Since 1896 the Olympics have unified countries and allowed them to come together to celebrate the achievements of athletes, but with the games held this year in Beijing they have turned into a political mechanism that has disrupted their value to unite.

The New York Times reported, that on March 14, 400 Tibetan monks started a peaceful march demonstration to remember the unsuccessful uprise toward the Chinese government in 1951. The Chinese military stepped in and arrested 50 to 60 of the monks. The arrest of the monks provoked a violent protest involving Tibet civilians who torched shops and cars.

In a recent article, National Public Radio stated that, “The violence comes as the upcoming Beijing Olympics have placed renewed attention on China’s control of Tibet” and “The violence was the latest in a series of protests inside and outside Tibet that have put an unwelcome spotlight on China’s policies in Tibet in the lead-up to this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing.”

Some say that China has been using the Olympic Games as a political image boost toward the rest of the world. In an interview with the Inter Press Service, which is a communication institution that serves in providing global coverage, former representative for the Dalai Lama Pema Gyalpo said, “China is trying to use the Olympics as a political tool to convince the world that Tibet is part of China.

I am against the Olympics as a means to legitimise (sic) Chinese rule over Tibet.” Watching dedicated athletes from around the world compete for a moment to stand in glory as they wear bronze, silver and gold medals across their chests should be an image boost for any country.

The politics of China should be dealt with separately without any influence on the Olympic Games. It would be sad for China, as well as other countries, to use the Olympics as an opportunity to make political statements.

On the official website of the Olympics it states, “The games have always brought people together in peace to respect universal moral principles. The upcoming games will feature athletes from all over the world and help promote the Olympic spirit.” The Olympics shouldn’t be used like a political platform and boycotting the games would only tear away what they were intended to do: to unify countries and bring them together.

Anna Torres can be reached at [email protected]