Germany rejects boycott of Beijing Games

By Erik Kirschbaum

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Olympic Committee (DOSB) announced on Monday that it has decided against any boycott of the Olympics in China but expressed concern about the violence that has flared in Tibet and neighboring provinces.

DOSB President Thomas Bach said in a statement its executive board had weighed the pros and cons of a boycott, as some political leaders have proposed, but decided against such a move.

"After carefully considering all the arguments, the DOSB will send a team to the 2008 Olympics," the committee said, adding a formal resolution had been drafted by the DOSB executive and endorsed by various national sport organizations.

"Sport is not a suitable tool to be used to apply political pressure," the DOSB said.

"Sport is not in a position to solve the problems that neither the United Nations nor individual governments were able to resolve despite decades of effort."

The German Olympic committee said boycotts do not work.

"That's been confirmed by all the previous experience," the DOSB said. "We believe sport is there to promote dialogue and international understanding. Sport builds bridges, not walls.

"The 1980 Olympics boycott in Moscow did not have any positive impact whatsoever on Soviet Union's military invasion of Afghanistan," said the DOSB statement signed by Bach.

Beijing has been widely criticized after a security crackdown amid protests in Tibet in the past two weeks, a region China has occupied and ruled since a 1950 military invasion.

The DOSB said the Olympics would have a positive impact.

"The Olympic Games will focus the world's attention on the host country," its statement read.

"This heightened observation will help allow both governments and non-governmental organizations to apply further pressure to achieve their goals in protecting human rights."

(Editing by Miles Evans)