Many of us love the Olympics and keep track of our favorite sports on a nightly basis, but what really goes on behind closed doors during the Olympics?
Reporter Richard Engel found out just what some countries will do to keep the Olympics going. A mother in Beijing had been forced to have her home bulldozed, so that the Olympics could make way for a street for Olympic visitors. In order to keep her home from being bulldozed she filed the necessary paperwork to stop it from happening. Then, she was promptly arrested for filing the paperwork and will remain in jail until the Olympics ends.
When Richard Engel and his crew asked questions, they were told she was not being held for filing the paperwork, only to find out that it was a lie. Don't believe me? Check out this video from Msnbc and then check out another reporter's scoop about the situation.
This just goes to show us what some governments will do to keep people quiet.
Wow... Wasn't expecting to see this story. Thanks for writing about it. The thing is because their government is the way it is (communist) they don't have to answer to the same types of laws that we adhere to over there. So, things like this (and worse) are bound to happen. Doesn't make it right though.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing such terrible stories on terrible governments! Well, I am not at all surprised that such things happened in China. In Malaysia we face such terrible acts from the government too although in a different sense. We have the Internal Security Act which the govt. uses to silence the opposition who raised protests against injustice from the govt.!
ReplyDeleteI think I saw this story or one similar on the news, this was before the Olympics started. I moved to Los Angels in 1985 and wish I had been here for the 84 Olympics.
ReplyDeleteThe US government can actually seize private property for similar purposes. It is called eminent domain, and is part of the Fifth Amendment:
ReplyDelete"nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."
Basically, they have to compensate you for it, but if the government needs your land for something, they can take it.
Veronda,
ReplyDeleteNo it doesn't make it right.
Bokaje, I am sorry to hear that the government is not so kind in your country either.
Autism,
It might have been interesting to see the Olympics live. I'm sorry that you missed it.
Monkay, Ya, that's exactly why we live in such a crappy world. There is never true freedom of anything.