CHINA: OLYMPICS BEIJING 2008 - China's Mr. Olympics He Zhenliang says Games bring peace, not protests

Record ID: 329554

  • Title: CHINA: OLYMPICS BEIJING 2008 - China's Mr. Olympics He Zhenliang says Games bring peace, not protests
  • Date: 17th August 2008
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (FILE) (REUTERS) A REPORTER SITTING IN A PRESS ROOM A REPORTER SITTING IN FRONT OF COMPUTER
  • Embargoed: 1st September 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: International Relations,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA8K38K0V5IBFFLQWW4APIJVD4P
  • Story Text: China's "Mr. Olympics" shrugged off protests staged by pro-free Tibet groups in Beijing and bomb attacks in China's restive northwest, saying the focus of the Games should be sports.
    Billions of dollars were spent on cleaning up the smog and half of the cars were ordered off the streets in Beijing to prepare for the Olympic Games.
    China's Olympic host city put on its best look for the Games while protests were staged by pro-free Tibet groups and attacks happened in China's restive northwest.
    China's Olympic veteran, He Zhenliang says the protests should not be paid attention to.
    "The Olympics are the only event that overcomes any political disputes, differences of religions, races, political systems and skin colour.
    It is an opportunity, a platform that unites people together to compete in a friendly and fair atmosphere. We should protect it," He said in a group interview with both foreign and domestic media organizations.
    He Zhenliang, 78, the former Chinese Olympic Committee chief, was a member of IOC's Executive Board by 1985 and planned to fulfill China's long-cherished dream of hosting an Olympics Games.
    Beijing's bid to stage the 2000 Olympics failed by two votes at Monte Carlo in 1993, which He put down to political interference from the West, the 1989 Tiananmen "incident", Sydney's superior infrastructure and corruption.
    For his long term vision to bring the Games to China, he is called "Mr. Olympics" by a lot of locals.
    With He's help and hard work, Beijing finally won the bid in 2001 to host the summer Games in 2008.
    Since then, Beijing has been going through great pains to show the world that it is living up to its media freedom pledge, even as rights groups continue to criticise the government for trampling on reporters' basic rights.
    He defended China's Internet regulations.
    "We're keeping all promises we have given to the world. You talked about the Internet. In all countries, there are some regulations about the internet and the question is solved, yes, so to the satisfaction of the IOC and the press," He said.
    Foreign activists have protested in Beijing to highlight what they say is repression of Tibetans in the Himalayan region.
    China set aside three public parks as legal protest zones. Many say the applications sent in for staging protests were not approved.
    "In every country, if you want to demonstrate, you should to ask the permission. Yes? In a certain area, you can do that. It's a very common practice. So why you mention specially you single out our case? So, please, yes, be fair to everybody, okay, "He said.
    The Beijing Games are the culmination of more than half a century of looking after China's Olympic interests for the now honorary chairman of the Chinese Olympic Committee.
    Despite security officers fanning out across the city, 300,000 surveillance cameras and tightened visa controls, a number of pro-free Tibet groups have managed to hold small-scale protests in the city.
    China is sensitive to protests against its rule in predominantly Buddhist Tibet, where security has been stepped up since riots erupted in March. The foreign protesters have been released from police detention and deported.
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