As groups in other countries support Tibetans’ rage and criticize the violence of the Chinese government, Korean netizens are also busy making signature-seeking-campaigns or boycotting the Beijing Olympics. The participants who express their opinions on the internet and put their names on the campaigns are more and more.
The reasons why Koreans should understand Tibetans’ anger and support them seem to be related to the colonization times that they went through and the current situation, including historical conflicts between Korea and China, and North Korean defectors who are forcefully sent back to North Korea by the Chinese police.
Here is a post about why a netizen insists on the boycott against the Beijing Olympics.
최근 중국이 티벳 대규모 유혈 시위 진압 사태로 물의를 빚고 있습니다. 무려 100명 이상이 죽었다는 주장도 나오고 있습니다.한쪽에서는 티벳독립운동으로 죽어가고 한쪽에서는 올림픽한다며 흥겨워하는 것이 정말 아이러니한 모습입니다. 그러나 그뿐만이 아니라 지금도 중국은 북한에서 탈북한 탈북자들을 사형당하는줄 뻔히 알면서도 북한으로 돌려보내고 있습니다.
개인적으로 중국은 올림픽 개최할 자격이 없다고 생각합니다. 인권이 뭔지에 대한 개념이 없고 사람이 너무 많아서 그런지 사람 목숨 알기를 우습게 아는 것 같기도 합니다. 이번 티벳사태로 그 사실을 다시한번 확인한 것 같습니다. (그럼에도 중국정부는 ‘티벳사태가 올림픽에 아무런 악영향을 끼치지 못한다'고 말하고 있습니다.)
중국에게 올림픽은 단지 경제성장 과시하고픈 이벤트에 지나지 않으며 올림픽의 정신이 뭔지 개념도 없습니다. 그 뿐만이아니라 중국의 농 수산물, 중국산 음식물들은 이미 전세계에 신뢰를 잃어버린지 오래입니다. 최근의 일본 농약만두 사건때에도 중국은 자기들은 잘못이 없다면서 발뺌만 하더군요. 주변국강제합병, 역사왜곡, 동북공정/ 미성년자의 성매매와 아동학대등(청소년도 처형) 장기매매 인신매매문제 등 그 외에도 열거하자면 많지만 중략하고 중요한 것은 잘못된 것이 무엇인지 알고 고치려고 노력하는 자세를 보여주는 것이 아니라 중국은 무조건 덮고 진압하고 발뺌하는 후진스러운 마인드를 보여주고 있다는 것입니다.
할리우드 스타 리처드 기어는 “중국이 티베트 내 소요 사태들을 평화적으로 해결하지 않을 경우 베이징 올림픽 참가를 거부해야 한다”고 말했으며 유럽의 일부 정치인들은 이미 중국 올림픽 보이콧에 나선바 있습니다. 이번 보이콧 움직임으로 최소한 중국이 무력진압을 자제하고 자국의 약자 문제에 대해서 적극적인 대처를 보여줬으면 하는 바램입니다. 중국이 노력하는 모습을 보여준다면 즐겁게 올림픽을 볼 수 있겠지만 과연 그 근본적인 마인드가 변할지는 의문입니다…
In my own opinion, China doesn’t have the qualification to hold Olympics. They don’t have any concept for human rights. Maybe they think that they have so many people and look down on a human’s life. We could see this again through this Tibet Protest. (But the Chinese government insists that ‘The Tibet Incident will not have a bad influence on the Olympics.’)
To China, the Olympics is an event to show off their economic growth. They don’t have any understanding of the spirit of the Olympics. In addition, agricultural and marine products from China, and food from China have lost the trust in the world. Recently, in the scandal of agrichemical dumplings that were exported to Japan, China rejected it as their fault. Forceful annexation of neighbors’ lands, distortion of history, China’s Northeastern project/sex trade of teenagers and child abuse (execution of teenagers), human organ sales… there are so many problems to list. But the most important thing is that they don’t show the attitude and efforts to recognize what they do wrong and try to correct, but they show the backward mind that tries to hide and suppress.
Richard Gere, Hollywood star, said, “In this situation, if the Chinese do not act in the proper way, change their ways, acknowledge what is going on, allow free access to communication, then I think that absolutely we have to boycott” and some European politicians also boycott against the Olympics. I hope that this movement will make China restrain the suppression by force and concern about the weak in their country. If they show these kinds of efforts, we can enjoy the Olympics. But I doubt whether their fundamental mind can be changed…
Interesting comments are below.
Bluesky is concerned about next steps from China.
티벳은 시작에 불과하다!!!
Some netizens try to react more rationally. Realism in politics?
너무 감정적으로 대응하는 것은 아니라봅니다. 물론 중국이 올림픽을 개최할 자격이나, 자질이 있는 나라는 절대 아닙니다. IOC가 미친거죠. 하지만 보이콧이라뇨. 그것도 우리나라만… 차라리 IOC에 탄원서를 내는 쪽이… 그것은 개인이 할수 있는 문제가 아니지만.. 전 단지 티벳의 민족들이 불쌍할 뿐입니다. 그것을 보고만 있는 세계의 눈들을 뽑고 싶은 심정입니다. 올림픽의 모토는 세계의 평화인데, 중국은 평화를 모르는 나라입니다. 암튼 각설하고.. 보이콧이라는 극단적인 방법보다는 다른 평화적인 방법을 찾아야 한다고 봅니다. 보이콧도 하나의 일방적 폭력이라는 것을 왜 모르십니까?
Historical ties between Korea and Tibet are mentioned a lot.
티베트 독립 지지 서명에 참여해주세요. 그리고 구체적으로 독립자금을 모아 전달 합시다. 티벳의 독립운동은 남의 일이 아닙니다.일제시대때 우리 한민족의 독립운동과 같은것입니다.
힘없이 36년간 일본의 식민지배를 받아온 우리대한민국은 뼈아픈 역사가 있는나라다 그런데 어찌 티벳민중들의 독립호소에 침묵하는가 중국의 눈치를살피며 살아야하는 비겁한나라인가 티벳이여 함께 통곡하노라.
How about the security?
저렇게 위험천만한 곳에서 어떻게 올림픽을 해요.
What is the spirit of the Olympics?
올림픽의 개최의미가 점점 희박해져가는 것 같네요.개최국의 힘자랑하는 이벤트로 변해버린 것 같네요.
올림픽 정신에 반하는 사고를 가진 나라에서 올림픽을 개최하는것은 절대 반대합니다.
But how about the national interest?
서명은 합니다만, 현실이…중국이 너무 커져 버렸지요. 중국이 우리나라를 왕따를 시키면 아니 전세계를 다 왕따를 시켜버리면 세계경제가 다 마비되죠…미국에선 메이드인차이나가 아닌 물건을 구하기란 보통 일이 아니라고 하죠…그렇지만 서명은 확실히 합니다.
서명합니다…근데 이게 무슨 도움이 될까 의문스럽긴 하네요ㅜㅜ
How about Korea, which had a successful Olympics at the time of continuous demonstrations and suppressions?
저기…우리나라 80년대 때 엄청난 사건이 많이 터졌져..대략 민주화 운동이라고나 할까..그때 우리나라 보면 지금 중국보다 심해여…시민한테 총이나 쏘는 우리나라는 올림픽 개최 가능하고..중국은 안된다?좀 어이없네여.
118 comments
Most Koreans I talk to do not trust China because they see how the government has clamped down on news reporting unless it is from official news sources or bloggers who echo the government position regarding Tibet. At least Koreans do remember what is like to be oppressed and hate it.
you guys know what, you have ever been to China? could you know more than a people who live in China? I am a common chinese girl. China is a country of 56 ethnical groups . we are very united. this time, it is just Dala who prompt small goup of Tibetan chinese to do those crimes. The small goup of criminals can’t represent the whole Tibetan chinese. Large number of Tibetan chinese are now scattered on all part of China. Dut to its geographical condition,(Tibetan are on 4000 meters plateau.)Tibet is obviously less developed than other parts of China.Our chinese government every year send many scholors from other parts of china to help Tibetan chinese building their homes(even our president is ever governor of Tibet) and carried out a policy that minority goups are more privilege than main chinese group in education such as score-adding on main examination. stop criticizing, mind your own business. All chinses people are like one family . we love China. China will become a super power in 30 years. Watch!
now, millions of chinese people are supporting our government．if you don’t believe, you can go to any chinese websites.
亏你们还是我们的好邻邦．你们不配．
I don’t think Korea or any other country will boycott Olympics because when it all come down do it is what can each of the country gain or lose by doing that? I think all country could lose lot more than gain if they boycott Olympics. To be blunt, Tibet has no trade relations or money involved. It’s sad but true, money make world go around. If Dali Lama is going to have any chance of going back to Tibet at all he should condemn the riot and ask all tibetans to stand down.
What we must believe is our eyes! All the media around the world must be screened and identified by ourselves with our own eyes. Motive video is better than photo. Photos can easily be modified or cut to the size for politicians and their media to use, and be emphasied with their own motion.
We MUST use our own eyes to watch live video and carefully identify who were killed or hit.
When media supplied video that showed innocent people be killed, we have enough reason to believe the fact and know who are making the conflicts, or riots.
Don’t be cheated by the politicians! including the exile leader Dalai and his young followers, including western countries led by USA, UK, Germany and their media, even including the China government! They have their positions.
I am a Chinese girl, I am really surprised to hear from you for those unreal and distorted truth. Have you been to China? Do you know China and Chinese people? if you know little about our China and Chinese people, you have no right to say this. Do you think you know China better than our Chinese. You are wrong. China is a united and multi-ethnic country, it is a country with 56 ethnical groups, which are united together closely. I am also from a minority group, Zhuang minority, one of the 56 ethnical groups, all of us are living happily, well-closed and well-fed under the leadership of Chinese Communist Party, we thanks very much for our Central Government’s good leadership and many preferential policies provided for our ethnical groups. Do you know these?
Tibet violence is just illegal activity by a small group of Tibetan who are abetted by Dala group, it is a conspiratorial activity, their actions violate our country’s peace and unification policy. Actually, most of Tibetan support China, in this violence, they are severely harmed. Millions of our Chinese people support Chinese Government to take action to peace this violence and severely punish those criminals. We Chinese will closely unify together against any illegal activities to damage our peace and unification. China always regard you as a friendly neighbor, in returns, you treat China in this way!
China will be the most powerful country in the next few decades, it is an unchangeable trend.We love China and support Chinese Government Forever, Hope you could see truth from fact.
Dalai Lama backs Beijing Olympics
Australia ABC News
Updated 10 March 2008 at 04:55:21
Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, says he backs China’s right to host the Olympic Games.
He made the statement after China’s top official in Tibet accused him of trying to sabotage the summer games.
The Dalai Lama called the Chinese official’s accusation “highly inflammatory”.
He said while he does not support the calls by Tibet support groups for a games boycott, he says they could remind the international community about the repression and urgency of the situation in Tibet.
The Dalai Lama is frustrated by China’s refusal to discuss ‘cultural autonomy’ for Tibet, but sees a window to sway public opinion ahead of the Olympics.
Tibet independence? No way.
Int’l conference on Tibet? Impossible.
Negotiate with central government for religious position none political. Yes.
Want power in political area? forget it!
Why? Tibet wasn’t, isn’t and won’t be a country, just a autonomouns region.
Dalai may not hope the independence, but his young followers are absolutely eager for the power, not only in teaching but also in politics.
If Dalai cannot control his followers, he will either lose his ability, or be replaced by his followers.
Anyway monks are monks. Monks shouldn’t be involved in politics.
No country in the world including the west allows religion combined with politics.
this is so right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i think most chinese people have some kind of self esteem
on them selves.
it is so discusting.. weird…
you know,,, You chinese people say that,, ur ancestors ruled korean peninsula for hundreds of years and korea was a colony of china.
we understand why u say things like that.
korea wasnt a colony but a sister country of china. this is it.
nothing more than that.
and you always try to steal others’ history just for the reason that korea has such a weird maps and history books
which japan massed so much in the early 1900s. and we are still discovering other history books from ancient time.
and most koreans hate chinese government
and chinese who has such a weird self pride about them selves.
and this, tibet needs freedom.
what are the things you chinese mainland people did
for tibet?
what did chinese government to care for tibet?
and i have more questions.
why is china so eager for other countries’ history and their lands>>??
china is already a big country
dont be so selfish. is it for the natural resources??
or the desert?
or what??
we are so sick of the yellow sand that blows from china. It makes so many disease in korea!!!!!!!!!!
why do koreans have to tolerate for all that shit you stupid chinese people make?
even the desert. it’s getting bigger because you took all the trees out !!
it’s ur fault and why do i have to get the reward??????
just leave others alone!!! u bastards!!!!!!!!
so mean people .
at last,,
even only a small amount of other country’s people are
living in china, it doesnt mean that the country is yours.
remember that.
ok, get the tibet. Then the world will shoot china,
and free tibet.
“annie”, if you really do support the Chinese Communist Party as being so wonderful, then you need to develop critical awareness of what you believe in for it has some gaping blind spots. Frankly, your rhetoric sounds more like a Maoist from the 60’s than a modern-day person. That alone would make your words repellent and suspect.