âObviously we [Taiwanese] were targeted because Chinese fans were sitting in the front row seat on the lower level holding a Chinese national flag that exceeded the size allowed by the IOCâ (International Olympic Committee)," said Sandy Hsueh, president of the Taiwanese Association in France.
A staff member told her they had âreceived an instruction from the Olympic Games saying that anything related to Taiwan or showing Taiwan cannot appear,â Hsueh said.
Many spectators recorded evidence of a Chinese woman holding a mobile phone, who stood next to the security personnel and directing them to confiscate signs and banners from Taiwanese supporters, Hsueh said.
Another supporter took pictures of the woman thanking the staff and volunteers after the game and giving them badges, she said.
The incidents follow similar scenes during Lee and Wangâs semi-final on Friday, when a Taiwanese spectatorâs banner was snatched by an unidentified man, who was reportedly ejected by venue staff.
Hereâs a French source machine translated: https://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2024/08/05/jo-2024-taiwan-demande-a-la-france-d-enqueter-sur-une-pancarte-arrachee-lors-d-une-finale-de-badminton_6268610_3242.html
Olympics 2024: Taiwan asks France to investigate a sign torn down during a badminton final
Le Monde with AP and Reuters
Crowned Olympic champion in menâs badminton, Taiwan is not digesting an incident in the audience. The IOC responds that only the flags of the countries taking part in the competitions are allowed, banners being forbidden. Wang Chilin and Lee Yang, from Taiwanâs badminton team, pose after winning Olympic gold against their Chinese rivals, August 3, 2024, in Paris.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are no exception to the tense context between China and Taiwan. On Monday August 5, the Taiwanese government formally asked the French authorities to investigate an incident involving a female supporter of its badminton team. Two days earlier, she had seen her âLetâs go Taiwanâ placard snatched from her hands by another spectator before being torn up, during the menâs doubles final won by Chinese Taipei over China.
On Saturday, the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement describing the incident as âviolentâ and contrary to the Olympic values of fraternity and respect, condemning âthe crude and despicable means used by malicious people to arbitrarily snatch the sloganâ. The islandâs ambassador to France, François Wu, had reported the incident to the French police, according to the same statement.
During the same match, another Taiwanese supporter, wearing a green scarf bearing the effigy of his country, had it confiscated by a member of Olympic security. The Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs even claimed that spectators wearing such symbols had been expelled from the hall where the final was taking place. âBanners are not allowedâ.
The International Badminton Federation has yet to comment on either situation. Questioned at a press conference on Saturday, Mark Adams, spokesman for the International Olympic Committee, confined himself to pointing out the âvery clearâ rules of the Olympics for the public. âBanners are not allowed,â he said, referring to the conditions of access to Olympic venues, which allow only the flags of countries and territories participating in the Olympic Games to be displayed and prohibit any banners displaying political messages.
âWe have to try to bring 206 National Olympic Committees together in one place,â he continued. Itâs not an easy task." At issue are the tense relations between Taiwan and China, the latter claiming the island as its territory and rejecting any manifestation of its independent identity. Since 1981, the Taiwanese have only been allowed to take part in the Olympic Games under the banner of Chinese Taipei, with no opportunity for their public to sing their national anthem or display their national colors.
The reason why Taiwan is not called Taiwan in the Olympics is more complex than it seems: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210727-why-is-taiwan-not-called-taiwan-at-the-olympics
