The Prince of Orange Opens Keukenhof, Protest by Human Rights Movements: March 2008

[Marengo]

The PoO will soon open the Keukenhof with the vice-mayor of Beijing. Groups from Tibet and others would like the prince to use the opportunity to start about the situation in Tibet, others want him to cancel the visit all together.

[lucien]

Originally Posted by Marengo

The PoO will soon open the Keukenhof with the vice-mayor of Beijing. Groups from Tibet and others would like the prince to use the opportunity to start about the situation in Tibet, others want him to cancel the visit all together.

NOVA wants him too,they're always the first to be ultra in anything as far as it's left,and then they switch and twitch it as if everybody wants it,which is bull.

This years theme at the Keukenhof is the Beijing Olympics,HRH will open that tomorrow,hence...

HRH can not/will not interfere,that would be mingling with foreign politics and he can't do that.It is not his station to do so,
so NOVA could have known that instead of pumping up the volume over nothing just for effects.Yuk,I so dislike that program,
especially that female or what is it,and I am very very kind here.Groups from Tibet and others?What sort of others?Exactly.

With all due respect to Tibet and the Tibetans,really,but no one will stop going to Beijing either for the summer Olympics,
nor does the Dalai Lama wishes a boycot,contrary,as he made known last weekend.

The Dalai Lama has far more stature with me then some overzealous socialist fanatic at NOVA.

[Marengo]

Well, the prince is in a difficult position here. Many people want him to make some form of protest while the government and the IOC do not want anything to trouble the Dutch-Chinese relationship.

I suppose it is best if he does not feed hypes (the hype of public statements of anybody related to the Olympics which is a hot topic in the press right now, I do not mean that Tibet is hyped in any way) and keep his mouth shut about it, but still it will reflect negatively on him if he does not make some kind of gesture. Even blabblemouth Peter van der Vorst thinks the Prince should say something, but as a boulevard reporter and a 'gezellig' RTL-television person he fails to see how such a thing has more consequenses (and will make no difference at all for Tibet).

Anyway, the government did not take a stand, so even if Willem-Alexander wanted to say anything he can not, as the government would disagree. But sadly the people who react to newspapers fail to see that, and like usual they fill up the platform they get with all kind of negative statements.

[lucien]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Well, the prince is in a difficult position here. Many people want him to make some form of protest while the government and the IOC do not want anything to trouble the Dutch-Chinese relationship.

I suppose it is best if he does not feed hypes (the hype of public statements of anybody related to the Olympics which is a hot topic in the press right now, I do not mean that Tibet is hyped in any way) and keep his mouth shut about it, but still it will reflect negatively on him if he does not make some kind of gesture. Even blabblemouth Peter van der Vorst thinks the Prince should say something, but as a boulevard reporter and a 'gezellig' RTL-television person he fails to see how such a thing has more consequenses (and will make no difference at all for Tibet).

Anyway, the government did not take a stand, so even if Willem-Alexander wanted to say anything he can not, as the government would disagree. But sadly the people who react to newspapers fail to see that, and like usual they fill up the platform they get with all kind of negative statements.

He is not in a difficult position.He just opens the Keukenhof.His statement echo's the exact line of our government.

Some more here on Royalblog.Pls,also click on the "News Summary",the article on the Dalai Lama and the domestic chinese trouble .

http://www.royalblog.nl/

Courtesy HJA.

[lucien]

The Prince of Orange opened the national flower garden of global fame the "Keukenhof" this afternoon.

He had some help of Ankie van Grunsven,the Olympic Equestrian champion,and our Olympic Gold medalist swimming dear Pieter van den Hoogeband,who,dear I say,flunked so regretfully this morning during the European champions on the 200 mtr.He's out of that race.Poor thing,but I'm getting way off topic.....

Keukenhof - Homepage -

PPE Agency

Courtesy PPE/Nieboer.

[Verde Esmeralda]

I think it is lovely that WA opened the Keukenhof this year. Last year it was Victoria of Sweden. I remember that this happened due to a special inspiration on a Swedish artist + gardener in 2007 (something like that). But still, I think it is way more meaningful, the Princes of Orange doing it themselves...the infamous Keukenhof tulips are one of Holland's trademarks.

[Marengo]

The difficult position i was talking about was PR-wise. The course of action could only be one: say nothing, as that is the stance of the government too (to the regret of many).

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Yo Verde, I think that WA and Maxima opened it together in 2001, it was Maxima's first public duty! They planted a tree together.