Joining China’s critics, an Ethiopian business weekly, Capital, described the on-going Olympic games in Beijing as the most controversial in the tradition of ‘international camaraderie’.
Devoting its editorial to the games, Capital argues that the Olympics have never been free of controversy and have several times even been factors of division.
According to the weekly, four worlds are taking part in the games and with many nightmares.
“In the most direct sense,” Capital names the four worlds as “the developed and super wealthy, the developing nations, the emerging economies, and the least developed countries.”
“For all its symbolism and significance as the one occasion when the globe truly partakes of an all-embracing event, promoting the loftiest ideals of civilisation,” the paper goes on, “As for now, our planet is not one world sharing one dream .”
“The 2008 edition in this regard must stand out as one of the most, if not the real controversial Olympics.”
Attacking China on issues ranging from environmental pollution to human rights, the weekly expresses doubt whether the country was the right choice to host this year’s Olympiad — the mother of all sporting events.
Capital casts a shadow on China’s unsuitability to host the event, asserting that consideration of such issues as individual liberty, universal respect for human rights and press freedom “should have been the scale when bestowing such an honour on any country.”
China, by any measure, falls far short of the yardstick, according to the weekly .
“The 2008 Olympics will go down in the history books not as the Games at which many sports records were broken but as the first ‘climate change’ Olympics.
“Despite reservations as a result of these and numerous other shortcomings, the world has not embarrassed China out of respect of its huge importance in the global scheme of things, and as the honourable thing to do by the great peoples of China.”
Observing that the highest number of nations is taking part in Beijing 2008 compared to the past Olympiads, the weekly added: “China must note that it is not due to its policies (its draconian traits), rather the international community came to the games in the fervent collective hope that this global show of support will result in China becoming a more positive member of the international community. “
