Taiwan condemns Olympic incidents
At the Olympic Games, Taiwanese fans experience two unpleasant incidents. At badminton, they are not allowed to support their team as they wish. This is sharply criticized at home.
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sharply condemned an incident involving a female Taiwanese fan at the Olympic Games in Paris. In a badminton match on Friday, a man snatched the fan's placard and tried to flee, as seen in online videos. The man was then escorted away by security. The placard bore an encouraging message for Taiwanese athletes.
In a statement, the ministry in Taipei described the incident as "violent and despicable," saying it violated the civilized spirit of the Olympics. It added that it would report the case to the French police.
IOC yields to China
In the same badminton event, according to media reports, security forces removed another fan from the hall who was carrying a banner with the word "Taiwan" on it. Photos show a security officer taking a placard from a man in the stands.
Mark Adams, spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee, said at a press conference on Saturday that he could not comment on the specific incident because he had not seen it, but he referred to the IOC's ticket regulations. According to these, only flags of countries or territories participating in the Games are allowed in Olympic sports venues.
Taiwan is only allowed to participate in the Olympics under the name "Chinese Taipei" due to consideration for the People's Republic of China. Taiwanese athletes are not allowed to use their own national flag, name, or anthem.
China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory, despite the fact that independent and democratically elected governments have been in power there for decades. Beijing has repeatedly threatened to use military force to unify the island of over 23 million people and the mainland.
The IOC's strict regulations at the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris led to the removal of a Taiwanese fan carrying a "Taiwan" banner during a badminton match. This incident echoes the controversy surrounding Taiwanese fans not being able to fully support their team due to restrictions, causing dissatisfaction at home.
