Boycott Beijing Olympics - French Presidential candidate

By Tenam

23 March, Paris: Mr. Francois Bayrou, one of the top three candidate in next month's presidential election, believes that France should boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

UDF's Presidential candidate Mr. Franחois Bayrou meeting with Thupten Gyatso, president of Tibetan Community in France, at the Presidential Compaign Headquarters, Paris, March 2007

"If this drama does not stop, France would do itself credit by not coming to the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008", he added. Mr. Bayrou visited Darfur on a private trip in 2005.

Ms. Royal, who is hoping to become the first woman president of the French Republic, also spoke at the rally and urged France and the international community to apply pressure to Beijing over Sudan before the Summer Olympics.

In response to letters written by Tibetans and French Tibet Support groups, Ms Royal said that she raised the issue of human rights in Tibet and the necessity of direct dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the question of automomy during her trip to China earlier this year.

Tibet issue today enjoys a great deal of support in the French National Assembly. The Tibet Study Group has the largest number of MPs from across different political parties. In 2005 many municipalities and regional councils passed a motion to raise the Tibetan National Flag on 10 March, or in some occasions, permanently.

China - a U.N. Security Council permanent member with veto power - opposes any sanctions against Sudan. Sudan's government is accused of funding militias and allowing its military to brutalize civilians in a conflict that has killed some 200,000 people and left 2.5 million homeless since 2003.