Ban Joins Growing List Of Olympic Absentees

UNITED NATIONS — Even as Secretary-General Ban is joining several world leaders in declaring that they plan to skip the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Beijing, diplomats at the United Nations say it is too early to tell what effect the perception of growing international pressure on China will have on its government’s approach to world affairs. Like President Sarkozy of France, Chancellor Merkel of Germany, and Prime Minister Brown of Britain, Mr. Ban yesterday made no link between his planned absence from Beijing and China’s policies on Tibet, Darfur, Taiwan, Burma, and other issues raised by protesters in Western cities hosting the Olympic torch relay in recent days. But the growing list of absentees from the opening ceremonies is likely to be seen as an obstacle to China’s goal of using the Olympics as a showcase for its leading role in world affairs.