The Wall Street Journal-20080213-Spielberg Severs Olympics Tie

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Spielberg Severs Olympics Tie

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In a sign of the possible politicization of the Beijing Olympics, film director Steven Spielberg withdrew from his role as an artistic adviser to the Games' opening and closing ceremonies, citing China's connection to the government in Sudan and the controversy over Darfur.

Mr. Spielberg had agreed to help design the Olympic ceremonies, but came under attack beginning last March, when actress Mia Farrow publicly accused him of helping to "sanitize Beijing's image." China has faced criticism over its support of the Sudanese government, which many believe is engaged in a genocidal campaign in that country's Darfur region.

"I find that my conscience will not allow me to continue with business as usual," Mr. Spielberg said in a statement released yesterday. "At this point, my time and energy must be spent not on Olympic ceremonies, but on doing all I can to help bring an end to the unspeakable crimes against humanity that continue to be committed in Darfur."

Mr. Spielberg said that while the Sudanese government bears the bulk of the responsibility, China's ties to the government "provide it with the opportunity and obligation to press for change."

In a practical sense, Mr. Spielberg's announcement may not have much of an impact on the Olympics, slated to begin Aug. 8. Preparations and rehearsals for the two big ceremonies are well under way.

But symbolically, the filmmaker's move may shine a harsh light on a long-festering diplomatic situation. At issue is China's support of Sudan as fighting continues in Darfur. Sudan's biggest ally is China, which buys some two-thirds of Sudan's oil.

The situation may be just the start of headaches for the Beijing Olympics organizing committee, which isn't accustomed to celebrities who make strong, inconvenient political statements, and cannot provide a celebrity to counter Mr. Spielberg.

Andy Spahn, Mr. Spielberg's spokesman, said the director last visited Beijing in February 2007 to consult on the ceremonies. Since then he has been in contact on a few occasions with Chinese film director Zhang Yimou, who is in charge of the ceremonies. In his statement, Mr. Spielberg said he had never signed a proposed contract for his advising services with the Beijing Organizing Committee.

Big-name Olympic sponsors are unlikely to publicly join Mr. Spielberg's critique. But it could serve as a rallying cry either to foreign governments, who have been slow to pick up on the human-rights issues associated with the Games, or to Olympic athletes trying to figure out whether to bring their own politics to Beijing this summer.

Both the Chinese government and the International Olympic Committee, the governing body of the Games, have tried to distance politics from the event. In general, their position has been that the Games are a sporting event, not a political one. But the Olympics have long been platforms for political statements large and small.

"As for human-rights issue(s), China's preparation for the Beijing Olympic Games has not only boosted the development of China's economy and social life, promoted international exchanges, but also expanded the rights the Chinese people enjoy," Sun Weide, the organizing committee's deputy director for communications said last month.

It isn't clear whether the Chinese government will permit any type of sanctioned demonstrations or protests during the Olympics' two-week run.

There have also been worries about Beijing's intense urban pollution, which the government says won't be a factor during the Games.