 |
Beijing: Olympic Bid Helps Develop Human Rights
Beijing's bidding for the 2008 Olympic Games will not only boost urban development but also help further advance the human rights conditions of China, a senior bidding committee official said on Tuesday.
Liu Jinmin, vice president of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Bid Committee, stressed that the Olympic bidding, which has enjoyed nationwide support, is also a process of realizing and developing the human rights.
"Beijing's bid is the common aspiration of the 1.3 billion Chinese people. Try to help realize their wish means respect to the human rights," said Liu.
"Everyone has the right to take part in what they are concerned about, which is required by both the Olympic Movement and human rights protection. Now the Chinese have the aspiration to hold the Games in China, this is just their human rights,"
Liu pointed out that their great efforts in infrastructure and environmental protection are not only for the sake of Olympic bidding but also closely linked with the improvement of local livelihood.
"We do more than work out a bidding blueprint, but also get down to work. We are taking environment-friendly measures and improving traffic conditions. We have done many things that bring tangible benefits to the broad masses," said Liu.
He cited a Beijing taxi driver, called Meng Jingshan, to explain why Beijingers threw their weight behind the bidding.
"Why does Meng support Beijing's bid? Because he is fully aware that under the bidding, he could move out of his shabby houses and into spacious building rooms, he understands that the bidding can make him live better," he said.
According to a latest opinion poll conducted by the Gallup China Co. Ltd, as many as 94.9% in a poll of 1,626 Beijing residents support Beijing's bid.
Liu said that as the economy develops, China's human rights conditions has gained much headway in the past years, evidenced by such things as the set-up of grass-roots democratic election system and media supervision.
Beijing, along with Paris, Istanbul, Osaka and Toronto, has been shortlisted earlier this year by the International Olympic Committee as official candidate cities for the 2008 Olympic Games. The IOC will make final decision at Moscow in July.
In This Section
|