NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan said on Tuesday he remained committed to participating in the Olympic torch relay in India despite receiving several requests asking him to boycott the event.
Khan, 43, said he empathised with the people of Tibet but wanted to keep the Beijing Olympics separate from the issue of human rights violations.
"When I do run with the torch on the 17th of April it is not in support of China. In fact it will be with a prayer in my heart for the people of Tibet, and indeed for all people across the world who are victims of human rights violations," Khan said in a blog post on his web site (www.aamirkhan.com) on Tuesday.
"However, I feel that the Olympic Games do not belong to China," the actor said adding it would be hard to find a place to hold the Games where the local government has not been accused of human rights violations.
India, which hosts Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama and his government-in-exile, has seen a wave of protests since China's crackdown on anti-government demonstrations in Tibet in March.
India has tried to reassure Bejing that security will be tight for the Olympics torch during the Indian leg of the relay.
The country's football captain, Bhaichung Bhutia, a Buddhist, has refused to carry the Olympic torch in protest against China's actions to quell unrest in Tibet, an official said on Tuesday.
No comments:
Post a Comment