STORM2K

This is just unacceptable.

Americans traveling to China for the Olympic Games in August can expect their hotel rooms there to be monitored, the State Department warned on its website.

"All visitors should be aware that they have no reasonable expectation of privacy in public or private locations," according to the State Department site.

"All hotel rooms and offices are considered to be subject to on-site or remote technical monitoring at all times. Hotel rooms, residences and offices may be accessed at any time without the occupant's consent or knowledge," it said.

It added that many hotels and apartment buildings may be poorly built, lack emergency exits, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide monitors and basic security like locks, alarms, and personnel.

It also said that the threat of terrorism appeared to be minimal, but urged caution nonetheless.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id ... _article=1

Hello...its China.

Oh, dear. I'm to serve as a volunteer of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

It added that many hotels and apartment buildings may be poorly built, lack emergency exits, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide monitors and basic security like locks, alarms, and personnel.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you had ever been in Beijing, you'd realize that all that the quote says is nothing but A LIE.

I have ever been to one of the hotels offering acommodations for the athletes, which is the China Grand Hotel. I swear that it is the best hotel I have ever seen in my life (Well, I admit that I'm only 19 years old and have never been abroad)

As for the monitoring system, it is very common in China, as there are monitors in the parks, schools and even streets, let alone the hotels. But the purpose to install these monitors is not to monitor what the athletes do and restrict their freedom or take closer look to their privacy. It is actually a part of the security-keeping methods. Chinese decision-makers think it necessary to install those monitors, even though it seems to be ridiculous for you.

Wyq614, I wouldn't be too worried. There's always rumors and speculation before every Olympics. In 2004, I remember rumors that Athens wouldn't be able to finish construction of some buildings in time for the Games.

Well, sometimes I do feel furious towards some threats that somebody may want to boycott the Beijing Olympic Games or such things...

wyq614 wrote:Well, sometimes I do feel furious towards some threats that somebody may want to boycott the Beijing Olympic Games or such things...

I think it would take something major (i.e of the magnitude of an invasion of Taiwan) before anyone boycotted the Olympics.

PARIS - French President Nicolas Sarkozy says he cannot rule out the possibility that France might boycott the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

Sarkozy says he "cannot rule out any possibility" in deciding how to respond to the unrest in Tibet. He says he is waiting to see how the situation evolves there before taking a course of action.

Sarkozy spoke Tuesday during a visit with a military regiment in southwest France. His office says Sarkozy was referring specifically to the idea of a boycott of the Aug. 8 opening ceremony.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/03/ ... 10845.html

PARIS - Organizers canceled the final leg of the Olympic run through Paris after chaotic protests Monday, snuffing out the torch and putting it aboard a bus in a humiliating concession to protesters decrying China's human rights record.

Worried officials extinguished the torch and placed it on the bus five times throughout the day as protesters tried to grab the torch and block the relay. At least two activists got almost an arm's length away before they were seized by police.

Another protester threw water at the torch but failed to put it out before being taken away.

The 17.4-mile route started at the Eiffel Tower, headed down the Champs-Elysees toward City Hall, then crossed the Seine before ending at the Charlety track and field stadium.

The chaos started at the Eiffel Tower moments after the relay began. Green Party activist Sylvain Garel lunged for the first torchbearer, former hurdler Stephane Diagana, and shouted "Freedom for the Chinese!" before security officials pulled him back.

The torch moved on but was soon put out by security officers and placed aboard the bus after a crowd of activists waving Tibetan flags confronted the torchbearer on a road along the Seine.

The torch went back on the bus less than an hour later after the procession was halted by activists who booed and chanted "Tibet!"

"We respect that right for people to demonstrate peacefully, but equally there is a right for the torch to pass peacefully and the runners to enjoy taking part in the relay," International Olympic Committee spokeswoman Giselle Davies told The Associated Press.

Security officials appeared to interrupt the procession for the third time simply because they had spotted demonstrators ahead. Protesters threw plastic bottles, cups and pieces of bread at the bus, and at a male athlete in a wheelchair.

"Nothing is happening as planned. It's unfortunate," Diagana told France 2 television.

The torch went back inside the bus a fourth time shortly after a protester approached it with a fire extinguisher near the Louvre. Officers grabbed the demonstrator before he could start to spray. Police said later that at least 28 people had been taken into custody.

The flame was whisked into a bus for the last time outside the National Assembly, where protesters gathered and a banner on the building read: "Respect for Human Rights in China."

Other demonstrators scaled the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame cathedral and hung banners depicting the Olympic rings as handcuffs.

"The flame shouldn't have come to Paris," said protester Carmen de Santiago, who had "free" painted on one cheek and "Tibet" on the other.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080407/ap_ ... mpic_torch

EXCLUSIVE 4/7/08 11:22:13 ET: HILLARY CALLS ON BUSH TO BOYCOTT OLYMPICS OPENING...

Yeah. Lets boycott the opening ceremony and take away the most memorable moment for an Olympian. Don't bring politics into the Olympics. It won't solve anything and only punishes the athletes who worked so hard to get there.

RL3AO wrote: Don't bring politics into the Olympics.

I guess it depends if you see this as "politics" or not. The boycotting of the Soviet Olympics was international gamemanship and politics. This is different.

lurker_from_nc wrote:

RL3AO wrote: Don't bring politics into the Olympics.

I guess it depends if you see this as "politics" or not. The boycotting of the Soviet Olympics was international gamemanship and politics. This is different.

FWIW, boycotting the Opening ceremonies and boycotting the actual games are two completely different things. To boycott the opening ceremony will send a major message to the Chinese Government that we don't support their actions without punishing the athletes. I don't agree with a total U.S. boycott like in the Soviet Olympics(and no one is publicly calling for that), at least not right now. I love the Olympics and I want these to go well, but China is probably one of the last places they should be held.

Brent wrote:

lurker_from_nc wrote:

RL3AO wrote: Don't bring politics into the Olympics.

I guess it depends if you see this as "politics" or not. The boycotting of the Soviet Olympics was international gamemanship and politics. This is different.

FWIW, boycotting the Opening ceremonies and boycotting the actual games are two completely different things. To boycott the opening ceremony will send a major message to the Chinese Government that we don't support their actions without punishing the athletes. I don't agree with a total U.S. boycott like in the Soviet Olympics(and no one is publicly calling for that), at least not right now. I love the Olympics and I want these to go well, but China is probably one of the last places they should be held.

I know, that boycotting the Opening ceremonies and the actual games are two differently things. But what I am trying to say is that what went on in France and probably, SF, have nothing to do with politics. I am not supporting a full boycott of the actual games. But if a country wishes to not attend the opening ceremonies due to public outcry (in their respective countries) of China's policies in Tibet, it is their decision.

lurker_from_nc wrote:

Brent wrote:

lurker_from_nc wrote:
I guess it depends if you see this as "politics" or not. The boycotting of the Soviet Olympics was international gamemanship and politics. This is different.

FWIW, boycotting the Opening ceremonies and boycotting the actual games are two completely different things. To boycott the opening ceremony will send a major message to the Chinese Government that we don't support their actions without punishing the athletes. I don't agree with a total U.S. boycott like in the Soviet Olympics(and no one is publicly calling for that), at least not right now. I love the Olympics and I want these to go well, but China is probably one of the last places they should be held.

I know, that boycotting the Opening ceremonies and the actual games are two differently things. But what I am trying to say is that what went on in France and probably, SF, have nothing to do with politics. I am not supporting a full boycott of the actual games. But if a country wishes to not attend the opening ceremonies due to public outcry (in their respective countries) of China's policies in Tibet, it is their decision.

Yeah, that part of my response was actually directed at RL. We agree here.

Brent wrote:Yeah, that part of my response was actually directed at RL. We agree here.

Thats what I was talking about. That guy who is in the 100m who has little chance of winning has two moments. His 10 seconds in the dash and the opening ceremony where he gets to walk into the stadium behind his or her countries flag and stand among 10,000 Olympians. That should not be taken away from someone who trained for years to make it to the Olympics.

RL3AO wrote:

Brent wrote:Yeah, that part of my response was actually directed at RL. We agree here.

Thats what I was talking about. That guy who is in the 100m who has little chance of winning has two moments. His 10 seconds in the dash and the opening ceremony where he gets to walk into the stadium behind his or her countries flag and stand among 10,000 Olympians. That should not be taken away from someone who trained for years to make it to the Olympics.

The decision about the "team" boycotting the opening ceremony probably should be made with the consent of team. If a leader of country boycotts the opening ceremony, because of Tibet, I have no problem with it. I won't be surprised to hear of individual athletes boycotting the opening ceremony.

lurker_from_nc wrote:

RL3AO wrote:

Brent wrote:Yeah, that part of my response was actually directed at RL. We agree here.

Thats what I was talking about. That guy who is in the 100m who has little chance of winning has two moments. His 10 seconds in the dash and the opening ceremony where he gets to walk into the stadium behind his or her countries flag and stand among 10,000 Olympians. That should not be taken away from someone who trained for years to make it to the Olympics.

The decision about the "team" boycotting the opening ceremony probably should be made with the consent of team. If a leader of country boycotts the opening ceremony, because of Tibet, I have no problem with it. I won't be surprised to hear of individual athletes boycotting the opening ceremony.

If they athletes decide to boycott then fine, but if the Senate or USOC decides to, then that is another thing.

Oh, my god. I just can't understand why is China's Olympic bid so difficult. I look down upon those who boycott the Olympics just because of some fake news of Tibet, where the police was actually waiting for being beaten to death by the crazy monks instead of suppress them with a massacre (in fact, several policemen have really been killed). I don't know what is wrong. What mistake has our government committed? Is it wrong to defend our country from the intention of independence that even most Tibetans themselves don't support?

Oh, additionally, shine your eyes and distinguish the true stories from the fake ones. If you're interested, you can log on to http://www.anti-cnn.com to have a look.

lol Anti-CNN. American Liars (as this site claims).

Only CNN is not the only FREE PRESS covering the Tibet situation. Fox News, MSNBC is covering it as well as the BBC and Sky News. Also the French press. So I guess all of the free press is lying then.

sunny wrote:lol Anti-CNN. American Liars (as this site claims).

Only CNN is not the only FREE PRESS covering the Tibet situation. Fox News, MSNBC is covering it as well as the BBC and Sky News. Also the French press. So I guess all of the free press is lying then.

Not mention bloggers and free-lance journalists and photographers both inside and outside of Tibet

. . . CNN isn't the only place we get our news . .

All I'm going to say is that I have no idea what is going on in Tibet, and I don't believe either the western media, or the Chinese media, they both have agendas, so the truth is probably somewhere in the middle of what is being said.