Raybon Kan on Olympic gag

Most of Raybon Kan’s columns are humourous, not angry. But he is justifiably very worked up about the ban on political speech for NZ athletes at the Beijing Olympics.  Extracts:

Our minister of sport, Clayton Cosgrove, endorses the Olympic Committee’s gag order, saying that while he supports freedom of speech (whatever, wait for the but, everything is a lie before the but) the Olympic Committee is independent (so what, be a man, say what you think) and, the minister says, the athlete gag order is designed “to ensure that athletes are not treated as political pawns so they can concentrate on their sport”.

Christ. Not treated as political pawns.

So they can concentrate on their sport.

How patronising to athletes. And how dishonest about the Olympics.

How thick does he think athletes are? They can’t train and have thoughts as well about what’s right and wrong in the world? And if an athlete does have a thought, it’s not his or her own opinion, they’re just pawns?

And then he really puts the heat on:

Some will say politics and sport shouldn’t mix. Be polite to your host, they say. These same people will not discuss religion, human rights, Tibet or Darfur. Don’t mention the war. These same people probably wouldn’t mention apartheid either. By that logic, these people would visit the house of a murderer, sip tea and think it impolite to mention the corpses half-buried under the deck. Why don’t we all just enjoy the opening ceremony instead.

These people are gutless. These are the sort of people history will shame. Silence itself is a statement. Turning a blind eye makes you an accomplice. Pretending you can’t speak about something because the Olympic Committee is “independent” is a cop-out.

When Yahoo dobs in journalists for imprisonment, at least they’re doing it for money. What does our minister of sport get? His seat for the gymnastics better be good, that’s all I can say.

And finally his solution:

Remove that gag order. Let athletes have the freedom of speech. Even better, send them over with spray cans. Get them to tag the Great Wall of China.

Okay so it is 95% angry and 5% his normal humour.  But he makes a powerful point.