French athletes to make human rights stance in Beijing
PARIS (Reuters) - French athletes are planning to wear a distinctive sign showing their concern about human rights during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in August, double Olympic judo champion David Douillet said on Wednesday.
"We have things to say and we will say them," Douillet, the joint president of the athletes' commission of the French Olympic committee, told a news conference in Paris.
The initiative will be presented by the athletes at a news conference on Friday, added Douillet, who is retired from competitive sport and is now a French judo federation official.
"We will announce on Friday what distinctive sign we will wear for the torch relay (on Monday in Paris) and at the Games' opening ceremony," he said.
Wednesday's news conference was held by the French Olympic committee ahead of the Olympic torch relay's Paris leg on Monday.
Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe told the news conference a banner expressing the city's support to human rights everywhere in the world would be deployed on the front of the capital's town hall on that day.
TORCH BEARER
The first torch bearer in Paris will be former world 400 meters hurdles champion Stephane Diagana.
"I think you can speak out and let the torch travel to Beijing as well but you must send the message to China that they failed to meet their commitments," Diagana told Reuters.
"What can be done is not against China but for human rights. As human beings, it's our duty to interfere," he added.
"You can't keep silent when you see what's going on... We don't want to make a scene but we want to send a message. This is not a political commitment but a commitment to the values of the Olympic ideal."
French sports daily L'Equipe suggested on Wednesday that French athletes could wear a badge during the opening ceremony in Beijing.
French pole vaulter Romain Mesnil, a silver medalist at last year's world athletics championships, had called last month for an initiative by the athletes, suggesting they could wear a green ribbon.
Mesnil said he felt such an initiative would not be a political statement and would not violate the Olympic Charter, which forbids any kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda during the Games.
China's crackdown on protests in Tibet has fuelled a debate among athletes on whether they should use the Games to make a statement for the respect of human rights.
(Writing by Bertrand Boucey; Editing by Justin Palmer)
