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Sweden's minister opposes Beijing bid
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) -- Sweden's sports minister said Monday that she opposed Beijing's bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games because of human rights violations, but she stressed that she was not seeking to isolate the communist country. "What we have seen from Chinese sports arenas, where people have been executed, is in my opinion a strong argument for not giving China the possibility ... to put on the world's biggest event," Sports Minister Ulrika Messing said in an interview with Swedish radio. Beijing is the top contender when the International Olympic Committee votes on July 13 for a host city. Other cities vying for the games are Toronto, Paris, Istanbul, Turkey, and Osaka, Japan. The Chinese capital lost by two votes to Sydney in its bid for the 2000 Olympics. Messing said that the Olympic Games are not just about sports but also politics and money and it would be "naive to say that getting the Olympic Games would not be a signal saying that we think [China is] worth it." Messing, who said she did not want to limit sports exchanges with China, said last week that she would discuss her concerns with Sweden's two IOC delegates. But, she said, Swedish athletes should participate regardless of the venue. "I do not think isolating China is the right way to go, but rather to try to press for a change," she said. "If such a decision has been made, one should be there to try to make the best of the situation and exert pressure." The remarks prompted criticism from one of Sweden's delegates, Arne Ljungqvist, who said it was not Messing's role to try to influence the decision.
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