1) Punishing China for the actions of Burma and Sudan is unfair. Like a teacher punishing the whole class for the actions of a few.

Not really - China is protecting it's interests in these regions by backing oppressive regimes much like it's own, once more to the cost of innocent people. Don't forget the role Tiawan is going to play at some part in the future. If we simply let China do as it wishes anywhere in the world we are creating an even bigger problem for future generations to sort out.

2) A boycott would be divisive. If a seious boycott campaign began, we'd spend all our time arguing about whether to boycott and the human rights issues would be sidelined.

People will of course debate these matters, but not doing something because not everybody agrees is a poor excuse. Thank god the US Civil Rights movement etc did't think like that.

3) The West has very little moral authority now. Invasions of Afganhistan and Iraq, little restraint on Israel for bombing Lebanon etc. A boycott could be seen as another example of Western hypocrisy - and could push some countries closer to China/Russia etc.

Very true, but thats still not an excuse for complacency - if you're willing to sit back and let this regime systematically abuse the human rights of millions, it means you agree.

4) Deadline politics is bad politics. The boycott campaign effectively wants China to solve Burma/Darfur/Tibet/Taiwan/Falun Gong etc all by 8/8/08.
This is insanely optimistic. Also linking so many campaigns to the Olympics means there is serious risk of the campaigns blowing themselves out once the Games are over.
We need a more considered longer-term approach.

In the case of Tibet, we've had a long-term approach of complete capitulation to the Chinese for years - the first warnings that B.lair wasn't all he was cracked up to be was when he effectively stopped peaceful demostrations against the Chinese leader when he vistyed the UK in the late 90's. There is no chance of the problem being resolved before the Olympics and nobody in their right mind thinks there is.

5) Do we really want to antagonise China? - snubbing or humiliating China would not be a good thing for international realations. A boycott would in my view create an angry and resentful China which would not be a good thing for the world.
There are numerous ways to stand up to China but deliberate humiliation is not the way to conduct international politics.

This attitude is so misguided as to be laughable. A China which feels it can do what it wants without condemnation is not a good thing for the world. Are you really suggesting we ignore human rights abuses? Would you have ignored Hitler?

6) This could be seen as a snub to the Chinese people. I'm sure some will say that millions of Chinese are against the Games. They are probably related to the thousands of Iraqis who were going to cheer the Americans going into Baghdad.
I'm sure most Chinese want their Games to be the best ever. Snubbing them could make them rally behind their government and support a more beligerent post-Olympic China.

Apart from the increasingly-westernised cities of the east coast if the country, most of the nation will have far more pressing matters that a sports competition to worry about. Your insinuation that Chinese protesting against the games are somehow deluded about their position is ignorant at best and deeply insulting to people who live in fear in an oppressive state without even the most basic freedoms we take for granted.

7) Human rights in China are a problem as stigweard points out but they were also a problem when the Women's Soccer World Cup was held there, also the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Beijing tennis etc.
Small, regular events like these do more to legitimise China than a single event like the Olympics. This proves that the boycott is merely opportunist.

Opportunist? How? To what end? You're right about the other sporting events, but I'm not in favour of shutting China off from the outside world, that would be counterproductive. The Olympics is not some specialist sporting event, but one seen by millions across the globe - what sort of people would we be if we ignore these issues and captiulate without a word of protest to the oppressor?

8) The Olympics will be propaganda for China. Nonsense.
Agreed, the Games put China in the spotlight, so counter propaganda is being used everyday against China. By the time Beijing 2008 comes around, the world will know what bastards the Chinese government are. Why spoil it by having a boycott.

True - why ruin anyone's fun by pointing out something as nasty as torture and summary executions? Forced labour can be tool for good! Ethnic cleansing and the resettlement of Han chinese as a tool for social remodelling - woo-hoo!

9) I still believe the Olympics can be a force for good. Olympic solidarity gives money to poor countries to develop sport to attempt to level the playing field. A successful Olympics may help in the opening up of China. Especially after China's pre-Olympic paranoia has gone. I say may because nothing is certain.

Watch this space - economic and political pressure is the way to open up China, this will me a propagandists dream come true if nobody questions the actions of the Chinese Leadership. There are long-reaching global implications to the way the world deals with China, and the Olympics can provide an opportunity for the world to let China know we won't let brutal, oppressive and belligerent regimes do as they wish without consequence.

10) Finally, the athletes,. It does seem very unfair that Soccer players, tennis players, motor racing drivers are able to pursue their lucrative jobs unaffected by boycotts, buit the little guys like archers, rowers, judo players etc for whom the Olympics is their only taste of the big time lose out.
Boycotts hurt the little guys in sport and leave the rich unaffected.

Did you look at the images I posted a link to on Google in an earlier post? One of them is of a man being executed by a red guard by throttling - with his bare hands. This isn't about sport - in my opinion the decision to award China the olympics with preconditions was outrageous and these athletes have been let down by the IOC, to suggest people advocating a boycott are spoiling people's fun should have a long hard look at those images, and then see if they can't gain a bit of perspective. As for affecting the little guys and leaving the rich unaffected, that's capitalism for you.