Will the torch be turned off in Vietnam?

[HIV]

Here is the letter from a Vietnamese who will hand the torch in Vietnam

Lettre to the President of OIC (Olympic International Committee)
Le Minh Phieu

A Beijing 2008 Olympic torch-bearer

Ph.D Candidate at Center for European and International Documentation and Research

Post-graduate School of Law - Bordeaux IV - Montesquieu University

Avenue Léon Duguit, 33600 Pessac, France

Bordeaux, 7 April 2008

International Olympic Committee

Château de Vidy

1007 Lausanne

Switzerland

Attn : Count Jacques Rogge

President

Subject: Request to De-politicise the Beijing2008 Olympics

Dear Mr. President,

First of all, I am proud and delighted to inform you that I will be one of sixty Vietnamese nationals carrying the 2008 Beijing Olympic torch through Ho Chi Minh City on the coming 29th April 2008.

It is my great honour to have been chosen as a bearer of the Olympic torch - the symbol of olympism, of peace and of solidarity of all people in the world - which will be relayed in Vietnam for the first time. However, after studying closely the Planned Route Map for the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relay published on the official website of the BOCOG, I find that the torch that I will bear is not the torch of pure olympism, but it is a torch of an olympism politicized by the the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (“BOCOG”).

[HIV]

During the course of its historical developments, Vietnam has established its sovereignty over the Paracel islands. When Vietnam was divided into two parts by the 17th parallel according to the 1954 Geneva Agreements, this group of islands, located in the south of the 17th parallel, belonged to South Vietnam under the sovereignty of the Republic of Vietnam. After the country was united in 1975, according to the principles of succession of states under international law, the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietam obtained full sovereignty over the Paracel islands.

However, in 1974, China with their military forces invaded the Paracel islands. All the military forces of the Republic of Vietnam defending this group of islands were massacred by the Chinese army. Since then, the State of the Republic of Vietnam and subsequently the Socialist Republic of Vietnam have persistently demanded China to return the Paracel islands to Vietnam.

Nevertheless, China not only failed to return the Paracel islands to Vietnam but also demonstrated continual challenges of the Vietnamese sovereignty over these islands. China has constructed an airport on the Paracel islands, opened tourist routes to these islands and recently established the Sansha District to administer these islands. China is taking more and more steps to show their claim of sovereignty over the Paracel islands, the Vietnamese territory which they have invaded since 1974.

Even in hosting the 2008 Olympic and Paralymic games, China has not missed the opportunity to politicize the Olympic and Paralymic Games. Via the official website of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China deceives the world that they have sovereignty over the Paracel islands, an area which China illegitimately took from Vietnam in 1974. I will prove this to you through the following:

1. The Planned Route Map for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay (Appendix 1 to this letter) and the Planned Route Map for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Torch Relay (Appendix 2 to this letter) intentionally depict the Paracel islands as a part of the Chinese territory. In the maps, all provinces, municipalities and regions of China were shown from the top to bottom by ascending shades from dark to bright. The Paracel islands (intentionally enlarged in an inset) are shown in similar colouring style while other areas not under Chinese sovereignty are not shown in such manner.

The world has thousands of islands and they are normally indicated by dots on maps of this scale. Some islands are not shown even by such dots on these two maps. It is therefore impossible to find a nonpolitical reason to justify why the Paracel islands alone are depicted to a larger scale and enlarged in an inset in such manner.

[HIV]

In the Planned Route Map for the Beijing 2008 Olympics - Detailed Itineray on the Chinese territory (Appendix 3 to this letter), the Paracel islands are also the only items which were curiously enlarged. The Paracel islands are therefore always depicted to a larger scale and enlarged in an inset. The inset, if clicked upon, is even further enlarged, showing the map of the Paracel islands with a caption « South China Sea Islands ».

If the BOCOG does not wish to politicise the Olympic Games, does not wish to take advantage of the official website of the BOCOG to tell the world that China has sovereignty over the Paracel islands, why would the map of the Olympic torch relay contain the above mentioned features?

According to Rule 51 entitled «Advertising, Demonstrations, Propaganda » of the Olympic Charter effective from 07 July 2007 (available at http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_1... ),‘no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas”.

During one of your speeches on radio France 24, you referred to the above rule and stated that any athlete using the Beijing Olympics as a political forum would be punished.

In a press conference with the British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett on 18 May 2007, the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs also criticised the politicisation of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Thus, the politicisation of the Olympics was not only recognised in the Olympic Charter but also quoted by you, the head of the International Olympic Committee and the Chinese Foreign Minister.

But, the BOCOG can not be exempted from the duty to de-politicise the Olympics. The use of their website to politicise and disseminate their political agenda as explained above is inconsistent with the atheletic spirit of the Olympics, goes against the statements made by you and the Chinese Foreign Minister on the media and, particularly, a breach of the Olympic Charter.

Pursuant to Rule 2 of the Olympic Charter (Mission and Role of the International Olympic Committee) and Rule 36.3 (the composition of the Executive Body of the Olympic Organising Committee), the International Olympic Committee headed by you must be partly responsible for the above act of politicisation.

[HIV]

Therefore, I am writing to request that you take actions to procure that the above politicisation be ceased, by requesting the 2008 Beijing Olympic Organising Committee to take specific steps including, but not limited to:

- Removing the graphical details showing the Chinese sovereignty over the Paracel islands on all maps posted on the official website of the BOCOG.

In my goodwill, I believe that such action, if carried out, will clearly evidence the real depolitical attitude of the International Olympic Committee, the BOCOG and the Chinese Government. On the other hand, as long as the Plans Routed Map on official website of 2008 Beijing Olympic contain the politicising elements as stated above, the Olympic Charter will remain breached and all appeals for depoliticisation in a political situation challenging the Beijing 2008 Olmpic as currently exists, will lack conviction.

For transparency, I would like to inform you that this letter will be copied and distributed to the media in the world and released to the public. May I draw your attention to the fact that not only me, but also the media and the public will be waiting for your response and action. I also confirm that the content of this letter shows only my personal views and does not represent the views of any other individual, agency, organisation or government of any nation.

While I await your reply and action, may I convey to you my best wishes.

Yours sincerely,

Le Minh Phieu

Appe

[HIV]

Don't know why I lost first 2 posts
Above is the letter from a Vietnamese torch bearer to IOC

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-UHzTMyU9fquQ3K...

[MajorMalfunction]

Ohh I get you...You are a another CIA stooge...

[Zsari]

HIV wrote:

During the course of its historical developments, Vietnam has established its sovereignty over the Paracel islands.

Since when? Through what? You can't not establish sovereignty over uninhabited island just by saying it.

How Vietnam handles the torch will be a test of its government's ability, and we should expect it to go smoothly.

[HIV]

MajorMalfunction wrote:

Ohh I get you...You are a another CIA stooge...

Do you know where do CIA hire people and how I apply for it. Please tell me if you know something
I am ready to join if they hire me
Hehehehehe

[MajorMalfunction]

HIV wrote:

<quoted text>
Do you know where do CIA hire people and how I apply for it. Please tell me if you know something
I am ready to join if they hire me
Hehehehehe

I know the CIA accepts virtually anybody with a grudge against a communist country but you do have to show that you have a bit of intelligence and be able to show intiative but by the way you follow propaganda you could easily be turned by a clever operative, so no dice on that score.

[HIV]

MajorMalfunction wrote:

<quoted text>
I know the CIA accepts virtually anybody with a grudge against a communist country but you do have to show that you have a bit of intelligence and be able to show intiative but by the way you follow propaganda you could easily be turned by a clever operative, so no dice on that score.

Forget about it, according to you I am already a CIA hehehehe
Here is the link I found about Vietnamese protest China over Paracels and Spratly

http://youtube.com/watch...

[LOL]

MajorMalfunction wrote:

<quoted text>
I know the CIA accepts virtually anybody with a grudge against a communist country but you do have to show that you have a bit of intelligence and be able to show intiative but by the way you follow propaganda you could easily be turned by a clever operative, so no dice on that score.

Nah, HIV is just a very primitive disease.

[HIV]

LOL wrote:

<quoted text>
Nah, HIV is just a very primitive disease.

You are wrong HIV is not a disease. HIV is a very dangerous virus that can kill you. be careful! LOL

[Andrez Lopez]

If they turn off one, they have another flame in reserve. It will not matter.

[MajorMalfunction]

HIV wrote:

<quoted text>
You are wrong HIV is not a disease. HIV is a very dangerous virus that can kill you. be careful! LOL

Yes and should be eradicated from this planet.

[LDuong]

Zsari wrote:

<quoted text>
Since when? Through what? You can't not establish sovereignty over uninhabited island just by saying it.
How Vietnam handles the torch will be a test of its government's ability, and we should expect it to go smoothly.

.
I would strongly suggest that you read the White Paper published by the Republic of Vietnam in 1974.
http://paracelspratlyislands.blogspot.com/200... .

Freedom belongs to people, not the government.

[Zsari]

I'm aware of the Vietnam's claim and their side of the argument. That does not make the islands Vietnam sovereign territory however as it is still under dispute. China also has its long list of supporting arguments.

[Kabeer]

LOL belongs to third rate janitorial intelligence agency called ISI.

What is official name of PAKISTAN?
Janitorial Muslim Republic of Pakistan, Stooge of China.

[LDuong]

it's not still under dispute. In 1974 China took over the island from Vietnam after killing several Vietnamese island keepers.

Beijing's position on Spartly islands is always "non-negotiable".

Here is an excerpt from China's South Sea.
Claims: Fact or Fiction? By Andrew Forbes.

“In July, 1977, when Teng Hsiao-ping first emerged as China's leader following the death of Mao Tse-tung, the Chinese foreign minister, Huang Hua, reconfirmed that China's claim to the South China Sea was "non-negotiable" in the strongest terms. At the same time he commented:

The territory of China reaches as far south as the James Shoals, near Malaysia's Borneo territory... I remember that while I was still a schoolboy, I read about those islands in the geography books. At that time, I never heard anyone say those islands were not China's... The Vietnamese claim that the islands belong to them. Let them talk that way. They have repeatedly asked us to negotiate with them on the issue; we have always declined to do so... As to the ownership of the islands, there are historical documents that can be verified. There is no need for negotiations since they originally belonged to China”

http://www.cpamedia.com/politics/china_soulth...

[Zsari]

Let me remind you that Vietnam has militarily occupied most of the Sprately islands. And is their position negotiable?

[Zsari]

On June 15, 1956, Premier Pham Van DDong reportedly said to China :"From the historical point of view, these islands are Chinese territory" (Beijing Review March 30, 1979, p.20 -- Also in Far East Economic Review Marcg 16, 1979, p. 11).

In 9/1958, when China, in its declaration extending the breadth of Chinese territorial waters to 12 nautical miles, specified that the decision applied to all Chinese territories, including the Paracels and the Spratlies, Hanoi again went on record to recognize China'sovereignty over the 2 archipelagoes. PVD stated in a note to Chinese leader Zhou Enlai on 14/9/1958 :"The Government of the Democratic Republic of VN recognizes and supports the declaration of the Government of the People's Republic of China on its decision concerning China territorial sea made on 4/9/1958 (see Beijing Review 19/6/1958, p.21 -- Beijing Review 25/8/1979, p.25 -- The existence of such a statement anf its contents were acknowledged in VN in BBC/FE, no. 6189, 9/8/1979, p. 1).