Olympic Flame War
April 26th, 2008
Sachi and I are watching Japanese TV and a live picture of the Olympic torch run through Nagano. While there are some pro-Chinese groups, there is a very large pro-Tibet contingent in the crowd. People are throwing stuff at the torch bearers (the security includes runners with clear plastic panels to deflect projectiles), and at least a few people have tried to rush the runner. Unlike in European cases, the Japanese police are pretty good at riot control, and are successfully keeping the more active protesters from stopping the run. Japan Probe showed a preview of what the security would look like, and it was pretty accurate.
So much for world peace and coming together for a good cause. Well…in a sick way, most of the world is united…sadly for the wrong cause. Personally, I feel everyone is using the flame as a scapegoat and that harming innocent people (the runners) are just making the situation even worse…but maybe thats me.
Protecting a runner through all these cities is enourmous work, and I think the protection detail, and the assults against it, are much more interesting than the runner itself. It’s a bit like an olympic event, w/ security vs antagonist. What to do? Perhaps they will phase out this event. Or perhaps they will do it away from crowds. Or perhaps they will have security details that keep people an adequate distance from the runner.
To hear that a Taiwanese national was arrested in Nagano was very sad and at the same time a moment of awareness. When strong beliefs and step up action collide there is (will be) inevitable friction. Let’s hope for a watchable Olympics in the middle kingdom…however I have so many doubts…
Actually, I think it’s the right cause- the Tibetans got screwed- but the protestors are doing it the wrong way. Harming the flame, which should be a symbol of everyone coming together, isn’t going to make anyone feel warm and fuzzy towards Tibet.
I do think it’s kind of ironic that China is blaming the Dalai Lama for the recent movement. The reality is that the protests turning violent in Tibet is partly due to the Chinese overreaction and violence, but it’s also partly because the Dalai Lama exerts LESS influence than he used to.
A lot of Tibetans are frustrated with his emphasis on peaceful resolution and compromise with China. He would not have people throwing things at the Olympic flame, but the younger generation is tired of waiting and they want to give Beijing a big black eye.