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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:
I had been selected to be the 38th torchbearer on the Ho Chi Minh City route starting at 18h30 on April 29th 2008. When the relay started, I was on the bus that carried the torchbearers along the torch route.

Doubtfully, someone from the BOCOG telephoned the ground organizers and ordered them to revoke my role as an Olympic torchbearer. I might stay on the bus but had been robbed of the right to bear the torch. No explanation was provided.

In that evening, Samsung explained to me that the BOCOG has seen a letter I sent to Mr. Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee.

Samsung and the Department of Sports of Ho Chi Minh City remain fully supportive of my right to carry the torch.

This has been reported by the BBC’s section for Vietnam as follows:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/vietnamese/vietnam/story/2008/04/080430_olympics_leminhp...

On 7th April 2008, I sent a letter to Mr. Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee regarding the official maps of the Olympic Torch Relay. These maps depicted the Paracel Islands, the Spratly Islands, and 75% of the South China Sea as part of China, whereas the islands and maritime space concerned are in fact the subject of a territorial dispute among Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. For images of these maps, please refer to Appendix 1.

This correspondence was reported by the BBC’s section for Vietnam as follows:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/vietnamese/vietnam/story/2008/04/080409_le_minh_phieu.shtml

In the letter, I expressed the view that the depiction of disputed territories (among several IOC members) as belonging to one member had politicized and thus spoiled the spirit of the Olympics and the Olympic Charter. I strongly believe that, in drawing attention to a political statement on the official Olympic maps, I was defending the spirit of the Olympics, as I stated in my letter:

“Removing the graphical details showing the Chinese sovereignty over the Paracel islands on all maps posted on the official website of the BOCOG”. Because, “as long as the Plans Routed Map on official website of 2008 Beijing Olympics contain the politicizing elements as stated above, the Olympic Charter will remain breached and all appeals for impolitic in a political situation challenging the Beijing 2008 Olympic as currently exists, will lack conviction”.

On April 28 of 2008, the BOCOG modified the Route Map for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay. The maps are no longer depicting the Paracel Islands, the Spratly Islands and 75% of the South China Sea as part of China. For images of the modified map, please refer to Appendix 2.

By modifying the map, the BOCOG effectively accepted my point that the original maps had been politicized and inconsistent with the spirit of the Olympics and the Olympic Charter.

Therefore, there is no justification in the BOCOG banning me from carrying the torch. The ban itself could be interpreted as another political action that has further tarnished the spirit of the Olympics and the Olympic Charter.

During the controversies surrounding the 2008 Olympic torch relay, China and the OIC repeatedly stated that the Olympics should not be politicized. However, the above events have been showing that China committed the guilt of politicizing the Olympics.

 The original depiction of disputed territories as belonging to China on the official Olympic maps politicized the spirit of the Olympics and violated the Olympic Charter. This was inconsistent with China’s criticisms of the protests during the Torch Relay.

 China and the BOCOG violated the Olympic Charter again in banning a torchbearer who had been acted within the spirit of the Olympic.

I will ask the BOCOG to officially apology me and to take all actions to remedy all damages caused to me and to the spirit of Olympics.

For more information, please contact me:

Until 13th May 2008: (84)

After 14th May 2008: (33)

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Thank you for your time. I am looking forward to hearing from you for further information.

Best regards,

Le Minh Phieu

APPENDIX 1: ORIGINAL MAPS

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q213/leminhphieu/Phuluc1EN.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q213/leminhphieu/Phuluc3EN.jpg

APPENDIX 2: EDITED MAPS

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q213/leminhphieu/Bandoruocduoc-New1.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q213/leminhphieu/Bandoruocduoc-New2.jpg

Source: http://torchrelay.beijing2008.cn/en/journey/map/

APPENDIX 3: REFERENCES

1. Letter to President of the International Olympic Committee

- The version posted on my blog:

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-UHzTMyU9fquQ3KuMrYpCZ8qXtg--?cq=1&p=1831

2. The correspondence reported by the BBC’s section for Vietnam on the letter that I sent to President of OIC:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/vietnamese/vietnam/story/2008/04/080409_le_minh_phieu.shtml

3. Article on foreign journal on the letter that I sent to President of OIC:

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-UHzTMyU9fquQ3KuMrYpCZ8qXtg--?cq=1&p=1885

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/342694/1/.html

4. Information about my letter on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Summer_Olympics_torch_relay

5. The correspondence reported by the BBC’s section for Vietnam about the torchbearer banned from bearing the Olympic Torch in Hochiminh:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/vietnamese/vietnam/story/2008/04/080430_olympics_leminhp...

6. Article reporting the result of torchbearer selection:

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/sports/2008/02/770286/

http://army.qdnd.vn/vietnam.Culture-Sports.cnews.13713.qdnd

7. An interview about my letter:

http://vietwill.org/content/view/211/9/

8. Relevant articles:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/342694/1/.html

http://vietwill.org/content/view/227/9/#comments

http://vietwill.org/content/view/245/9/

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