Olympic protests

Back in 1995 I was for a while with an NGO that worked to encourage diplomatic recognition between the US and Vietnam. When diplomatic recognition came that summer, there were a few protests in Washington by American Veterans and Vietnamese former refugees. One of the group leaders I was with debated whether to shield the Vietnamese government officials from seeing such protests. He soon relented, believing that there was value for them to see the differences of opinion; that is, on the US side the country had moved to support reestablishment of diplomatic relations but some dissenting voices remained – voices that at times even came into the conference room to demand answers from the officials. As we know, it all turned out fine and those protests are a footnote in the history of the last century.

Countries in the international spotlight must become accustomed to receiving criticism and having questions asked from all sides. The critics may be no better than the criticized, but that does not matter. To a certain degree, hearing criticism and answering questions are healthy exercises that inform of possibilities for improvement and allow people to learn more; but criticism and questions may also be a hallmark of special interests. Whether justified or not, this is a part of life in the spotlight. However, the pro-China Olympic protesters seem to be more concerned with forbidding the right to criticize or ask questions. The pro-China protesters’ focus seems to be one of legitimacy, noting the shortcomings of the pro-Tibet protesters and foreign countries where the torch relay was disrupted.

I look forward to moving past this part of the 2008 Olympics but wonder how long both sides will dwell on their emotional reactions to the other. Moreover, there is a competition over which side can produce the most supporters and the best slogans. These protests are certainly more than a footnote now. They may inform the way Chinese businesses and businesses from the rest of the world think about each other for some time.