Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
China put on quite a show the last couple of weeks.
Mostly, the competition was compelling and exciting, while the carefully controlled staging of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games was colorful and intriguing.
Over time, though, the most telling measure of the success of the Beijing games won't be the records set or the level of the television ratings, as much as the extent to which the nation's oppressive political system transitions to greater freedom for the Chinese people. It is one thing to put on an impressive party for the world - it is quite another to have the courage to allow citizens to enjoy the most basic inalienable rights of human beings.
Once acknowledged as a "sleeping giant," China has awakened in recent decades as an economic and political power. Yet, human rights reforms have not kept pace with what is happening on the economic front. Pre-Olympic pledges to allow broader freedoms during the event were largely unrealized, according to several respected human rights organizations that closely monitored what went on.
China certainly impressed the world with its ability to stage a colorful sporting spectacle. Now, let's see what comes of ongoing efforts by China's citizens to gain greater freedom from a government that is prone to rule by oppression.
