When the modern Olympics began in 1896, its image was supposed to be one of international unity. Today, with Beijing having been elected to host the summer 2008 Olympics, the world is becoming aware of China’s extreme suppression of human rights.

The vote to award the games to Beijing was definitely not unanimous: it was about 56 to 49. The International Olympic Committee was convinced that this would help China by making it a more open society. That is what happened when the 1988 summer games which was awarded to Seoul, South Korea, then a dictatorship. Under pressure from the committee, the South Korean military stepped down and held democratic elections. By the time the Seoul Olympics were held in 1988, South Korea was a democracy, and it has remained so ever since.

Since the announcement that Beijing would host in 2000, China has become aware that the world is watching its every move. And just as any party host would do, the country has begun to tidy up. The government is spending billions of dollars on new infrastructure, even building a new airport terminal to accommodate all the foreigners expected to arrive this summer. The new terminal will be connected to a rail line and the Beijing subway.

Despite China’s makeover, the government cannot hide the fact that it has some serious problems. In the process of Olympic construction, China has displaced 1.5 million people; more than 400,000 of these people have had their homes demolished and have nowhere to go.

2008 Olympics-goers will see skyscrapers, spacious streets, modern stadiums and enthusiastic people. What they won’t see is the rural poverty, water shortages, the suppression of civil liberties, corruption and the atrocious conditions of Chinese schools and universities. Certainly the Chinese government could have spent the $40 billion to help its own people rather than on one summer of the Olympic Games.

Last month, the whole world was able to see China’s continual human rights abuses. The violent police attacks on Tibetan protesters showed a lack of religious tolerance and impedance of individual freedoms. It is what the Dalai Lama calls a “cultural genocide.”

And it doesn’t stop there. The upcoming Olympics are increasingly associated with the genocide in Darfur. It’s very simple: The Sudanese government buys its weapons from China with the money it makes from selling China its oil. China, meanwhile, protects Sudan from excessive attention in the United Nations Security Council. It is because of these ties that Steven Spielberg has stepped down as an adviser for the Olympics.

Canada, France, Germany and other countries are considering boycotting the opening ceremonies for the 2008 Olympics. I support their commitment to human rights, and I think the United States should seriously consider doing the same. Boycotting the opening ceremonies is not the same as boycotting the Olympics in its entirety, because the ceremonies are merely a chance for China to boast its success. The Chinese government’s actions are detrimental to a religious minority, and it contributes directly to the genocide in Darfur.

[Reach reporter Natalie Sikavi at opinion@thedaily.washington.edu.]