Editor,
I strongly agree with Gov. Bill Richardson's innovative idea put forth during the New Hampshire debates in view of the general silence among nations vis-Ö-vis China's violations of human rights, especially toward Tibetans, and with its dozens of prisons which, for Tibetans, are like Auschwitz and Dachau.
I posited the same idea in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 in correspondence with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to many heads of states that the moral indignation of nations in the Olympics in Beijing in 2008 could be harnessed into at least the threat of a boycott, perhaps worded more diplomatically. During the debate, former Sen. John Edwards clearly agreed with this point by Richardson.
Make no mistake: This is probably the last chance in human history to do something constructive about Tibet, to prevent the genocide of Tibetans remaining in Tibet, which has, since 1959, seen 1.2 million Tibetans killed, roughly 20 percent of the entire population of Tibet. If American political powers and their pundits won't use our power of moral persuasion, and if we once again docilely capitulate to dim-witted politicians who say the Olympics are only about sports and not about politics, we are no better than the many nations who were oblivious to the growing obviousness of the genocide of Jews in Europe before and during World War II.
In this light, I think Richardson is on the right track, and even more so when you consider the dead pets and poisoned toothpaste from China. It was not just about politics but life and death for many, including at least 100 dead, mostly children, in Panama.
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Stephen Fox
Daily Lobo reader
