EU Opposes Olympic Boycott

The European Union and Olympic committees announced opposition for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics, citing that such an embargo would “greatly damage” sport and trouble athletes who have been preparing for the event for years. They also noted the scarce impact of previous Olympic boycotts. At least 13 civilians have reportedly been killed and countless others wounded during the repression of Tibetan demonstrations, and the Chinese are further threatening protesters with “harsh” penalties if they do not surrender. The Chinese yanked access to youtube when footage of the demonstrations surfaced and scolded the Dalai Lama for the global unrest. Many suspected the EU and other governing political bodies would intervene, calling for their constituents to boycott the Olympics until China gets its human rights policies in line. While the EU criticized the way China is handling the unrest, it’s opted to stand aside, plug the unifying powers of the games, and insist the only people to lose out in the event of a boycott would be the athletes themselves. Pro-Tibet groups are planning a demonstration at the International Olympic Committee’s Swiss headquarters tomorrow.