Human right activists say they are disappointed withPresident Bush's decision to attend the opening ceremony of the summer Olympicsin Beijing, China. The announcement by the White House Thursday is thefirst confirmation of the president's plans to attend the August eighthceremony. It comes despite calls from some U.S. lawmakers and activists for a boycottbecause of China's human rights record and support for the Sudan government.

In an interview with the BBC on Thursday, Mr. Bushreportedly said he views the Olympics as a sporting event.

Jerry Fowler ispresident of the Save Darfur Coalition, an advocacy group that is working toend the violence against civilians in Sudan's Darfur region. He told VOA President Bush has ignored theappeal of many to stay away from the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

"We'revery disappointed to hear that the president has announced that he's attendingthe opening ceremonies, and we suspect that he's disappointed too because hechose to release the news at the beginning of a three-day holiday here in theUnited States, which is usually when you put out news you don't want anyone tohear. In doing this he basically rejected broad-based bi-partisan calls fromactivists and members of Congress not to attend the opening ceremonies unlessChina is helpful in resolving the violence in Darfur, and so far they have notbeen helpful," he said.

Inan interview with the BBC on Thursday, Mr. Bush reportedly said he views theOlympics as a sporting event, perhaps agreeing with those who believe thatsports should be separate from politics.

ButFowler said China itself had played politics with sports in the past byboycotting the Olympics on many occasions.

"Chinasort the Olympics for political reasons in order to demonstrate their emergenceas a world power. So the idea that the Olympics are separate from politics justdoesn't make sense. And in fact, China boycotted the Olympics for most of thesecond half of the 20^th Century for political reasons. But moreimportantly, we did not ask President Bus not to attend sporting events. Weasked not to attend the opening ceremonies unless China started helping beingpart of the solution in Darfur," Fowler said.

Hesaid rights groups asked President Bush not to attend the Olympics openingceremony because it is blatantly political.

ChineseForeign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao reportedly said that boycotting theOlympics for political purposes would not help resolve the Darfur crisis.

Fowlersaid not attending the Olympics opening ceremony would have made a strongerpolitical point about China's support for the Sudan government.

"Giventhat the president is going now, I do hope that he would take the opportunityto personally press the Chinese president in a very vigorous manner about thethings that China can do to be part of the solution in Darfur instead of beingpart of the problem, which is what they are right now," Fowler said.

Chinahas in the past said that it had been pressing Sudan to end the violence inDarfur. But it also blamed Sudan rebel groups for the violence.

Fowlersaid China has been Sudan's main arms supplier and protector at the UnitedNations.

"Thefacts are China has been Sudan's heat shield at the United Nations, protectingthe Sudanese government from any multi-national consequences for the violencethat they are responsible for. China is also a major arms provider to theSudanese government; it's a huge financial patron. So I think the record isclear that China is part of the problem and not part of the solution," he said.

LastJuly the UN Security Council approved a hybrid United Nations-African Unioncivilian protection force for Darfur. But that force has yet to be halfdeployed.

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