Amid security threat, questions arise about "No-Fun" Olympics
1 day ago
BEIJING (AFP) — Will the Beijing Olympics become known as the "No-Fun Games"?
That
is the question on the lips of many of the city's expatriates and
locals, amid dire warnings from the government of terrorist attacks,
ramped up security checks and a clampdown on nightlife ahead of next
month's Games.
Add tighter visa procedures and inflated hotel
prices that have kept tourists away, as well as restrictions on car
travel, and some are wondering if Beijing will be able to recreate the
party atmosphere of Sydney and Athens.
"A lot of people aren't
satisifed with the Olympics. In 2001, when Beijing got the Games,
everyone was so happy, me included," said one Chinese musician, who
declined to be named.
"But progressively, it has all become so inconvenient for us."
Popular
bars and restaurants deemed too close to some of the Olympic venues,
such as the Workers' Stadium in downtown Beijing, are having to close
down for security reasons.
Those that are still in business have
been told to search people's bags and to avoid 'crowds', according to
one Western bar owner, who declined to be named for fear of further
police attenetion on his venue.
Meanwhile, parts of the city's burgeoning live music scene has been told to keep quiet.
For
example, the Stone Boat, a picturesque bar in the middle of Ritan Park
in central Beijing, has had to cancel its live music until the end of
the Games, as most of its concerts take place outside.
Bar owners
realised they were in for a tougher time when China's largest outdoor
rock festival, the Midi Music Festival, was abruptly cancelled in May
with just a few days' notice.
This came amid a particularly
sensitive time for China after its March crackdown on violence in
Tibet, which erupted after four days of peaceful protests against
Chinese rule, drew international condemnation.
Looming
restrictions on cars, when vehicles with even and odd number plates
will have to run on alternate days, are also worrying some Beijingers
who will have to use an already crowded public transport if they want
to go anywhere.
Weekend trips into the countryside are no longer
possible, they complain, because they can not use their cars for two
consecutive days.
In addition, all people in the city now have to
carry their ID cards or passports with them at all times for random
security checks.
Even Peking University, a popular place for
locals and foreign tourists to wander through, has been placed
out-of-bounds to visitors.
Some, however, say the complaints of 'no fun' at the Games are overstated.
"The
August fun calendar is looking pretty full," said Mike Wester, managing
director of True Run Media, which produces the Beijinger, a guide to
entertainment in Beijing.
"Some fun places have been closed, but
there are plenty of other venues in Beijing. Most Olympic people won't
even notice the difference."
Critics have said China's communist
rulers are desperate to avoid being embarrassed during the Olympics in
the form of protests, whether they be by Tibetan activitists, local
dissidents or foreign human rights critics.
But authorities in
Beijing have warned of an unprecedented terror threat to the Olympics,
particuarly from its Muslim Xinjiang region, and have made no apologies
for putting security of athletes and tourists as their top priority.
"We
have been trying to take measures to ensure safety and security and we
have been trying to balance the need for a major sports celebration,"
said Sun Weide, a spokesman for the Beijing Olympic organisers.
A
weekend commentary in the Communist Party's mouthpiece, the People's
Daily, also derided Western press reports warning of a "cold and
cheerless Olympics" as it warned of the security threat from Xinjiang
anf Tibet.
"The Beijing Olympics is facing a terrorist threat unsurpassed in Olympic history," it said.