US Senator Hillary Clinton called on President Bush Monday to boycott the opening ceremonies of the summer Olympic Games. Photo by CNN
US Senator Hillary Clinton called on President Bush Monday to boycott the opening ceremonies of the summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
In a statement released by her campaign, Clinton pointed to recent protests in Tibet and to the Chinese government's failure to pressure the government of Sudan to end the violence in Darfur, CNN reported.
"These events underscore why I believe the Bush administration has been wrong to downplay human rights in its policy towards China," the senator said.
"At this time, and in light of recent events, I believe President Bush should not plan on attending the opening ceremonies in Beijing, absent major changes by the Chinese government," she added.
Senator Barack Obama on the other hand declined to call on US boycott of the games.
"I'm hesitant to make the Olympics a site of political protest because I think it's partly about bringing the world together," Clinton's rival in the coming presidential elections commented.