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Press Release: BOCOG banned Le Minh Phieu from bearing the Olympic Torch in Hochiminh City
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Le Minh Phieu, currently a PhD Candidate at the Center for European and International Documentation and Research, Post-graduate School of Law, Bordeaux IV – Montesquieu University, France. I was selected as an Olympic torchbearer for the Ho Chi Minh City leg of the Olympic Torch Relay by Samsung – one of the sponsors of the event.
During the torch relay in Ho Chi Minh City, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (“BOCOG”) skipped me upon my should-be turn to bear the torch. The details of this event are as follows:
By Correspondents around the region
Asia Sentinel 4 May 2008
As the Olympic torch makes its way across Asia it raises fears of Chinese chauvinism
To the surprise and irritation of the Beijing government, China is finding that the Olympic torch relay has been a propaganda failure not just in the west but in much of Asia as well.
A different opinion on Beijing's removal of Paracels from torch route map
By Tony Le 1 May 2008
A scan of Vietnamese blogs and discussion forums reveals that many feel a sense of jubilance in response to Beijing's decision to remove the Paracel Islands from its torch relay map. This is in contrast to my personal opinion as posted on VietWill.org. One such somewhat more positive reaction comes from Duong Danh Huy, one of the administrators of Minhbien.org. Following is an excerpt of Huy's opinion (translated from Vietnamese):
"As it has been discussed here, since the beginning until 28 April 2008, China included the Paracel Islands, Spratly Islands, and 75% of the Eastern Sea in its torch relay map as its own territories (the famous 'cow tongue' boundary); but on 28 April 2008, China had to erase the Paracel Islands and the cow tongue boundary from this map.
This is of great damage for China.
First, China has to step back on its declarations regarding territorial boundaries. Even though it is only a special case, it is still a loss of face for China.
Second, this is an admission by China that it politicised the Olympics.
Third, and most importantly for Vietnam, this is an admission by China (or an admission by the IOC and by China) that Paracel Islands, Spratly Islands, and Eastern Sea are disputed territories. Before this, China has always denied that the Paracel Islands are part of the disputed land and waters."
Huy also points out that Le Minh Phieu, who wrote a letter to the IOC President about China's actions, being not allowed to carry the torch without any explanation at the very last minute when it was supposed to be his turn to carry the torch, is a newsworthy event and reflects China's further politicisation of the Olympics.
Huy recommends that Phieu's story should be publicized in international news media along with China's revision of the torch relay map. This will help Vietnam's cause and also prevent China from returning the map to its former version.
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To Whom It May Concern: