The
Japanese Royal Family may be set to boycott the Olympic Games in
Beijing in a move which would signal their nation's dismay at China’s violent response to supporters of the exiled religious leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama.
The possible boycott, which would be carried out at the behest of the Japanese
government, also relates to an incident in January relating to a health scare
caused by the sale of Chinese-made "gyoza" dumplings. The two nations
have also recently been involved in a dispute over the ownership of gas fields.
An unnamed official in the Japanese government tells the Sankei daily
newspaper: "We were planning not to ask royals to go even before the gyoza
incident. It is all the more true now that the Tibetan unrest occurred."
Responding to today’s newspaper report, an official at the Japanese ministry
refuses to confirm or deny the claim, saying: "Nothing has been decided regarding the attendance of
dignitaries."
The news of a possible boycott of the Olympic Games by Emperor Akihito and his
family comes amidst growing pressure on world leaders to stay away from Beijing
in protest at the country’s policy in Tibet and ongoing concern about China's appalling human rights record.
