By Zhou Bajun (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-04-25 07:27

International Olympic Committee (IOC) Chairman Jacques Rogge said in Beijing on April 10 that freedom of speech is a basic human right and athletes can express their opinions anytime and anywhere during the Olympic Games as long as they abide by the Olympic Charter, which forbids athletes and referees from making public speeches or holding protests over political, religious and racial issues at such places as competition venues and the Olympic Village.

"We have 205 national and regional Olympic committees, many of which are in conflict with one another", Rogge added. "We do not want these issues raised at the Olympic Games."

His heartfelt words reflected the apolitical nature of the Olympic movement and were spoken at a time when the sacred flame of the 29th Olympiad was being attacked by "Tibet independence" supporters during its relay in Europe.

Many commentaries cited the fact that politics and even armed conflicts had been dragged into the Olympic Games in the past in order to argue that politicizing the Games was unavoidable. True, as long as there are confrontations between classes, differences between races or clans, conflicts between ethnic groups and nations and rivalries between ideologies among the human race, sports will not be free from political interference.

For example, the selection of the host nation for each Olympic Games has always involved political arm-twisting by competing candidates. However, that is exactly why the non-politicization of the Olympic Games must be emphasized. The characteristics of the sports as well as the events of the Olympic Games clearly determine its nature as an international sports meet and of the IOC as an international sports governing body.

We human beings distinguish ourselves from the rest of the animal world not only by our natural characteristics but also by our common social characteristics that, with concerted efforts, can achieve universal understanding among races despite differences in skin color, language, religious belief, nationality (or region) and ideology.

The common social characteristics of human beings have reflected themselves in the most fundamental common pursuits since we became aware of different classes, races and nationalities and built up different religions, ideologies and states. Sports not only showcase the common natural characteristics of human beings and their continued progress but also serve as a stage or platform for our common social characteristics to prove we can put aside differences, confrontations or conflicts between classes, races, ethnicities, nations, religions and ideologies.

The Fundamental Principles of Olympism, spelt out in the Olympic Charter, sum up the common social characteristics of the human race, which, in a nutshell, is the pursuit of peace, friendship, progress and brilliance.

The IOC and most of the Olympic Games so far have strived to promote and exemplify this common aspiration of the human race. Since the Olympic torch relay was introduced, the sacred flame has always been lit at the ancient site of the original Olympic Games in Olympia, Greece. As Rogge noted in his speech at the Olympic flame-lighting ceremony for the 29th Olympiad at the site on March 24, the ancient Olympic Games were presented right here time after time. Olympia has been and will always be the place to urge people forward. This is also the place where the sacred ceasefire for the Olympic Spirit was initiated. People then would spread the message of the ceasefire and join the Olympic Games from there to the rest of Greece. Today, thousands of torchbearers relay the message to "stop the war and join the Games" from one continent to the next, hoping that every corner of the world will hear and understand this message.

Rogge said he sincerely hopes that everyone will understand the symbolism of the sacred flame, that people will create harmony wherever the Olympic torch passes through and the ideal it represents will resonate along the way. The Olympic Games and the torch relay must proceed in peace. The Olympic torch connects all athletes and peoples all over the world. It connects all of us who believe in the Olympic Spirit and sportsmanship. The Olympic torch will unite people with its kindred spirit and enhance harmony.

Our torchbearers, old or young, able-bodied or disabled and professional athletes or otherwise, wholeheartedly wish the world will become a better place and will do their best to build the world into a better place. Everywhere the Olympic torch relay lets people feel from the bottom of their hearts the aspirations and the philosophy it represents and the power it radiates.

At a time of brazen desecration of the Olympic Spirit when the sacred torch relay of the 29th Olympiad was attacked and disrupted time and again, we feel more keenly than ever the preciousness of what the sacred flame embodies, as IOC Chairman Rogge reminded us in his recent speech.

The slogan of the upcoming 29th Olympiad in Beijing is "One World, One Dream". The word "dream" accurately captures the Chinese people's desire to realize the common aspiration of the whole human race, which is so beautiful yet, unfortunately, so far away. The common human pursuit of peace, friendship, progress and brilliance has been growing stronger despite various man-made obstacles. Are we to give up our hopes and our pursuit today and watch a small number of ill-advised people resurrect the ghost of Cold War in the 21st century?

The author is a senior analyst with the China Everbright Group

(China Daily 04/25/2008 page8)