Chinese Olympic Committee Must Independently Prove Olympic Torch Not Burning World's Rainforests
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Beijing Olympics 2008: Destroying Papua's Ancient Rainforests to Raise the Olympic Torch http://www.rainforestportal.org/alerts/send.asp?id=olympic_timber
In April of 2006, Ecological Internet alerted the world to plans by the Chinese Olympic Committee to destroy ancient Papuan rainforests in Indonesia to construct facilities for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Since then our network has sent over one million protest emails to Chinese and Olympic officials, which even the authoritative Chinese government has been unable to ignore. In response the Chinese Olympic Committee has offered vague assurances that construction companies have "specifically prohibited the use of virgin timber". But no independent proof is provided to back up these dubious promises.
A country that hides the truth about Tiananmen Square and human rights is certainly capable of misleading regarding holding a "Green" Olympics. Chinese denial of using ancient rainforest timbers is therefore not credible without independent inspections and monitoring that verify this is in fact the case. Given the tawdry state of China's own forests and the reality of huge imports of endangered timbers to meet domestic demand, it is highly unlikely construction of this scale (estimated to require millions of cubic meters of timber) could occur without using ancient rainforest timbers.
The Chinese government and Olympic committee must commit to independent inspection to prove their claims. Otherwise the reputation of China and the Olympics will be irreparably tarnished. This campaign has only just begun. Please take action now!