Gross human rights abuses in China must stop if the Olympic ideals are to be upheld at next year's Olympics in Beijing, said supporters of the Human Rights Torch Relay in Sydney.
Dr Sev Ozdowski, Australia's Human Rights Commissioner from 2000 to 2005, said there was genocide occurring in China today plus "enormous levels of torture", religious persecution and prosecution of journalists and human rights activists.
The Human Rights Torch Relay is a 12 month run around the world, calling for and end of all human rights abuses in China before it hosts the Olympic Games.
"For centuries, the Olympic spirit has been linked to human rights, to civility and to peace," said Dr Ozdowski to crowds at the relay launch outside Sydney's Town Hall.
"In ancient Greece, a truce was announced before and during each Olympic festival. During the truce wars were suspended, the carrying of death penalties were forbidden and the safety of visitors visiting the Olympics was guaranteed.
"We demand that China honours the ancient traditions of declaring and enforcing the truth in the Olympic year".
Spectators lined the streets from Town Hall to Circular Quay for the event and, again, across Sydney's spectacular harbour in the northern beaches suburb of Manly.
Participants included Greens Senator Kerry Nettle, and State MP Ian Cohen, State Liberal MP Michael Baird and Manly Mayor Peter MacDonald.
Groups from countries directly affected by the Chinese Communist Party's geopolitical influence also participated, including the Burmese, Vietnamese and Darfur communities.
Olympic swimmer Jan Becker, who was present as Australia's Torch Ambassador, said that as an Olympian, she understood the sacrifices and commitment that Olympians make, but human life could not be forsaken.
"The sanctity of life and respect for human dignity overrides any sporting event – including the Olympics," Ms Becker said.
Former rugby union player and Wallaby, Barry McDonald, said he had stepped down rather than represent Australia against apartheid South Africa in 1970 and he was stepping up for human rights in China for similar reasons.
Mr McDonald, who ran a leg of the relay at Sydney's Opera House, said the massacre of thousands of student protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989 showed the world what the Chinese regime was prepared to do "and nothing's changed since then. If anything, it has gotten worse," Mr McDonald said. "It's gone underground."
Greens Senator Kerry Nettle said the Olympic Games were an international event and hosting the Games came with a responsibility to uphold Olympic principles.
"If you want to be on the world stage, you need to lift your game," she said of China.
Dr Ozdowski, a member of the group that initiated the Torch concept – the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) – said the aim of the relay was to stop the oppression and persecution of people for their beliefs, particularly practitioners of Falun Gong, whose persecution "has all the hallmarks of genocide", but also Tibetans, Uyghers, journalists, human rights activists and lawyers.
He made special mention of courageous Chinese lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who disappeared after a letter he wrote to the US Congress about human rights concerns in China was made public.
"We demand: 'Let him go!'" Dr Ozdowski told the audience.
The Chinese Communist Party, which is understood to view the 2008 Olympics as its massive "coming out party", is attempting to deflect increasing international concern about its human rights record by accusing critics of playing politics, Reuters reported earlier this month.
"We believe that any political issue that has nothing to do with the Olympics should not be linked to the Beijing Games," said Liu Jingmin, executive vice-president of the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games.
However, NSW Liberal MP Michael Baird said the Human Rights Torch was "part of a global process to fight for human rights".
Mr Baird, State Liberal MP and also the son of Federal Liberal MP Bruce Baird, said he had been made aware of China's human rights violations through his father's involvement in the Sydney 2000 Olympic bid.
"Beijing asked him to go across and talk to them, so he had the opportunity to talk to six of the top leaders of the Chinese [regime]," Mr Baird said. "And he said, the first thing you should do is you should throw open your jails and free those that are oppressed for no rhyme or reason. The reason you didn't win in 2000 was because of human rights."
Manly Mayor Peter MacDonald said he had read the Canadian reports on the killing of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners in China to service a profitable organ trade. "I don't think there is any doubt that there are some terrible things happening in China, some shocking things," he said.
Mr MacDonald said the Manly Council was not afraid to speak out about injustices and he hoped other councils would follow suit.
"I would like to see lots of councils throughout New South Wales and Australia join us and speak out," he said. "The organisers of today need to invite other mayors and I will be happy that they use this example to be repeated together."
The international campaign was launched in Athens in August this year and is expected to take in over 100 cities and 5 continents in its year-long journey to affect real change for Chinese people before the 2008 Olympics.
In Australia, Human Rights Torch Relays will be held in major capital cities and regional centres throughout November and December before the Torch departs for New Zealand and moves on to Africa.
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