IIPM EDITORIAL: Truth is darker than fiction

The Chinese Olympics may end up showcasing exactly the opposite of what China has intended
August 8, 2008. At 8:08 p.m. the Chinese, who love their lucky number 8, will have registered their place in history and the whole world is now watching Chinese Olympics with bated breath. But this landmark event has attracted some unwanted attention too.

The Chinese view the Olympics as the ultimate opportunity to

showcase their progress and prosperity to the world. Human rights have been placed on the altar time and again en route to this prosperity; ironically, even in organising the event that showcases it; whether it is relocating factories or putting vehicles of the roads, or, even more recently, refusing permission to people for flying their pigeons near airport areas! Unfortunately, with all the precautions it is taking, China’s human rights record seems to be haunting it all the way to the opening ceremony of the event.

On August 3, just four days before the opening ceremony, sixteen policemen were killed and another 16 were injured in a terrorist attack. Not that the Chinese government was unprepared. Had they not anticipated protests and fracas of high magnitude, Chinese government would have never given a diktat to make the Olympic protests official. That was in itself a strategic move to contain any sort of unrest. As per the Chinese law, one needs to apply to the local public security bureau five days prior to the scheduled protest, must personally appear and provide the officials with a detailed account about their topic and slogans to be used in the protests and also divulge about the total strength of the demonstrators. And two, the protesting zones were so far from venues that the protestors have to arrange for their own coverage in order to get noticed. In addition, it was stated that any demonstration which the government thinks could be pernicious to the ‘national unity and social stability,’ would not be approved. But the terrorist attack has changed the whole scene.

The government’s inability to prevent a security breach is not a good sign. Besides, the Chinese government had never anticipated such a high intensity attack. A few days ago, when three suspects from the same banned group were arrested while attempting to carry dangerous liquid in a Southern Airlines flight, they had revealed of plans to cause unrest during the Olympics.

Security analysts feel that local grievances could have also prompted people to take such serious measures. Nevertheless, the attacks have cast a dark shadow on the games. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice critically commented, “China should showcase not just the Olympics but an attitude of openness and tolerance... security threats have to be dealt, but it should not become a cover to deal with dissent.” In this environment, the Beijing Olympics may end up showcasing what the Chinese hadn’t contemplated in their wildest dreams.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative