Confront China on human rights

Re “Olympic influence,” editorial, Aug. 9

With just a year to go until the Beijing Olympics, where is the public outcry against China’s poor human rights record? In 1980, many countries boycotted the Moscow Games because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Where is the outcry over China’s invasion and cultural genocide of the Tibetan people. Where is China’s commitment to improving human rights? Obviously nowhere, as the world tends to forget the political prisoners, the sale of body organs from executed prisoners and the imprisonment of the Falun Gong. Is there a government or athlete(s) who will take a stand against the 2008 Olympics?

We read that many Chinese people have been relocated and that houses and businesses have been destroyed to make way for the Games. Is that what the Games represent? Surely not.

Robert Pallister

Punchbowl, Australia