PASADENA, Calif. ─ China's Olympic-themed float entry in the 2008 Tournament of Roses Parade is at the center of intense controversy.
Local human rights activists are alarmed at the decision to allow the float to take part in the parade, saying that China broke its promise to the International Olympic Committee to improve its human rights record. Activists say the Chinese regime is being unjustly rewarded with recognition on an international scale by being allowed to include its float in the prestigious New Year's Parade.
Groups protesting the float's presence in the parade include Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders, the Visual Artists Guild, the Los Angeles Friends of Tibet, Caltech Falun Gong Club, and Jews Against Genocide. Following on the heels of the initial outcry that started during the summer, the Pasadena Human Relations Commission recently released a highly anticipated report with recommendations to the Pasadena City Council on the issue.
According to the report, the Commission believes that the city of Pasadena is in a unique position to contribute to the improvement of human rights.
The City Council has scheduled a special meeting for Oct. 29 at 7:00 p.m. to discuss the Commission's recommendations.
Discussion of Issues on KPCC Radio Show "Air Talk" on Oct. 9
Larry Mantle, the host of the radio show "Air Talk" interviewed the Mayor of Pasadena, Bill Bogaard, along with Tsetsen Phanucharas of Los Angeles Friends of Tibet, and Shizhong Chen of the Conscience Foundation.
Included below are some of the questions posed by Mantle and the answers by his guests.
Larry Mantle: "Can you not celebrate the international competition of the Olympics as an event itself and not be celebrating the actions of the Chinese government?"
The 2008 Olympics is the first to be awarded to a host country based on a promise.
Shizhong Chen: "Supposedly, the Olympics should be that way; however, we must notice that this is the only Olympics that has been awarded to a host, based on that host's promise to improve human rights. That promise was made in 2001, since then the human rights condition in China not only has not improved, but has deteriorated to the point of systematically harvesting vital organs from live victims, in the process killing them. And not only in China but also in other parts of the world, the Chinese regime has helped regimes like Sudan and Burma, making human rights conditions worse in those areas. How can we not hold that regime to its promise when that regime uses the Olympics for its political gains.
"Yesterday [Oct. 8], in front of the Tournament of Roses [headquarters], there were a dozen [human rights] groups including Burmese and Darfur groups. A mother of a local resident in Pasadena is a Falun Gong practitioner in China, and she was taken away simply because Beijing was trying to clean up the city in preparation for the Olympics. They arrested her and sentenced her to 2 ½ years in a labor camp. So it [the Olympics] sounds like a celebration but for a lot of people it is a tragedy.
Money or Human Rights?—Part I
Money or Human Rights?–Part II
Mayor Bill Bogaard's Comments on the Commission's Recommendations
Larry Mantle: "Should the Council come out strongly in opposition of China's human rights record?"
Mayor Bogaard: "Larry, with all the debate that has gone on in recent weeks, one area about which there is no controversy and that is the importance of human rights. For me, for the council, for this community, we stand for a strong commitment to human rights. I think the question is how best to pursue that particular goal from the vantage point of Pasadena, a great city on the West coast, 145,000 people, and that is what we have to work on in the weeks ahead."
Mayor Bogaard said that he and the council received the completed report from the Human Relations Commission on October 4 and that he would confer with the city manager on the agenda timing for bringing it on to the council's agenda. "We want to take full advantage of the Human Relations Commission recommendation which is thoughtful and comprehensive and I think it deserves a careful reading," said Bogaard.
Bogaard Discusses Recommendations of Human Relations Report
Bogaard added, "The principle suggestion is that a special committee be formed to engage in a dialogue, a committee that represents different viewpoints on the questions being raised about the propriety of a float in the parade and to explore the extent that we have information about tragic events in China with respect to human rights. The question on that will be timing and the likelihood for success. It's also suggested that we speak out in the form of a resolution in support of human rights and to convey that resolution to authorities in Beijing."
Larry Mantle: "Tsetsen, what would you like to see the City of Pasadena do?
Tsetsen Phanucharas: "I am really happy to hear Mayor Bogaard say that he is very much for human rights and he is concerned about the issues. With that being the case I would very much like to see the city come out with a declaration supporting human rights and to follow the recommendations of the Human Relations Commission. As far as the Tournament of Roses [Association], if at all possible I would very much like to see them remove the float as a gesture for caring for human rights along with other considerations."
"People always say why don't we separate sports from politics. But human rights is not politics in the usual sense. It is something that we all have to have in order to survive as human beings. In Pasadena, the Dalai Lama has appeared many times as you may know to give his teachings. But in Tibet a person may not own a picture of Dalai Lama without going to prison."
"You get this picture of a great, wonderful country of China that is coming onto the world stage, [but] there is a far darker side that is being glossed over and that is why I oppose the float."
Shizhong Chen offers other options and makes final comments
Chen said, "We have [offered] several options to be considered [if the Beijing float is allowed in the parade]; one is allowing a representative of human rights and freedom to be the parade marshal such as the Dalai Lama or Mr. Wei Jingsheng [US-based human rights activist]; two, allow a marching band; three, allow a human rights torch to lead the Rose Parade."
At the end of the show with only seconds remaining, Chen said that "Mayor Bogaard sent letters two times to Beijing to request that Beijing enter a float and that Beijing's entry is in fact city sponsored rather than one initiated by local residents as originally mentioned by the Mayor." There was no time left in the program for the Mayor to respond.
The full interview can be heard online.
Photo Gallery of Protest Events on Oct. 8, 14, 16 and 25
 John Li (L), President of the Caltech Falun Gong Club, being interviewed at the Oct. 8 protest in front of the Wrigley Mansion, the headquarters of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association. (The Epoch Times)
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 Human rights advocates at the Oct. 8 protest. (The Epoch Times)
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 Human rights activists - Oct. 8. (The Epoch Times)
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 Candle Light Vigil in front of Pasadena City Hall on Oct. 14. (Dan Sanchez/The Epoch Times)
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 Members of the Falun Gong group participate in the Oct. 14 candle light vigil in front of Pasadena City Hall. (Dan Sanchez/The Epoch Times)
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 Yaning Liu, behind "Help Save My Mom" sign, at the Oct. 14 candle light vigil. Liu spoke to the Human Relations Commission about her mother's arrest by the Communist party because she had Falun Gong books in her home. (Dan Sanchez/The Epoch Times)
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 Human rights advocates in front of the Wrigley Mansion at the Oct. 16 announcement of the Rose Parade Queen. (Linshan Wang/The Epoch Times)
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 John Li reads prepared statement at press conference and protest in front of the Tournament of Roses headquarters on Oct. 25. (The Epoch Times)
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 Human rights advocates demonstrating in front of the Tournament of Roses headquarters on Oct. 25. (The Epoch Times)
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 Human rights advocates holding banner that reads, "Stop the Beijing Propaganda Float of Shame," Oct. 25 in front of the Tournament house. (The Epoch Times)
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