The IOC can’t be trusted, even by its own members
Columnist
By Spiro Zavos, 2 Aug 2008 Spiro Zavos is a Roar Expert
There is no doubt that Kevan Gosper is right to accuse the International Olympic Committee of betrayal for striking a secret deal with China to censor the international media during the Beijing Games.
But as a member of the IOC for 31 years and someone with aspirations to the presidency of the IOC (he even tried to learn French to help his cause), Gosper should have known that his promises as chairman of the IOC Press Commission that there would be no censorship was naive at best and stupid at worst.
No journalist in China can get access to Amnesty or Falun Gong sites, nor sometimes to the BBC and ABC blog sites (and probably The Roar too).
If anyone, either in the IOC or in the media corps, thought that anything other than this would happen, then they just do not understand how a communist command-style dictatorship works.
We should all re-read George Orwell’s 1984 to understand what is going on.
So, what is to be done?
Nothing for this Olympics. China is determined that the story of Tibet or Falun Gong and other stories won’t be allowed to be written.
But when the decision for the 2016 Olympics comes up. let’s hope that delusions of grandeur don’t swamp the integrity from the Games.
Knowing the history of the IOC, I wouldn’t hold my breathe on this.
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Ian Noble said | August 2nd 2008 @ 1:23am | Report comment
Spiro
I wonder what went on behind closed doors. when China were awarded the 2008 games. Their sphere of influence both economically and politically seems to be more below the radar and probably why they have been able to hoodwink the members of the IOC who voted in their favour.
The games are only days away and pollution in Beijing is as bad as ever, algae like the day of the triffids is swamping the sailing centre, freedom of the media is restricted and athletes have been warned about political protests. The Beijing authorities are now insisting that the population of Beijing dress properly to present to the world the best image, shades of 1984!
I just hope that all these issues don’t distract the athletes from their performances, after all the efforts they have put in to reach the Games they deserve better.
cosmos forever said | August 2nd 2008 @ 7:59am | Report comment
Ian – I think you are being generous in asserting that the IOC might have been hoodwinked (those tricky chinese…).
I assume the IOC, whilst happily taking the enormous payments that host cities pay, smiled quietly to BOCOG and said “Yes, yes – as long as this cheque clears we will not pressure you on anything.”
Obsession with markets and revenue from an IOC point of view overtook the decision making process a long time ago.
Anyone who expects any different, including a suddenly unknowing Gospar (yeah right) is kidding themselves.
Having said that, bring on the competition and let’s see some sport (now I sound like an IOC delegate)!
Greg Russell said | August 4th 2008 @ 1:41pm | Report comment
Re Spiro’s comment that: “No journalist in China can get access to Amnesty or Falun Gong sites, nor sometimes to the BBC and ABC blog sites (and probably The Roar too).”
Is anyone from The Roar going to be in China for the Olympics? It would be interesting to know if The Roar is freely accessible over there.
And if it is freely accessible, it would be interesting to include increasingly risqué Olympics reportage on The Roar in order to see just how far one needs to go, and in what directions, before there is censorship.
Millster said | August 4th 2008 @ 2:27pm | Report comment
I leave on Friday for Beijing and know that there will be problems.
For information, one of the reasons I’m going is that my fiance’s cousin is in the cycling team. On a previous training camp in China, that cousin found that the popular “blogspot” engine which many athletes use to keep family and fans up to date was blocked in terms of access and posting new material. The expectation is that this type of block will remain over the period of the Olympic Games, much to the chargin of many athletes and their entourages / families.
On an unrelated issue, popular photography websites are also warning that the BOCOG are taking a particularly stern line on the use of Digital SLR cameras and lenses at games venues, and banning all such equipment – even if not large, and even if used strictly for amateur/private purposes. This extends beyond the usual ban at sporting venues – usually only on tripods and long telephoto zooms – to include all the ‘normal’ equipment that an SLR enthusiast may want to use. The only photographic equipment allowed to the public is pocket-sized point-and-shoot compacts.
cosmos forever said | August 4th 2008 @ 5:46pm | Report comment
Speaking of cycling Millster I just read an article about a ‘red eyed and dejected Kevin Gospar’ who has basically announced to the world that he was duped as well.
Who was named in the story as being more senior that Gospar and the only person who could have pulled off the media firewall treachery – none other than the former head of the UCI:
“It is believed that the deal that allows China to continue to block websites that highlight the Communist Party’s human rights abuses and to spy on emails was agreed to by Hein Verbruggen, who is Mr Gosper’s Dutch boss on the IOC co-ordination commission, and by IOC French director-general Gilbert Felli.” (foxsports.com.au)
This is the same bloke who has crippled cycling by ignoring doping for most of his long tenure (according to WADA and other people) and by trying to take on traditional owners of races like the tour just to impose UCI will.
We have more to worry about from blokes like him than we ever do from China!
These organisations are such a joke.
roger said | August 21st 2008 @ 12:05am | Report comment
I am living and working in beijing at the moment and have no trouble accessing the Roar site.
As for Gosper, wasn’t he the one who put his daughter into the Flame thing ahead of someone else?