Special report:
2008 Olympic
Games
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Torchbearer Jin Jing (in wheelchair), a
Chinese wheelchair athlete, protects the torch from a protestor as she
runs along the Seine River in the Beijing Olympic torch relay in Paris,
April 7, 2008. (Source: chinadaily.com.cn) |
BEIJING, April 11 -- Some French media seemed
quite excited about what happened during the Olympic torch relay in Paris a few
days ago. Le Figaro ran a headline story titled "The torch's fiasco in Paris",
while the top story in La Libération reads as "Give China a slap in the face",
describing the "fiasco" in a kind of schaden-freude. Hysterical excitement can
be seen in their descriptions.
We Chinese people just want to ask: Are these French
newspapers remaining the papers once known for being serious and objective? Is
this still the country called France that advocates civic virtues and respects
other peoples?
It is true that the 2008 summer Olympics will be held
in Beijing and China's 1.3 billion people are the host. But the torch relay
around our globe is the business and glory of the world, not only China's. All
Chinese people, and perhaps those in other countries who cherish the Olympic
spirit of peace and unity, just cannot accept what had happened in Paris.
Naturally when the flame reached Paris, the government of Paris and France is
expected to protect it.
The Paris Municipal Council and the French Olympic
Committee are the organizers of the Paris relay. While seeing such an important
sports event organized by Paris Municipal Council and the French Olympic
Committee, met a series of troubles and turned out to be a "fiasco", how could
the French major newspapers take this as a national pride, other than a shame?
Some French media players claimed Paris is a free
city and everyone has the right to assembly and demonstrate without government
intervention. However, the actions by some extremists to attack the
torchbearers, grab the torch and even try to extinguish the flame can no longer
be called legal or non-violent protests. Chinese people are seriously disturbed
and hurt by the chaotic scene in which an extremist tried to grab the torch from
a weak disabled Chinese girl, named Jin Jing, in her arm wheels. Is this the
civil French government’s behavior? A slap on China's face, or a slap on
France's face?
Liberty consists of the freedom to do everything
which injures no one else, as is stated clearly in the France's Declaration of
the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
We Chinese translate France into "fa guo", which
literally means a country that honors the rule of law. The translation itself
shows Chinese respect for that country. However, from the joy of headline
stories, the editors, reporters and lawmakers who are educated by the French
civilization suddenly lost ability to tell right from wrong, and chose adamantly
to side with the law-breakers and the criminals.
Without doubt, the French should have known that
conducting the torch relay means to spread the lofty Olympic spirit. During the
process of the relay, many overseas Chinese living in France are welcoming,
protecting and shouting support for the torch. That is also their sacred right
and showed their opinion and voices on this issue.
However, some French media did an astonishing
censoring job, ignoring the Chinese voices. Apparently, the editors and
reporters have lost their clearness, as they just saw the 'right' of the Tibetan
extremists to make trouble and attack the Olympic torch, and totally forgot
about the right of the others to spread the Olympic spirit.
Sir Pierre De Couberti, founder of the modern
Olympics, is sure to get furious if he knows what his compatriots have done.
As an ancient country, France has made great
contributions to the world. In fact, the Chinese people respect France a lot.
France is usually the first that strikes Chinese people's minds when talking
about European countries. However, if French media players think they are
privileged and have the right to point their dirty fingers at China, they are
making a big mistake. Pride and prejudice have obscured their judgment and cast
a shadow on this ancient civilization.
(Source: chinadaily.com.cn)
