secretive crackdown in Tibet that is worse than what happened in March. Photograph by : Bill Keay, Vancouver Sun files

Athletes are being offered information packets about Tibetan independence to take to Beijing, even though the Chinese government has specifically banned all political materials from coming into the country.

They're being encouraged to do something symbolic, such as wearing orange, a Tibetan scarf, an independence bracelet or dedicating their medals to the cause of human rights, making a T for Tibet sign with their hands, or even shaving their heads -- which will be a bit confusing since many swimmers do it to literally shave time. There's even a website, AthleteWanted.org.

Tsering Lama of Students for a Free Tibet won't say if any Canadians have agreed.

The Chinese government has made it clear that security is paramount. There are 100,000 police and military officers in Beijing with missile launchers at the main Olympic venues.

On Wednesday, the government announced three protest "pens" will be set up. But only groups with permits will be allowed in and, since political protests are illegal, it's unlikely that Free Tibet rallies, Falun Gong demonstrations or protests against China's involvement in Darfur will be sanctioned.

Banners and flags other than those of competing countries and banners have been banned; journalists and athletes have been warned that written material injurious to China's political, social and economic well-being will be confiscated.

COC head Chris Rudge met for more than an hour recently with Tsering Lama. In an interview Wednesday, Rudge described the meeting as interesting and praised Lama for her passion.

He said athletes are free to express their opinions, outside the Olympic village and venues. Inside, they've signed contracts to respect the rules inside the sites. Rules forbid political protests, gestures and even blogging.

What would happen to an athlete who broke the contract, Rudge refused to speculate. He reiterated the COC's position, which mirrors that of the International Olympic Committee: The Games are about sports, not politics.

If that were so, IOC president Jacques Rogge would not have said in April 2002, "If human rights are not acted upon to our satisfaction, we will act."

Still, Lama says, "The Olympics in itself will not help us. What people of conscience chose to do, that's what helps."

What conscientious athletes need to consider, however, is whether a gesture will help or hurt. On that, even supporters of Tibet's independence are split from the Dalai Lama on down.

The Dalai Lama -- Tibet's spiritual leader and an honourary Canadian-- has argued any protest might provoke an even more devastating crackdown than the one in March.

Victor Chan, founding director and trustee of the Dalai Lama Centre for Peace and Education in Vancouver, is in Aspen with the Dalai Lama for a sold-out, three-day conference on Tibet that begins today.

"They [the activists] are walking a thin line," Chan said in a telephone interview. "A lot of young people who grew up in the West, they saw what has happened in the Middle East, Afghanistan. They are hot-blooded and they have resentment against the Chinese. Even though they know the Dalai Lama and the prime minister don't want them to do this, they are going ahead."

Tsering Lama was 12 when she moved to Vancouver with her parents and grandparents from a refugee camp in Nepal. In May when she went to Hong Kong during the Olympic torch relay, Tsering Lama (who now lives in Toronto) was deported without any explanation.

Lama acknowledges the Dalai Lama's concern about another crackdown. Still, she says, "The situation in Tibet now is pretty much as bad as it can possibly get. There are tens of thousands even by Chinese figures who have been imprisoned. Thousands are missing. A thousand monks were taken in Bombardier trains out of Tibet in July and put into Chinese prisons until the Olympics are over.

"Basically, Tibetans are living in an incredibly dark and bleak situation and we can't ignore that. We can't not say something."

Whether Canadians choose to take a stand is an open question. Former Canadian Olympic rower Dave Kay is on the third week of his six-week cross-Canada cycling trip to raise awareness of human rights in China.

But it almost seems inevitable that one athlete will.

Mark Todd, New Zealand's double Olympic gold medallist in equestrian, says he may not be able to stay silent. Australian cyclist Cadel Evans has a link to a Free Tibet organization on his website and wore a Free Tibet T-shirt under his team shirt at a race in May.

Athletes are being asked to take a risk such as Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos did when they gave the black power salute 40 years ago at the Mexico City Olympics.

Only they can decide whether it's worth it to be remembered for more than just winning.

dbramham@png.canwest.com