ATHENS, August 25 – With the historic Acropolis site in Athens as a dramatic backdrop, a group of Tibetans unfurled a huge banner today protesting the holding of the 2008 Olympic Games in China.
The banner shows five bullet holes instead of the Olympic rings with the slogan “China Plays Games With Human Rights”. The banner was unfurled by seven young Tibetans who are in Athens to highlight the ongoing human rights abuses in occupied Tibet. The successful launching of the campaign heralds the start of several actions that will take place in Athens this week leading up to the closing Olympics ceremony on Sunday, where the banner will be handed over to the International Olympics Committee.
The Tibetan rights supporters are asking the audience to turn their backs and not to applaud China’s presentation and the handover of the Olympic flag from Athens to Beijing at Sunday’s closing ceremony. “We have been encouraged by the response from Athenians to our campaign,” said Wangpo Tethong, spokesperson for ITSN. “Our peaceful activities here in Athens will serve to remind the world of the plight of the Tibetan people in their struggle for freedom,” continued Tethong.
