Before an ancient Olympic Game, ancient Greek people ignited a torch before Temple of Olympian Zeus.[…] The torch holder would run and shout, ‘stop wars to join the Olympics!’ Where the torch went, where the war stopped.[…] Greek people went to the Olympic Game, and they forgot hatred and war. As a result, torch, which is a tool for sending signals, becomes a symbol for peace, light, and friendship.
This blessed Olympic torch has been running around the streets to avoid protesters like a rat. China government stigmatizes the Olympic torch.
Many Taiwanese discuss if we should boycott the Olympic torch due to China government's records of repressing human right. AW talked what is the goal for China government to hold the Olympic Game:
The Communist Party of China plans to exhibit its legitimacy (to be in power) by holding the Olympic Game.[…] When people cheer in the athletic field, the human right activists are probably suffering in the prisons. When the western political leaders show their respect for China government in the opening ceremony, the Communist Party of China is determined to rule China forever.
Door and window discussed who should take the responsibility for letting the Olympic torch be tarnished?
The leaders of all the countries should take the responsibility for letting the torch be tarnished.
Where are the countries proud to be democratic?
Where are the countries proud to be free?
Where are the countries called as world police? Are they paralyzed?
That's fine. We can see how their sweet cover of morality diminishes before powerful autocracy.
doctor61 is surprised by how this Olympic torch is being relayed:
一個國家辦奧運,搞到要動員海外學生華人保護聖火,甚至由中國主動派安全人員出國保護,實在也是創舉了。
It is the first time that the country that holds an Olympic Game needs to mobilize oversea Chinese and their “safe guards” to “protect” the Olympic torch.
On the other hand, many people are surprised by how people supporting Tibet can evoke the boycott of the Olympic torch. forumvisitor commented,
I am surprised by the support Tibetans get from foreigners, especially when the oversea Tibetans should not be more than oversea Taiwanese. I think we should learn from the Tibetans and protect these friends.
I sighed while watching the torch relay for days.
When China government was repressing Tibet, we did not hear a thing about boycotting the Olympic torch.
Singapore was even supporting China government's action. Sigh.
However, justice does not disappear.
After people supporting human right come forward, many leaders said they will not go to the Olympic opening ceremony.
Sigh. If we do not voice through our action, there is no voice.
Taiwan has been threaten by China's armed force.[…] We should grasp this critical moment to join the cross-border boycott activity[…] and ask China government not to hold the Olympic torch with its right hand and hold the missiles with its left hand. […] China government should promise that they will give up armed force for resolving Taiwan's issue.
When the boycott becomes a serious matter to China, China government asks people not to mix politics and athletics. However, this request does not sell.
China did not join some past Olympic Games due to political issues, but now it tells us that don't mix politics and athletics. This double standard is hard to understand.
Politics is politics? When Taiwan tries to join World Health Organization, which is not a political organization, why do they block us?
Boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Game is not only a political issue. It is about what dream people all over the world want to share with each other.