29/07/2008
TD Follows 'European Colleagues' To Olympic Opening Ceremony
The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, has said he shall be attending the controversial Olympic opening ceremony.
Defending his decision to attend the opening of the Beijing Olympics, Martin Cullen said all the other European leaders were attending, and he would follow suit.
Speaking in Waterford on Monday, Minister Cullen defended the decision, said: "We looked at what all our European colleagues are doing and all of them are participating fully in the opening ceremony and for the entire Olympics and Ireland has a right to be there as well."
John O'Shea from the charity GOAL, and a well known critic of the Chinese government's human rights record, said the Irish Government would be showing an appalling lack of moral fibre by attending the event.
In April, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he would not attend the opening ceremony, as have two of Europe's most powerful leaders; French President Nikalos Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
(DW)
Defending his decision to attend the opening of the Beijing Olympics, Martin Cullen said all the other European leaders were attending, and he would follow suit.
Speaking in Waterford on Monday, Minister Cullen defended the decision, said: "We looked at what all our European colleagues are doing and all of them are participating fully in the opening ceremony and for the entire Olympics and Ireland has a right to be there as well."
John O'Shea from the charity GOAL, and a well known critic of the Chinese government's human rights record, said the Irish Government would be showing an appalling lack of moral fibre by attending the event.
In April, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he would not attend the opening ceremony, as have two of Europe's most powerful leaders; French President Nikalos Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
(DW)
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