Let the Games Begin: Protests Under Way Ahead of 2008 Beijing Olympics

Let the Games Begin: Protests Under Way Ahead of 2008 Beijing Olympics

KATMANDU, Nepal -- In the thin air of Mount Everest base camp last week, a group of five American activists thumbed their frozen noses at the Chinese Government by holding their own "opening ceremony" on behalf of Tibet.

They unfurled a banner that parodied China's Olympic slogan: "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 2008," it read. As a cameraman sent live images via the Internet, the activists even lit their own torch and sang the Tibetan national anthem -- minutes before Chinese border guards took them into custody.

The stunt was the latest effort to use next year's Olympic Games as a platform for advocacy on issues such as Tibet, Taiwan and human rights.

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