August 8, 2001

I would like to congratulate the people of China for having been chosen to host the 2008 Olympics.

Before the ballots were cast, Chinese pledged to allow greater press freedom and improve its human rights situation if it won. But promises like these have been heard before.

History has shown us that the regime of President Jiang Zemin has taken advantage of every major international event to silence all dissenting voices, and the 70 million-plus Falun Gong practitioners persecuted in China will most likely continue to bear the brunt of such political campaigns; [...]

Many people, not only Falun Gong practitioners, have already died in the weeks leading up to the vote, as Beijing began to rid itself of so-called "undesirables."

The Chinese leadership has pledged in horrifying terms to "completely eradicate" Falun Gong. Two concentration camps have already been built. We have already had an Olympics celebrating an oppressive, inhumane regime.

It is our moral responsibility to warn the world so there won't be another one.

Leeshai Lemish
Kfar Sava, Israel

Posting date: 8/10/2001
Original article date: 8/8/2001
Category: News & Media Reports

 Yearly Archive  Printer Version

_____Related Articles_____ Prague Post: Politicians to form Beijing 'committee' [7/28/2001] Times: Olympics win sparks attack on Falun Gong  [7/27/2001] National Review: China: A Dangerous Decision  [7/24/2001] The Jerusalem Post Daily: China Rewarded for Violations [7/18/2001] National Review: Be Careful What You Wish for [7/18/2001] BBC Monitoring: Falun spokesman in Hong Kong fears Olympics a "license to kill" [7/18/2001] RFA: China's Vice Premier Li Lanqing Attempts to Use China's Successful Olympics Bid to Prove the Persecution of Falun Gong is Justified [7/18/2001] The Age: World must monitor China's promises: Falun Gong [7/16/2001] National Post: Beijing Gets the Olympics [7/16/2001] Reuters: Falung Gong warns of post-Olympic bid crackdown  [7/15/2001]