Human rights at forefront of debate over Beijing bid

China's record on human rights may not dissuade a majority of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from voting this Friday in favour of Beijing hosting the 2008 Olympic Games.

But, as the chief executive of the rival Toronto bid confirmed, the issue has been to the forefront this week as IOC members gathered in Moscow for the vote.

"It's been raised a lot," John Bitove told a news conference on Tuesday. "But we try to keep focused on sport and athletes."

Claude Bebear, head of the Paris bid, chose his words with equal skill.

"If you look at the IOC charter, it mentions human rights on virtually every other page," Bebear said. "The ethical question is a crucial one."

Toronto and Paris are the leading candidates if favourites Beijing falter. The other two bidding cities, Istanbul and Osaka, face early elimination in Friday's vote.

Exactly one week before the vote, the European Union assembly, meeting in Strasbourg, added its contribution to the debate when it said awarding the Games to Beijing would be inappropriate.

"China's disastrous record on human rights makes Beijing an unsuitable venue," a resolution said.

On the same day Amnesty International released figures showing 1,781 people had been executed in China in the past three months, more than the rest of the world in the past three years.

Tibetan activists in Moscow this week said awarding the Games to Beijing would send a message that the IOC supported oppression.

"Tibetans are becoming a minority in their own country," a spokesman said.

CONTRARY VIEW

A contrary view has been expressed by Australian aboriginal Cathy Freeman, who lit the Olympic flame in Sydney last year in a symbol of reconciliation between her people and the European settlers before going on to win the women's 400 metres.

"Our record in the treatment of my ancestors, the aboriginal people, is horrendous," Freeman, a supporter of the Beijing bid. "But that was yesterday. While we acknowledge our history, we will have to move towards the future."

Three distinct views have emerged in the editorial columns of the world leading newspapers over the past month.

Britain's Observer argued that Beijing, who missed out by two votes to Sydney in its bid for the 2000 Games, should not be awarded an Olympics until China demonstrably improved its human rights record.

The Financial Times disagreed.

"Despite the ugliness of the Chinese regime, the world is willing to deal with it...why should the Olympic Games be something different," the newspaper said.

The Los Angeles Times expressed a compromise view, condemning China's record on human rights as "deplorable" but suggesting the IOC could call for changes.

"China would profit from winning its Olympic host bid but its behaviour will not be changed by prizes that come without condition," it said.

On Wednesday the head of the 2004 Athens organising committee, Gianna Angelopoulos, argued the case for extending rather than restricting the Games, a view that may prevail on Friday.

Angelopoulos, whose astute political skills helped the Greek capital win the Games ahead of favourites Rome, told reporters Greece could work perfectly well with whichever city was chosen as its successor.

But she also warned again confining the Olympics to a small group of nations.

"We believe that the history of the Games shows the Games must be around the world," she said. "They have to be enriched by different cultures and civilisations and enrich the world for the good of the sport, of ethos and of the Olympic ideals."