2017.8.1
Dear President Thomas Bach,
Please allow me to send you this message that reminds us of the problems confronting the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020.
We can grasp distinctly the spirit of the Olympic Charter is being
neglected as regards the political utilization of the Olympic Games.
Relevant prescriptions are as follows.
“The Olympic Games are competitions between athletes in individual or
team events and not between countries” (Chapter 1, clause6).
“The IOC and the OCOG shall not draw up any global ranking” (Chapter 5, clause 57).
A special treatment of 5 years grace period, accorded to the limitation
of overtime work in consideration of the Olympic Games, has caused a
tragedy concerning the construction of the Olympic National Stadium. A
newly employed worker has recently committed a suicide due to overwork.
His latest monthly work time registered 200 hours surpassing the newly
established limit of 100 hours. This 5 years grace period must be
abolished as soon as possible.
A glance at the attached articles criticizing the Tokyo Olympic Games
2010 published in Japanese newspapers will be sufficient to understand
the new trend of the public opinion in Japan.The first criticizes
holding the Games in intensisive heat.The second is the similar warning
by the Mainichi News Paper, one of the 4 sponsorng major news
papers.The temperature being expected to surpass 34 degrees C. by then,
it points out serious dangers of heatstrokes,not only for the
athletes,but also for spectators and volunteers.
Moreover, the same trend can be observed internationally, as evidenced by the following article.
https://www.bloomberg.com/...07.../why-no-one-wants-the-olympics
I am convinced all the problems boil down to one question; Can the “under control” assertion be still be trusted?
With highest and warmest regards,
Mitsuhei Murata
Former Ambassador to Switzerland
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