As the legendary Olympic Torch Relay began in Greece on Monday, 50 Tibetan exiles began a relay of their own. Opposed to China’s right to host the 2008 Olympic Games, the group will carry their torch through several continents and end the event in the Tibetan capitol of Lhasa on Aug. 8 while the world focuses its attention on the Opening Ceremonies in Beijing.

But the dissatisfied exiles are not the only people actively opposing the up-andcoming Eastern superpower.

Human rights violations have caused athletes to reconsider their participation in China’s Olympic games – a gutsy and heroic move.

The Chinese government’s refusal to recognize Tibet as a free state and its frequent repression of political dissidents, religious leaders and journalists have fueled legitimate concerns from many athletes who understand that the 2008 Olympics will not only serve as a historic athletic competition, but as propaganda for a country looking to present to the world with a more improved version of itself.

While the Olympic Games aim to foster peaceful competition and human dignity, this cannot successfully happen
if China doesn’t play by the rules.

When China won the right to host the 2008 Olympic Games, the Chinese government promised a reformed human rights record. But since that time, more than 1 million people have been displaced from their homes to make way for Olympic construction, and the ban against the homeless has intensified, according to the China Human Rights Watch.

The appropriate response from democratic nations and their athletes should be that of disapproval, even if the disapproval requires drastic measures like withdrawing from the summer games.

Athletes have a history of using the Olympics as a platform to voice political and social concerns. In 1980 about 60 nations, led by the United States, boldly boycotted the summer games in Moscow in protest of Communism. And although this action didn’t directly lead to the fall of the U.S.S.R, it was one of many forces that voiced an imperative need for change.

We support Olympic athletes who would sacrifice their chance at glory to demonstrate their disapproval of the Chinese government’s mistreatment of its people, athletes who recognize this issue is greater cause than any person achievement they could attain.

For a country wanting so desperately to acquire power on the World stage, the boycotting of the Olympic Games is just the sort of pressure China needs.