Harper Won’t Attend Olympic Ceremonies
Posted April 4, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says it’s too early to talk about a possible boycott of the 2008 Olympic ceremonies in Beijing.
Speaking to reporters at the NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania on Thursday, the prime minister said Canada will send a high-level delegation to the event, but he doesn’t plan on attending.
China’s violent crackdown on riots in Tibet have prompted human rights groups to call for a boycott of the Games and earlier this week Amnesty International accused China of human rights abuses.
Harper says China’s growing wealth and influence in world affairs means its handling of human rights will come under increasing scrutiny.
He says he strongly urges China’s leadership to take the international concern seriously because criticism is likely to grow if there is more violence.
This week there were signs that tension is easing in Tibet as the Chinese government announced it would reopen the region to tourism by May.
On Thursday, Chinese state television showed images of some Chinese travellers returning to the capital of Tibet, Lhasa, the scene of some of the bloodiest clashes.
