Nobel winner shuns Olympic torch in protest

Kenyan Nobel Peace laureate Wangari Maathai today pulled out of this weekend’s Olympic torch relay in Tanzania in protest over human rights abuses.

The torch has been met by major demonstrations on its relay around the world to the Beijing games, with thousands of protesters angry at China’s human rights record, its harsh rule in Tibet and its friendly ties with Sudan.

“From the very beginning I thought the torch will be a symbol of unity, peace and harmony, but as it moved around the world it has become a symbol of disunity. Then I decided to pull out completely,” Maathai, an environmentalist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, said.

Maathai said China should help defuse tensions in Darfur, Tibet and Myanmar.

“In all of these issues China can make a difference and that is what the world is urging them to do,” she said.