The Olympic Committee voted Friday to hold the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. This decision has some people worried, but others feel it may be a good opportunity to help unite China with the rest of the world.

Adam Ortiz, deputy director of the Midwest Region of the Amnesty International, said some are worried about Beijing holding the Olympics because of the controversy surrounding recent human rights issues.

“China has garnered an international reputation for not respecting freedom of speech, assembly and religion among its citizens and has responded with . arrests, slave labor and executions,” he said.

Ortiz said much of the concern comes from the frequency and number of executions.

“China has executed more people in the last three months than the rest of the world combined has in the last three years,” he said. “That’s more than 1,700 people. And many of them have been tortured to confess to crimes that they didn’t commit.”

Ortiz said Amnesty International doesn’t have a position on whether the games should be held in Beijing.

“We strongly think that, since the decision has been made, the Chinese authorities should demonstrate by improving their human rights record,” Ortiz said.

Richard Mansbach, professor of political science, said everyone has an interest in integrating communist China into the rest of the world, and this may be the way to do it.

“Although it will clearly strengthen the regime in the eyes of the public, [and] although it may seem as if we’re turning the other cheek, it is without a doubt the wisest policy because it’s the only one that produces the possibility of integrating China with the rest of the world,” he said.

Brenda Thorbs-Weber, assistant director of International Education Services, said she hopes the decision will improve the human rights situation in China.

“Hopefully this will make things better for people who have perhaps been accused of human rights violations,” she said.

“I believe that for the Chinese people this will bring about good feelings toward the western world and help democracy.”

Ortiz said it should be important that the decision of the Olympics’ location be made with people’s safety in mind.

“Human rights should be a consideration,” he said.

“Every individual, every government and every group in society has a responsibility to uphold and respect human rights.”

Ortiz said the decision to hold the famous sports event in China is ironic.

“In a lot of sports stadiums [in China], many people who are condemned to death by the government are brought out in the center of the sports stadium and are subject to public humiliation,” he said.