China saya efforts to boycott Beijing Games would fail

April 11, 2007 (BEIJING) — China said Wednesday efforts by human rights activists to label the 2008 Beijing Games the “Genocide Olympics” and convince nations to boycott the event due to its close ties with Sudan would fail.

“I heard that some people are saying it will be a genocide Olympic Games, I think this is ridiculous,” Assistant Foreign Minister Zhai Jun, fresh from a trip to Sudan’s violence-wracked western Darfur region, told journalists.

“I do not think because of the Darfur issue, because of the good relationship between China and Sudan, China’s reputation will be undermined.”

Zhai just returned from a three-day trip in which he urged Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir to be more “flexible” in implementing a plan to accept UN peacekeepers for the troubled Darfur region.

The visit came after US actress and UNICEF goodwill ambassador Mia Farrow said last month in a newspaper commentary that next year’s Games would become known as the “Genocide Olympics” due to China’s support for Sudan’s government.

French centrist presidential candidate Francois Bayrou has also called for a boycott of the Games over accusations that China’s support for Khartoum was aiding efforts by Sudanese government-backed forces to carry out genocide in Darfur.

“(A boycott) violates the Olympic spirit, the Olympic Games should not be politicised,” Zhai said.

“Those claims will go nowhere and next year we will have a successful Olympic Games.”

Zhai insisted the situation in Sudan was improving.

“It’s far too early to talk about (UN) Security Council sanctions on Sudan. Judging on the current developements, my impression is that it can be resolved politically,” Zhai said.

“People are saying the humanitarian situation in Darfur is deteriorating, but now the situation there has improved.”

(AFP)