The New Nation - Internet Edition

Western leaders and human rights activists have chosen the time of summer Olympics beginning today in Beijing to embarrass its host China on its human rights records. Sports lovers from around the world are passing breath-taking anxious moments that the glory games is not undermined by politics.

China rejected on Thursday US President George W Bush's criticism of its human rights record and restrictions on religion, diplomatically telling him to stay out of its affairs only hours before he arrived in Beijing to attend the Olympics.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd also joined the chorus and urged the international community "to speak with a strong and united voice" to maintain pressure on China over human rights. But he conceded Beijing's record has improved.

Meanwhile, Two Britons are thought to be among four foreign protesters arrested for displaying a "Free Tibet" banner in Beijing, just hours after the Olympic torch arrived in the Chinese capital.

The protesters unfurled Tibetan flags and banners declaring "One World, One Dream: Free Tibet" and "Tibet will be free", the group Students for a Free Tibet said in a statement.

The three men and one woman gathered near the main Bird's Nest Stadium, where the Games open on Friday.

The protest happened hours before the Olympic torch

was due to arrive in Tiananmen Square, and two days before the Olympics opening ceremony takes place at the stadium.

All this to undermine the state of the art preparations made by China to host the games which was awarded to Beijing within full knowledge of the international community. Sports lovers and thousands of those who have worked for years to vie for medals in the games cannot but feel frustrated by such efforts of the West just before the start of the games.

If the human rights activists are genuine in their activism they should possibly give better service by concentrating on Iraq, Afghanistan and the Guantanamo Bay where human rights abuses are exceeding all limits. The Olympic Games cannot be the casualty of anti-Beijing activism. This would not stop the forward march of China whose record economic growth rate has visibly made some competitors envious.

Overseas, the torch relay was disrupted by protests or conducted under extremely heavy security, turning an event that should have built up excitement for the Games into something of a public relations disaster for the hosts.

It started its route in Greece on March 24. Major protests were experienced in London and Paris as the Olympic torch made stops on its journey to Beijing as human rights groups were out to pressure Beijing to uphold human rights.

The protests have mostly been in response to China's crackdown in March on anti-government riots in Tibet and to more general concerns over human rights issues in China.

The torch arrived in the capital after an emotional run in Sichuan province, the site of China's May 12 earthquake which killed almost 70,000 people and left some five million homeless.

Protesters have been reported to be still active in London, Ottawa and other cities

Olympic Games that unite humankind - not only demonstrating the eternal craving to achieve higher excellence in the arena of sports but also bringing the world closer together in shared expressions of joys, sorrows and emotions that successes and failures evoke - once again looks like falling victim to politics. All concerned should guard against this to preserve the sanctity of the games.

We welcome the Beijing Olympics not only as a great unifier of mankind and human prowess in sports but also as a success story of China and its people's pride in securing the great success. Those in the West who were being petulant should be ashamed.