Japan rejects China's torch guards

Japan rejects China's torch guards : "The muscular guards have come under fire for brusquely pushing aside demonstrators, who are using the torch relay to protest over China's human rights record and its controversial rule in Tibet."

The torch is the rallying point for the protests about Tibet. Rightly or wrongly it is a fact. World citizens have been unanimous in their condemnation of what is going on in Tibet . We do not like that kind of treatment of others. Even if we belong to nations which are visiting that kind of misery on others, we , as citizens of Planet Earth do not like it. So then we have to try and cross the governmental divide and then the cultural divide. We, at least, have a Prime Minister now who is on the same page as us, corny as it sounds. He is representing our views and if they are his views too, then so much the better. The difficulty for China is that its government is doing what it is doing in Tibet and then it its people and government are holding the Olympic games. On the plus side they have provided protection for the torch. Added protection in a time when the torch has represented something other than the great achievements to come of our world's athletes. They have at least done that and it should be acknowledged. Then people behave how they are used to behaving. If their guards are too rough or whatever we want to say, then that is culturally determined behaviour. It's a matter of talking and negotiating and getting the behaviours and boundaries clear.We have all learned that lesson of having to change ourselves if we travel, but when we are performing particular roles there are usually debriefing sessions to help us behave appropriately for that public role.There has been talk of stopping the world torch relay altogether. I'd see that as a loss, because it has been an honour for the torch bearers and a mission of goodwill, but I can see why people are thinking it is just not worth it because it comes at a high personal cost for each country under these circumstances and then deflects from the achievements of the athletes. Something we need to discuss at length, I feel.