IOC President Jacques Rogge said Friday the organization would not push China to resolve the situation in Tibet, despite protests marring the Beijing Olympic torch relay. Rogge reiterated the position that the International Olympic Committee will not press China to hold talks on Tibet, human rights or other political issues. “As to entering into these issues, this is the line that we do not have to cross,” Rogge said at a news conference at the close of a two-day IOC executive board meeting. “The IOC expressed its view to the prime minister concerning the preparation of the Olympic Games.” Asked specifically whether he would encourage China to open dialogue on Tibet, Rogge said that was “a political matter in which the IOC cannot enter.” “This is a sovereign matter for China to decide,” he said. Rogge met Wednesday with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, but declined to give details, other than describing the talks as “very useful ... frank and open and candid.” “It was definitely a good meeting for the outcome of the preparation of the Olympic Games,” he said. Rogge appeared more upbeat than on Thursday when he declared the Olympics were in “crisis” because of the torch relay disruptions and politically charged buildup to the Aug. 8-24 Games. Asked when the crisis would end, he smiled and said: “I have no crystal ball but I'm optimistic the games will be a great success.” Rogge said there would be no change in Beijing's plans to take the Olympic torch through Tibet. The flame is scheduled to be taken to the top of Mount Everest in May and return in June to the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. “We have agreed to a route for the torch that goes through Tibet,” he said. “This is a position that the IOC confirmed yesterday.” The relay has been hounded by anti-China protests in London, Paris, San Francisco and elsewhere. The torch was being taken through Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Friday amid heavy security. Rogge said the protests were driven by the media attention attached to the Olympics. “It is clear that it is the importance of the Olympic Games that attracts the events we are seeing now,” he said. “In the lead-up of the Games you have a very increased media attention. Today I'm quite sure I can say that no one is attacking the games, but some are using the Games.” Rogge reiterated that he has asked Chinese leaders to fulfill the “moral pledges” they made during their winning bid for the Games seven years ago, including progress on human rights. Rogge downplayed the prospect of world leaders skipping or boycotting the opening ceremony in a show of protest against China's policies. “If that eventually would happen – and I repeat wait and see – I think that the athletes will be disappointed because the athletes of a particular nation would not have their political leaders applauding them,” he said. “But even that would not harm the quality and success of the Games for the Games are about the athletes.” There has been no push for a sports boycott. “The sport movement says no to a boycott,” Rogge said. “I'm saying adamantly that public opinion around the world does not want a boycott. They are against a boycott because they know that the only victims are the athletes themselves and the athletes are innocent.” Rogge spoke a day after the Chinese government said police uncovered a criminal ring in the western Xinjiang region that planned to kidnap athletes, foreign journalists and others at the Beijing Games. Rogge had no comment on that specific case, but added: “We have received reassurances from BOCOG and the authorities that there will be the necessary and appropriate level of security for the Games.” __
