"Europe’s kowtow before China” – Participation of EU Council President

The Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) has sharply criticised the participation of the French President and President of the Council of the European Union, Nicolas Sarkozy, at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. "Sarkozy turns out to be a paper tiger, when after his full-mouthed statements in April 2008, he now practises kowtowing before the Chinese leaders in Peking”, said the GfbV Asia expert on Friday. The President of the European Union has missed a chance for Europe of showing unmistakeable criticism of the catastrophic human rights situation in China. It is neither customary nor necessary that EU Council Presidents take part in the opening of Olympic Games.

France likes to celebrate being the cradle of human rights. "However with Sarkozy’s journey the French government is making it clear that its economic interests mean more than human rights”, said Delius. Paris is at present anxious to secure contracts on the construction of atomic power stations in China by French companies. Several thousand GfbV supporters have in the past three weeks sent "red cards” to the French President out of protest against Sarkozy’s broken word. The human rights activists wanted to make it clear that Sarkozy does not represent the whole of Europe in Peking.

After the bloody crushing of the disturbances in Tibet in the spring of 2008 and the public protests at the time of the Olympic torch-run in Paris France’s President expressed in April doubts about travelling to the Games. He said then that his decision would depend on whether a dialogue was started between China’s government and the Tibetans. But he was not bothered by the fact that talks between envoys of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government remained a farce, since China’s negotiators showed no preparedness for compromise and merely kept bringing up new allegations against the Dalai Lama. Sarkozy then gave way in the light of the anti-French protests in the People’s Republic, which were at least tolerated by the authorities, if not even encouraged, and announced at the beginning of July that he would be taking part in the opening ceremony.

The fact that Sarkozy in spite of internet censure and new arrests in China declared that China has earned "a Gold Medal for the preparation of the Games” puts the finishing touches to his kowtowing before China, criticised Delius. Out of consideration for the Chinese leaders he also cancelled his meeting with the Dalai Lama, which was planned for next week in France. "It is scandalous that President Sarkozy does not stand by this cancellation, but allows a false statement to be made from the Elysée Palace that the Dalai Lama had withdrawn his wish for a talk.”