Comment on the Olympics in Beijing: what is silent is collusion

American biathlete Claire Egan isn’t one of many athletes who recently raised their voices about the toxic side effects of the upcoming Winter Games. It did so by citing certain values ​​that even organized sport likes to claim for itself. “If you see that something is going wrong, you should just sit there and do nothing,” said Agano. recently new York Times,

Organized sport often proclaims one thing and does another, especially the International Olympic Committee (IOC). And nowhere is that more dazzling than at the Beijing Games. The otherwise very political IOC hides behind its mantra of political neutrality when it comes to the host’s human rights violations. The committee does not even manage to call the oppressed people there by name.

When it comes to controversial hosts, the most powerful international corporations suddenly find their powerlessness

Plus, it tends to put even more weight on its athletes, who face these complaints around competitions. Now the time has come that all those parties whose voice can be louder, should also use them. World politics has just begun to do little by removing its government representatives from the guest list in Beijing – it’s a bit painful for a country that wants to leverage its power with major events. The US, UK, Australia and Canada are by far the most prominent absentees. The European Union, which wants to speak in one voice, must join it as soon as possible.

The most influential partners are still particularly booming: sponsors of sports, without whom all the millions involved would be lost; From Visa, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Panasonic and Toyota to the German alliance. When it comes to controversial hosts, some of the most powerful multinationals suddenly find their powerlessness. “We don’t choose Olympic hosts, we just follow athletes where they compete,” said Paul Lalli, who is responsible for human rights at Coca-Cola when he was called to the US Congress last summer. . The coalition, so now it reported FAZ, is considering reducing its activities, at least in Beijing.

It is high time the IOC sponsors name its advertising platform in Beijing: a cover for human rights crimes. Otherwise, the same applies to what Claire Egan said recently: “Those who keep quiet are participants.”