I wonder who might end up regretting the Beijing Olympics more - the IOC or the Chinese government?
The IOC is in "crisis" over the torch relay. They're issuing threats against the athletes, who are the backbone of the Games. And now, belatedly, they're demanding that China respect human rights.
Despite all that, I think the Chinese government is probably even more rueful today. The Summer Games were supposed to be a great success, something of an announcemnt of China's 'arrival'. Well, right now it looks like this summer might be the hottest for them since 1989.
The Tibetans have obviously perceived that the Olympic Games provide them with an opportunity to gain world attention for their plight. The Chinese government has not reacted well. They've shot themselves in the foot and the fate of Tibet is now a hotter item than Iraq. Soccer commentators would describe that as an 'own goal', which it is surely is. The Chinese authorities must be scratching their heads at how they managed to accomplish that feat. Their dreams are going up in smoke.
And, today I read that Chinese government claims to have thwarted a Muslim terror plot aimed at causing mayhem during the Games. Nice try there. Two years ago they claimed that they had no Muslim problm in Xinjiang, but now that they could really use a little global sympathy (especially from the West) they uncover a big plot involving 45 people who intended to "blow themselves up in Urumqi and to attack hotels, government buildings, and military buildings in Shanghai and Beijing". The Los Angeles Times reports that the "authorities offered little evidence to support the claim". The timing couldn't be more convenient.
