Wot the...? I went to the links (despite having just read that there is that there is no internet access to such sites from here)to read about blood flowing in the streets and innocent Tibetans being brutally gunned down and felt like I was living in a parallel universe.

The footage of the peaceful demonstration and ensuing events was shown here. There was, and is, no military presence. There was as much police presence initially as attends peaceful demonstrations I have taken part in in Australia.

The mob which initiated the violence clearly was no part of the demonstration. They erupted suddenly and, as all mobs do, engaged in indiscriminate violence directed towards anyone within their reach. Shops were burned, shopkeepers, lunchtime crowds (including an 8 month old baby) were burned to death, thrown out of windows, beaten. It took time for the police to muster reinforcements during which time the mob terrorized Tibetans, Chinese, Western businesspeople, tourists, backpackers, holidaymakers, and citizens and millions of dollars of damage was caused.

Over 220 police were injured in the confrontation, but all concerned agree they did their job well.

As I noted on another thread, on English-speaking tv here Western residents, backpackers and business people on the scene have been interviewed extensively and all agree the police did their job well. Tibetans and Chinese bystanders and those hospitalised have been interviewed. All agree also that the mob seemed to be organised and was entirely separate from the peaceful protesters.

How does Bartlett et al propose the situation should have been handled? The cops, as cops do everywhere, stepped in to protect the citizens - of all nationalities - who were being terrorised, killed and injured.

In this particular situation China's culpability is in not allowing foreign media in from the start.

We should go to the Olympics any talk of boycotts is just foolish and childish. Andrew brought up the Olympic games held in Berlin in 1936. Well he should remember that a fellow by the name of Jesse Owens spoiling white supremacy ideas.

Scandalous the unbalanced concept speech branding Coca Cola's sponsorship commitment to Sustaining the Environment at the Ancient Olympic during the spiritual and holy flame ritual in Athens yesterday. Since when have the goals to protect the environment ignored the importunate spirit of minority peoples.

“Justice” is the first principal of the 1992 RIO Summit Goals, and the 2005 World Summit Sustainable Environmental Millennium Goals.

Notably these principals were first drawn at Rio in the 1992, at the very moment Chinas Tinnerman Square bloody massacre occurred. A email-message leaked out from China, at the same time of the 1992 UN Declaration was being signed, leaving the entire WORLD Totally Stunned...

“Justice” underwrites Sustainable Ecological Economic and "Environmental" Development and was endorsed by the 2005 World Summit Millennium Goals because "Justice" is a Ecological and Environmental issue, be it through Human Rights, or the World Millennium Goals.

"Justice" is seen as the underlying key when we refer to protecting the entire environment, which includes the "quality of all life" living within the environment.

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080324005457&newsLang=en

"The Coca-Cola Company announced that its worldwide presentation of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay will focus on environmental sustainability and the roles people can play in improving the quality of life in their communities."

This is an entirely fallacious, statement if TRUST and the intentions of the Olympic objectives in their full meaning of purpose is conveniently ignored by the Olympic Committee and throughout nations of the world.

I call for the Sponsors and Athletes of the Olympics to demand a FULL INVESTIGATION into what happened in Tibet. Show some concern for those who DIED and those who are presently being held by the authorities by China and her associated counter-parts.

Until we put some “legitimate” might back into what makes a "champion" I believe no Country in the world will be able to parade itself as a "sporting nation".

Even more serious is the "spin" we will be giving to our children over the "meaning of Climate Change".

We need unity yes, but not at the cost of showing our true courage and reliance.
http://www.miacat.com/
.

There is no need to boycott the Olympics. They could, even at this late stage, be relocated to a number of venues around the world. This was suggested in a letter to the Australian some time back - and the suggestion was met with a deafening silence.
It's not an easy solution and would require effort and cooperation but it could be done.
I think the reaction (or lack of reaction) to the letter speaks volumes about our fear of China - and the danger of having a Prime Minister who thinks he understands the Chinese so well that he can persuade them to behave differently towards Australia. In reality it makes our relationship with China much more difficult.
Let's not boycott the Olympics, let's spread them about this time and, in future, send them back to Greece permanently. It would end a great many problems now plaguing the Olympic movement and cost a lot less.

I am heartily fed up with the China bashing. I congratulate the Chinese on their economic prosperity. Wake up the West. China is doing a lot better than you are. Is this the reason for the sudden spate of accusations of human rights violations? Take a look at Western intervention into the Middle-East and elsewhere. China comes nowhere near surpassing the West's record of human rights violations. Let's keep the politics out of sport. Spectators of the games are not interested in the posturing of ill- informed athletes and quasi-intellectual grandstanding.

KOLLONTAI said: "Is this the reason for the sudden spate of accusations of human rights violations? Take a look at Western intervention into the Middle-East and elsewhere. China comes nowhere near surpassing the West's record of human rights violations."

Countries that are involved in Iraq are criticised heavily and daily for it. So too should the Chinese government be criticised for its Gulags ('Laogai'), and its contemptible treatment of Chinese people who practise Falun Gong meditation.

"I am heartily fed up with the China bashing."

Criticism of the brutal CCP regime isn't 'China bashing', any more than critising Bush and his friends about Iraq is 'U.S.A. bashing'.

You can read about the Chinese Communist Party's Laogai camps here: http://www.laogai.org/hdbook/hb_intro.htm

You can read about the Chinese Communist Party's unnecessary and brutal crackdown on peaceful people who do Falun Gong here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Falun_Gong