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Breaking News – Human Rights Torch arrives in Sweden

On the 7th of October 2007, The Global Human Rights Torch from Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, finally arrived at the first stop in Sweden, Malmo, the largest city in the south. The most popular newspaper in the south of Sweden, Sweden South Daily reported with an early morning article, titled: “A Kind of Burning Olympic Flame”.

The report indicates the opening ceremony of the Olympic games will become a propaganda triumph for the communist dictatorship. With regard to the communist party, it is a great opportunity to strengthen its control of the country, and receive approval from the whole world.

The article mentioned: “ There is a need for many voices to rise. This includes the athletes and all those sports lovers around the world, who might become fooled by dictatorship when too enticed by what is before their eyes.

It also mentioned: “ The opening ceremony could become ironic for those human rights believers who think that the Beijing Olympic games could influence China towards democracy.

“China’s human rights crimes are endless, such as the death penalty (nearly as much as 10,000 every year according to Human Rights Watch). This is in addition to torture, brainwashing, labour camp reforming, forced organ harvesting, forced abortion, and support for other dictatorship countries, such as Sudan and Burma with military weapons. As if these are not enough, tighter control are in place before the Olympics. The persecution against human rights lawyers, reporters and Falun Gong practitioners has become more severe, and many people are forcibly removed from their homes.

The calling off of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and support for human rights have become a hot topic at present.

After the bloody crack down on protesters by the Burma military government, the people of Sweden held a demonstration in its own country to protest against the action of the Burma military government. The majority of Swedish people think that China played an important role in the crack down, and it should also condemn the Burma military government; otherwise they would boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

On the 2nd of October, Magnus Manhammar, the columnist of the Sweden Southeast newspaper in an article titled “Resisting China holding the Olympics”, wrote: We, Sweden must make clear to other countries, in this world that all countries should not agree with the inhuman deeds of the China and Burma dictatorships. The best first step is for Sweden to resist the holding of the Olympic games in China. Though this cannot free Burmese from a military government, it can let everyone understand the stance of Sweden on this issue.

An opinion poll by the Swedish nightly newspaper indicates, 80% of Swedish people express if China does not apply pressure to Burma, they will resist China from holding the Olympic games.

The Human Rights Torch will arrive in Gothenburg, the second largest city of Sweden on the 8th of October. There will be people from different political parties there to support.

The above news is brought to you by Li Yu-Han, Chen Xi for Breaking News on SOH Radio Network.