Open letter to the participants of the OG2008 distributed to about 30,000 MPs all over the world. Send this letter to the Olympic athletes of your country and ask them to make a small contribution to the sake of human rights.
China is to be celebrated – and blamed An appeal to the world’s politicians, athletes and spectators at the Olympics in Beijing 2008, to use orange as a symbol of critical dialogue with China. On August 8, China opens up for the Olympic Games in a fantastic setting. Countries from all over the world will send their athletes, political representatives and spectators to China, to create yet another global contest between the best athletes in the world. Many will be wearing something orange. We’ll encourage all participants of the Olympics 2008, who support a critical dialogue with China, to signal this by wearing something orange. It could be an orange hat, tie, camera-bag, pen, paper, dress, suit, bag, etc. Even peeling an orange would, under right circumstances, be a powerful statement. It is illegal to express political opinions at the Olympics. But even China cannot ban the color Orange. The athletes, journalists and spectators can not openly say why they are wearing something orange. They will have to evasively say that they just like the color. On the other hand, the official representatives of countries participating in the opening ceremony can openly admit that they are wearing the color orange to signal a critique of the human rights in China. Together with the Chinese people we will celebrate that China has developed in such a degree, that they are able to bring the world together for the Olympics in Beijing 2008. We express this recognition, but emphasize that we are still critical. We are still worried and will, also in the future, keep an eye on the violations of the human rights in China. Orange has become a symbol of this duality. Wearing something orange will signal both the recognition of China’s progress and a criticism of China’s massive human rights violations. We agree with the Dalai Lama, Amnesty International and many other human rights groups that you should not boycott China, but participate in a critical dialogue. Orange has become the symbol of this dialogue and critique. Jens Galschiot and the Chinese democracy movement, who initiated the campaign TheColorOrange.net, have succeeded in changing the meaning of the color orange. It has become a symbol of the criticism and recognition of China and the idea gained a foothold among people who want to celebrate the Olympics in China but at the same time make a statement about human rights. Thousands of cities across the world will be marked by orange strips of cloth, hanging on sculptures, lamp-posts, etc, when the Olympics kicks off on 8th August 2008 in Beijing. They will be put there by locals, supporting the orange manifestation, emphasizing that not only participants of the Olympics are worried about the human rights situation in China. We encourage everyone to buy a piece of orange cloth, cut it into pieces, and decorate your city, and in that way help mark the days before and during the Olympics. We would appreciate hearing from you, if you want to contribute to the Orange campaign, especially if you are a politician and have decided to display something orange and openly manifest your reasons for doing it. Kind Orange regards Jens Galschiot (DK) and the Chinese Democracy Movement (Hong Kong) ************* Further information, photos, and videos of the Orange activities: http://www.TheColorOrange.net Contact to TheColorOrange.net in Denmark: Jens Galschiot, Banevaenget 22, DK-5270 Odense N Tel. +45 6618 4058, fax +45 6618 4158, mobile +45 4044 7058, e-mail: Contact@TheColorOrange.net Notice: From 7. July to 4. August the office of TheColorOrange.net will move to Southern France: Le Petit Tournebelle - Route de Gruissan - FR-11100 Narbonne, tel. +33 4 6849 6597, mobile +45 4044 7058 Contact to the Hong Kong Alliance (the democracy movement in Hong Kong): Secretary Ocean Fung +852 2782 6111, e-mail contact@alliance.org.hk, Internet www.alliance.org.hk
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