Fellow activist,How do you react on this?

[godsaint]

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China revokes visa of gold medalist, Darfur activist Cheek

Olympic gold medalist and outspoken Darfur activist Joey Cheek has had his visa revoked by the Chinese embassy, hours before the speedskating champion was set to fly to China. And he wasn't even planning on wearing a mask when he got there.

Chinese officials don't need a reason to revoke anyone's visa but, in their eyes, they had plenty of reasons to snatch Cheek's. He is the founder of Team Darfur, a group of 70 athletes whose goal it is to raise global awareness of the human-rights violations taking part in the Darfur region of Sudan. China's military, economic and diplomatic ties to Sudan have been well-publicized in the lead-up to the Games.

Said Cheek of his ban in a prepared statement:

"I am saddened not to be able to attend the Games. The Olympic Games represent something powerful: that people can come together from around the world and do things that no one thought were possible. However, the denial of my visa is a part of a systemic effort by the Chinese government to coerce and threaten athletes who are speaking out on behalf of the innocent people of Darfur.

Cheek was going to China to support the athletes on Team Darfur -- including soccer player Abby Wambach -- and to promote the cause, one that he has championed for years. After winning gold in the Torino Games, Cheek announced he was donating his $25,000 USOC bonus to Darfur and implored his sponsors to do the same. It seems that Joey Cheek is truly one of the good guys.

And now he's out of China before he even got there. With the Games getting closer (just two days away now), the world seemed ready to forget about all the Chinese issues in order to focus on the Games themselves. Unfortunately, China's actions make that impossible. In a time when we should be wondering who will light the Olympic cauldron, whether Michael Phelps can break an all-time record and how Liu Xiang will react to the pressure of 1.3 billion of his countrymen hanging on his every step, we're instead left to discuss the Chinese government's reluctance to allow any dissension in their country, despite repeated promises that they'd clean up their act when the Olympics came to town.

[Jeffrey]

Cheek is a security threat. Good move by China. He should be there to play, not protest.

[godsaint]

He is a big threat to terrorism..china knows that.

[SPRINGFIELD_XD_40]

I do hope he really loves the sport and not just using it as a medium to exploit his cause .

[godsaint]

Cheek loves the sport very much .Makita man sa iyang achievements.Pero naa sad sya concern sa ubang tawo.I admire him and kasparov.

[radiostar]

na unsa naman ning china intawon oi

[cerebus]

Cheek is a security threat. Good move by China. He should be there to play, not protest.

Ngano security threat man siya? he's no terrorist. he's a respected sportman and his cause of getting the world's attention to what's happening in darfur is admirable. I don't think he deserve it.

[orcgod]

wa gyud tay ma hems ana sir, kay naa man sa China ang Olympics. Nobody's wrong here. China is just doin her thang, protecting themselves, while Cheek has been doin this for a long time, kuan lang gyud, na timingan lang. Pero ok ra na uy, basta ayaw lang ang mga basketball players, esp USA "Redeem Team", as what they've call themselves.

[radiostar]

Cheek is a security threat. Good move by China. He should be there to play, not protest.

pataka ka lang

[Jeffrey]

I admire Bush and few wise others who basically said that Beijing Olympics should not be used for political reasons, but for the sport(s).