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Beijing: Human Rights Issue no Excuse against Olympic Bid
The Beijing Olympic Bid Committee said on Wednesday that they strived for the right to host the 2008 Games is the very example of respecting human rights in China.
"To bid for the Olympic Games is the aspiration of the 1.3 billion Chinese people. They have the right," Liu Jinming, Beijing vice mayor and executive vice president of the bid committee, told a news conference for the acceptance of the city as one of the five candidates for the 2008 Games.
The other four are Istanbul, Osaka, Paris, and Toronto.
"The human rights record should not be an excuse against Beijing's bid for the Games," said liu. "It is palpable that China has scored noteworthy accomplishments in protecting the human rights. The differences between China and Western countries come from the fact that we all have our own understanding of the human righsts."
Liu said that the Olympic Games do not have any direct relation to human rights and, If any, the link is that "both do not differentiate between states, races or religious beliefs".
"As is stressed by both the Olympic Movement and human rights, everybody has the right to participate in what they are concerned about. Now the Chinese have an aspiration to hold the Games in China and this is just their human right."
The bid committee has said that beijing's bid for the games is not just the business of the government but also the ordinary people.
"We also hope the bid could help beijing make progress in many fields and make the beijinger get benifts from it," Liu said.
The official, however, did not shy away from what China need to improve in human rights protection.
"On the other side, China is a developing country and it is certain that we still have some improvements to make. But many reforms which are being carried out in all fields are all aimed to give more rights to ordinary people.
"Many wise policitians have come to realize that the best way to enhance the Chinese human rights protection is dialogue not confronctation," Liu said.
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