Activists Protest for Olympic Human Rights

In Wellington today a group of human rights activists held a protest in front of parliament against the repressions in China and Tibet, and against the increasingly severe crackdowns and large-scale home evictions taking place in the run up to the Olympics in Beijing.

Green Party MP & Foreign Affairs Spokesman Keith Locke spoke to the group of about thirty protesters of the numerous human rights abuses taking place in the country and of the number of activists imprisoned, such as Ni Yulan, Hu Jia, Yang Chunlin and Ye Guozhu. A number of schoolchildren joined in too, holding banners and Tibetan flags, and wearing pro-Tibet t-shirts. The Friends of Tibet Society (NZ) was also involved in helping to organize the event.

Mr Locke called on the government not to shirk away from moral responsibility to try and avoid offending the Chinese hosts of the Games, and to not be afraid to raise these issues. He also drew attention to the unsuitable environment in Beijing for the Games, and how numerous athletes have expressed reservations or even refused to take part out of concern that their health will be damaged by the pollution in the Chinese capital.

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