EU commissioner raises threat of Olympics boycott -- report
But Japan says it might be inappropriate
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 22:35:00 03/29/2008
Filed Under: Unrest, Conflicts & War
BERLIN, Germany – European Union External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner raised the threat of a boycott of the Beijing Olympics Games over Tibet in an interview with a German weekly to appear Sunday.
But in Tokyo, Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Saturday voiced concern about using the Beijing Olympics to protest against China's suppression of recent unrest in Tibet, local media reported.
"We have to consider if we should make a vociferous criticism and if it's appropriate to link (the Tibet issue) to the Olympics right now," Fukuda told Jiji Press and other Japanese media.
Japan, which has been repairing uneasy relations with China, has expressed concern about Tibet but said it would not support a boycott at the Games in the Chinese capital in August.
The unrest came ahead of a planned visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao to Japan possibly in May to hold a summit with Fukuda, known for his Asian-friendly diplomacy.
China is trying to put down the biggest protests in nearly two decades against its rule of Tibet.
Ferrero-Waldner called on European companies that operate in China to demand respect for human rights and for peaceful demonstrations worldwide on the issue in the interview with Bild am Sonntag.
"There are five months left before the opening ceremony," she said. "We should watch exactly how Beijing behaves during the coming weeks before deciding on boycott measures."
She added: "Companies that are active in China should particularly demand respect for human rights. We cannot stop business from one day to the next. But in a situation such as the one in Tibet, companies have a responsibility."
The commissioner said the Chinese government should negotiate with representatives of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama "with the aim of ending the discrimination of the Tibetan people".
EU foreign ministers meeting in Slovenia were split on the idea of boycotting the Olympics opening ceremony over Tibet, but keen for China to open talks with the Dalai Lama.
On Saturday, the Dalai Lama appealed to the world community to "please help" resolve the crisis in his homeland that has been rocked by deadly anti-Chinese protests.
The protests began in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, on March 10 and erupted into widespread riots in the city four days later. They later spread to neighboring Chinese provinces with a heavy Tibetan presence.
China says rioters killed 18 innocent civilians and two police officers. But exiled Tibetan leaders have put the death toll from a Chinese crackdown at about 140 Tibetans and say another 1,000 people have been injured.
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