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As groups in other countries support Tibetans’ rage and criticize the violence of the Chinese government, Korean netizens are also busy making signature-seeking-campaigns or boycotting the Beijing Olympics. The participants who express their opinions on the internet and put their names on the campaigns are more and more.
The reasons why Koreans should understand Tibetans’ anger and support them seem to be related to the colonization times that they went through and the current situation, including historical conflicts between Korea and China, and North Korean defectors who are forcefully sent back to North Korea by the Chinese police.
Here is a post about why a netizen insists on the boycott against the Beijing Olympics.
최근 중국이 티벳 대규모 유혈 시위 진압 사태로 물의를 빚고 있습니다. 무려 100명 이상이 죽었다는 주장도 나오고 있습니다.한쪽에서는 티벳독립운동으로 죽어가고 한쪽에서는 올림픽한다며 흥겨워하는 것이 정말 아이러니한 모습입니다. 그러나 그뿐만이 아니라 지금도 중국은 북한에서 탈북한 탈북자들을 사형당하는줄 뻔히 알면서도 북한으로 돌려보내고 있습니다.
개인적으로 중국은 올림픽 개최할 자격이 없다고 생각합니다. 인권이 뭔지에 대한 개념이 없고 사람이 너무 많아서 그런지 사람 목숨 알기를 우습게 아는 것 같기도 합니다. 이번 티벳사태로 그 사실을 다시한번 확인한 것 같습니다. (그럼에도 중국정부는 ‘티벳사태가 올림픽에 아무런 악영향을 끼치지 못한다'고 말하고 있습니다.)
중국에게 올림픽은 단지 경제성장 과시하고픈 이벤트에 지나지 않으며 올림픽의 정신이 뭔지 개념도 없습니다. 그 뿐만이아니라 중국의 농 수산물, 중국산 음식물들은 이미 전세계에 신뢰를 잃어버린지 오래입니다. 최근의 일본 농약만두 사건때에도 중국은 자기들은 잘못이 없다면서 발뺌만 하더군요. 주변국강제합병, 역사왜곡, 동북공정/ 미성년자의 성매매와 아동학대등(청소년도 처형) 장기매매 인신매매문제 등 그 외에도 열거하자면 많지만 중략하고 중요한 것은 잘못된 것이 무엇인지 알고 고치려고 노력하는 자세를 보여주는 것이 아니라 중국은 무조건 덮고 진압하고 발뺌하는 후진스러운 마인드를 보여주고 있다는 것입니다.
할리우드 스타 리처드 기어는 “중국이 티베트 내 소요 사태들을 평화적으로 해결하지 않을 경우 베이징 올림픽 참가를 거부해야 한다”고 말했으며 유럽의 일부 정치인들은 이미 중국 올림픽 보이콧에 나선바 있습니다. 이번 보이콧 움직임으로 최소한 중국이 무력진압을 자제하고 자국의 약자 문제에 대해서 적극적인 대처를 보여줬으면 하는 바램입니다. 중국이 노력하는 모습을 보여준다면 즐겁게 올림픽을 볼 수 있겠지만 과연 그 근본적인 마인드가 변할지는 의문입니다…
In my own opinion, China doesn’t have the qualification to hold Olympics. They don’t have any concept for human rights. Maybe they think that they have so many people and look down on a human’s life. We could see this again through this Tibet Protest. (But the Chinese government insists that ‘The Tibet Incident will not have a bad influence on the Olympics.’)
To China, the Olympics is an event to show off their economic growth. They don’t have any understanding of the spirit of the Olympics. In addition, agricultural and marine products from China, and food from China have lost the trust in the world. Recently, in the scandal of agrichemical dumplings that were exported to Japan, China rejected it as their fault. Forceful annexation of neighbors’ lands, distortion of history, China’s Northeastern project/sex trade of teenagers and child abuse (execution of teenagers), human organ sales… there are so many problems to list. But the most important thing is that they don’t show the attitude and efforts to recognize what they do wrong and try to correct, but they show the backward mind that tries to hide and suppress.
Richard Gere, Hollywood star, said, “In this situation, if the Chinese do not act in the proper way, change their ways, acknowledge what is going on, allow free access to communication, then I think that absolutely we have to boycott” and some European politicians also boycott against the Olympics. I hope that this movement will make China restrain the suppression by force and concern about the weak in their country. If they show these kinds of efforts, we can enjoy the Olympics. But I doubt whether their fundamental mind can be changed…
Interesting comments are below.
Bluesky is concerned about next steps from China.
티벳은 시작에 불과하다!!!
Some netizens try to react more rationally. Realism in politics?
너무 감정적으로 대응하는 것은 아니라봅니다. 물론 중국이 올림픽을 개최할 자격이나, 자질이 있는 나라는 절대 아닙니다. IOC가 미친거죠. 하지만 보이콧이라뇨. 그것도 우리나라만… 차라리 IOC에 탄원서를 내는 쪽이… 그것은 개인이 할수 있는 문제가 아니지만.. 전 단지 티벳의 민족들이 불쌍할 뿐입니다. 그것을 보고만 있는 세계의 눈들을 뽑고 싶은 심정입니다. 올림픽의 모토는 세계의 평화인데, 중국은 평화를 모르는 나라입니다. 암튼 각설하고.. 보이콧이라는 극단적인 방법보다는 다른 평화적인 방법을 찾아야 한다고 봅니다. 보이콧도 하나의 일방적 폭력이라는 것을 왜 모르십니까?
Historical ties between Korea and Tibet are mentioned a lot.
티베트 독립 지지 서명에 참여해주세요. 그리고 구체적으로 독립자금을 모아 전달 합시다. 티벳의 독립운동은 남의 일이 아닙니다.일제시대때 우리 한민족의 독립운동과 같은것입니다.
힘없이 36년간 일본의 식민지배를 받아온 우리대한민국은 뼈아픈 역사가 있는나라다 그런데 어찌 티벳민중들의 독립호소에 침묵하는가 중국의 눈치를살피며 살아야하는 비겁한나라인가 티벳이여 함께 통곡하노라.
How about the security?
저렇게 위험천만한 곳에서 어떻게 올림픽을 해요.
What is the spirit of the Olympics?
올림픽의 개최의미가 점점 희박해져가는 것 같네요.개최국의 힘자랑하는 이벤트로 변해버린 것 같네요.
올림픽 정신에 반하는 사고를 가진 나라에서 올림픽을 개최하는것은 절대 반대합니다.
But how about the national interest?
서명은 합니다만, 현실이…중국이 너무 커져 버렸지요. 중국이 우리나라를 왕따를 시키면 아니 전세계를 다 왕따를 시켜버리면 세계경제가 다 마비되죠…미국에선 메이드인차이나가 아닌 물건을 구하기란 보통 일이 아니라고 하죠…그렇지만 서명은 확실히 합니다.
서명합니다…근데 이게 무슨 도움이 될까 의문스럽긴 하네요ㅜㅜ
How about Korea, which had a successful Olympics at the time of continuous demonstrations and suppressions?
저기…우리나라 80년대 때 엄청난 사건이 많이 터졌져..대략 민주화 운동이라고나 할까..그때 우리나라 보면 지금 중국보다 심해여…시민한테 총이나 쏘는 우리나라는 올림픽 개최 가능하고..중국은 안된다?좀 어이없네여.
Hello,
I would like to join a peaceful protest of the Beijing Olympics when the Olympic torch comes to Seoul APRIL 27. I know there will me many anti-China, pro-Tibet and Falun Gong supporters out protesting. Is there a group that will be protesting and how can I join them?
G-G,
Suggest you contact any overseas Chinese association in your capital, or any Chinese company. Maybe they could help.
Olympic spirit is for peace around world, not for fighting or riots anywhere.
Peaceful protest or demonstration is acceptable, but conflicts between people or even riots is completely against Olympic spirits. Such action is insane, is insulting the world people for peace.
Hi Terry and thanks for your reply to my post.
I’m not sure your suggestion of contacting Chinese associations or Chinese companies is a good one though! If I was to contact anyone (and I am going to) I will contact pro-Tibet organization, anti-China organizations and Human Rights Organizations- I highly doubt that Chinese companies or organizations will support or be involved in any protests against the Beijing Olympics!
And yes, I do plan to protest and demonstrate peacefully, of course. I will argue, however, that what you call the “spirit” of the Olympics, in my opinion, has already been violated by holding the Games in such a nation as China in the first place! These Olympics do not stand for international brotherhood, peace, and mutual understand and cooperation as they should. So, should the protesters express their anger of this violation by the IOC in meaningful ways, I will support them!
Peace.
Do you have any proof for the so-called violence of the Chinese government? Please provide them, otherwise, please shut up.
Tell you, that was a riot, many Han people were killed and burnt. You Korean, we will pray for you, as you also like to pretend that you are full of love, but in fact you are helping the bad man the robs to kill people.
Hi Sue,
Well, there are HEAPS of evidence of violence (not so-called, but very real) committed by the Chinese government in the past and recently. So, no I won’t shut up, and neither will anyone calling for the end to the violence, until it stops. Have you ever heard of Tiananmen Square, 1989?- I’d ask you to watch the video of a human being crushed by a tank before you ask for evidence. And that is JUST ONE documented (on film) and very famous example of this very real violence committed by the PRC against its people. I could list more, but I think you could easily find this evidence yourself if you were truly interested in the truth.
These websites may help you:
http://www.christusrex.org/www1/sdc/hr_facts.html
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/what-human-rights-legacy-beijing-olympics-20080401
http://www.hrw.org/doc?t=asia&c=china
I would advise you to read and inform yourself about human rights violations and violent acts committed by the PRC. No government is perfect, and there are many others out there that, like China, take part in disgusting violence against their peoples, but we cannot stand quiet while people the world over are being robbed of their innate rights and dignity.
Protesting the legitimacy of holding the Olympics in Beijing is not a personal attack on Chinese people. I have nothing against Chinese citizens who are not perpetrating violence against others, but I stand firm against the government that does so.
Also, I am not Korean, but I live in Korea. And I try my best to be full of love and I certainly try my best not to help any bad men rob or kill people, as you say, and I’m sure there are many Koreans who do so as well.
Good luck in finding the truth.
Peace.
Hi Sue,
Firstly, there are absolutely HEAPS of evidence of violence (not so-called, but very real) committed by the Chinese government, both past and present. I’d ask if you have ever heard of the violence in Tiananmen Square in 1989? Or if you’ve ever seen the videos of humans being shot and crushed by tanks? That is of course one very famous, and well documented, large example of violence committed by the Chinese Government. Then of course there are documented cases of torture of Falun Gong practitioners, Uigher seperatists and other minority groups being tortured, imprisoned and oppressed…the list can go on and on and on….There are many, many other examples and very recent ones too- too many to list here in fact. But I’d like to point you to some internet resources that might help you:
http://www.hrw.org/doc?t=asia&c=china
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/what-human-rights-legacy-beijing-olympics-20080401
http://www.christusrex.org/www1/sdc/hr_facts.html
Not only does the Chinese government perpetrate violence within its own borders but it also supports regimes that do the same (Sudan, for example).
If you really are searching for the truth of the matter, it is easy to find.
After offering this, I’d like to add that no, I won’t ever “shut up” (even after you say please =) ) and nor will many others like me until the violence stops.
NO government is perfect or even near perfect, whether European, American, Asian, or African. There are many the world over, like the government of China, that perpetrate violence against their peoples and we cannot stand silent while they continue to rob humans of their dignity and innate rights.
The protest against the legitimacy of holding the Olympics in Beijing is not directed at Chinese people, but against the Chinese government. The current protest is not a singling out of China and a blind complicity to our own nations and the many other nations that commit the same violations either. We must all bring attention to and express our disapproval to ANY and ALL governments that engage in violence and human rights violations!
Finally, I am not Korean, I live in Korea. I am deeply sorry about any deaths in China due to the current protests, whether the victims where Chinese or Tibetan! NO ONE should have to die in a violent manner. I definitely do not pretend to be “full of love”, however hard I try to be and I certainly try my best not to help any bad men kill or rob any people! And, since that seemed directed at Korean people, I think a lot of them try to be full of love as well, and I also doubt that many of them help bad men kill and rob people.
Let’s try for mutual understanding.
Good luck in your search for the truth.
Peace.
We always consider South Korea is a frindly neighbor of China. now, i totally change my thought.
Small group of Dalai lama’s followers cann’t represent the whole Tibetan chinese. if you go to chinese blogs, you can see many tibetan universtity students criticizing the violence fomented by Dalai Clique. Large number of tibetan chinese are scattered over all parts of China. Several tibetan chinese are also burnt to death in this violence.
well, if you don’t want to join this year’s olympics, we will accept.
Latest recording from RFI, Radio France International
(See English Translation word by word below. Maybe the translate is not so good but has to be devoted to its original dialogue.)
If you understand Chinese language,
link here:
如果您懂中文，请链接
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/A9BiOo1uW4o/
或
or the original link: (dialog starts from 6m10s)
http://www.rfi.fr/actucn/articles/100/article_6734.asp
达瓦才仁辩解藏独暴力杀害汉人的采访录音
2008年4月2日，法国国际广播电台(RFI, Radio France International)中文广播播出了记者采访“西藏流亡政府”中国事务负责人达瓦才仁的录音，截取片段如下：
记者：
……就以上一系列问题我们采访了“西藏流亡政府”中国事务负责人达瓦才仁，达瓦才仁先生你好！中国官方多次对达赖喇嘛的非暴力主张提出质问，并且提问说，如果达赖真的主张非暴力，那他为什么没有对“3.14”在西藏发生的藏人屠杀汉人的残暴行为做出谴责？
达瓦才仁：
首先必须要声明的是，藏人从头到尾使用的是非暴力，从藏人的角度来讲，暴力指的是对生命的伤害。（从头到尾藏人）从镜头里可以看打汉人，但都是打而已，打完以后那些汉人都会跑掉，仅仅是殴打，而不是伤害生命。那么那么那些被杀的人全部都是出于意外，从中共的报道里面都可以非常清楚的看到，他们（汉人）都是在藏人砸门的时候，跑到楼上躲起来，躲起来藏人放火烧的时候，他们都没有逃跑，而是藏起来，结果后来就意外的烧死了，而那些点火、放火的人他们根本不知道楼上有汉人躲藏。所以被烧死的人不仅有汉人，也有藏人，所以这些事情都是一种意外，不是屠杀。
For those who don’t understand Chinese:
Apr 2 Radio French International, its Chinese broadcast division phone-interviewed Dawa Tsering, the spokesman of China Affairs Dept. of ‘Tibet Government in exile’ about the riots in Lhasa Mar 14,
Interview: Hello, Mr Dawa Tsering. Chinese officials repeated their doubts on Dalai Lama’s claim for ‘non-violence’, and questioned that, if really like what Dalai Lama said, why there was no condemnation from him on the violent actions of Tibetans’ killing Han in Lhasa on March 14?
Dawa Tsering: First of all, what I must claim is, from start to end, the Tibetans used no violence. From the angle of Tibetans, violence means ‘to hurt one’s life’. (from the beginning to the end) From videos* you may watch Han people were hits/beats, but they were hits/beats only. After the hits/beats, those Hans ran away. It’s beat/hit only, not harming the life. Those, those who were killed, are all accidents. From Communist China’s report, you can clearly find out, they (Hans) all ran upstairs of their houses and hid themselves when Tibetans tamped the doors, and hid. When Tibetans burned their houses, they didn’t escape but hide themselves. The results were burned to death accidentally. While those, who lighted fire, and fired the houses, didn’t know at all that the Hans were hiding upstairs. Therefore, those, who were burned to death, were not only Hans but Tibetans. All of these were accidents, not killing or slaughters.
*Remarks: the videos mentioned above are from CCTV, China Central Television, the riots video links here:
video taken by police and citizens in Lhasa.
1. 14Mar, 18 innocent people (including some Tibetans) were hit by knife or burned to death, over 300 houses were burned, 382 were hit or injured by the Western said protests for peace. Police were attacked.
Fxxk those media and rascals in western countries!
http://english.cri.cn/4026/2008/03/21/1481@336560.htm
(open this link, wait for a while until the video plays)
2. 15Mar, Look at the dead people! The scene is horrible! Do you have humanity.
http://news.qq.com/a/20080409/001275.htm
South Koreans are the most chauvanist and nationalistic among the three East Asian society. For sure, Korean small,medium and large businesses are not partaking in this call for boycott. The revelation of right-wing groups fabrication about Chinese students using certain metal objects, has been proven to be true all along. while the rect violent behavior displayeds by protesters ,in regards to US bef imports, have revealed true Korean nature socirty. As the saying goes : “when in Rome,do as the Romans do.” And that exactly what the chinese did.