OLYMPIC GAMES

THE colossal disgust and disappointment which the award of the Olympic Games to Beijing felt by people who care about human rights and crimes against humanity is hardly surprising.

It is difficult to see any consistency in the way the nations who hold all the power deal with those guilty of these sorts of atrocities. Where is the difference between ethnic cleansing in Kosovo and the way in which China has subjugated the defenceless people of Tibet?

Yet Slobodan Milosevic is traded for a few million pounds and brought before an international court, whereas those who rule China are courted by the West and given handsome rewards. Of course it depends on economic and military strength. Strong nations economically and military can get away with murder and torture. Weak nations become political pawns.

I'm not saying Milosevic should not answer for any crimes against humanity he has committed, just that others who are known to have committed similar offences should stand trial as well. The hypocrisy of those who rule the world (pretty badly 1 would say) is disgraceful. - RK Bradley, Darlington.

COLLIERY CLOSURES

REFERRING to Jim Tague's letter (HAS, Jul 17), to decimate is to take out one in ten; ie to reduce by ten per cent.

The number of collieries was reduced by far more than that proportion. - B Langford, Richmond.

AFTER DEATH

I REFER to Eric Gendle's comments on EA Moralee's letter (HAS, Jul 6), is there life after death?

Jesus Christ is the greatest authority on that subject because not only did he die to the sins of the whole world, but He rose again triumphant on the third day and 500 of his followers saw him.

He said: "I am the Resurrection and the Life, he who believes in me though he die, yet shall he live."

He said: "In my Father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you." Man's knowledge 2000 years on is still limited. God is the creator and sustenance of this universe.

Our bodies die but our spirit lives on and returns to God who created it. For those who have put their faith in God through Jesus Christ will be given new bodies like Christ's resurrected body - not subject to decay.

Heaven is where God is - a wonderful place - no pain, suffering, sorrow, no wickedness or evil. It is a place of beauty, full of peace and laughter, joy - a garden like Eden. No one who hates God or commits evil will be able to enter unless they have turned from their wicked ways, sought God's forgiveness and have received Jesus Christ as their saviour and love. - P Springer, Hartlepool.

FIRING A SALVO

I REFER to Peter Mullen's comments (Echo, Jul 17) regarding seagulls, firearms and cannabis. Is he aware that seagulls and cannabis have been responsible for a lot less deaths than crazy clergy who wish to discharge firearms at birds in the middle of the city of London?

One wonders why the church appeals to lower numbers of people, or does one? - Norman Smith, Newton Aycliffe.

BENEFIT ABUSE

RK Bradley goes too far (HAS, Jul 12) in complaining that the Government's latest efforts to reduce benefit abuse did not feature in their election manifesto.

His suggestion that their proposals are not far removed from dishonesty overlooks the real dishonesty of benefit fraud, which any Government has a duty to minimise, irrespective of election pledges.

No one begrudges the sick and disabled whatever benefits the state offers, but equally, after 50 odd years of free health care, no one believes that there are over two million of them. - Bob Jarratt, Richmond.

JEFFREY ARCHER

SO, Jeffrey Archer has been sent to prison and society gloats. But, I ask myself, is this man truly evil? Has he murdered anyone? Has he molested children? No. He has told lies.

The law in England has always held that property, perjury and contempt of court are more important than human life. Can this be right?

No. The law is an ass, and a very dangerous one. - Gordon Moffat, Gosforth, Newcastle.

THE EURO

BEFORE we start worrying about whether joining the euro will make us richer or poorer, ought we not first worry about whether it will make our country more, or less, independent?

A nation which not independent is not really free. Since we joined the EEC, this country has, more and more, been governed from outside. Parliament is no longer supreme; the European Court of Human Rights can say that a law passed by Parliament is incompatible with the Court's interpretations of the rights of man and orders its amendment or cancellation.

European commissioners can tell us that we may not subsidise a failing shipping industry, or restrict the use of our fishing grounds to our own trawlers. We mustn't produce too much milk or sell apples by the pound.

Europe interferes in greater matters, too: in 1983 it sent a Dane to examine how we were handling the crisis in Northern Ireland.

And now we are giving Europe the chance to control our finances through the workings of a European Central Bank, which will issue and control our coins and set our interest rates and VAT levels.

When we joined the EEC, it was called "the Common Market" and was only concerned with making trade easier between member states. Even then there were people who saw it as the means to set up a United States of Europe.

Accepting a common currency again seems to be only a way of making it easier to trade or to travel; but it further shifts the centre of authority in these islands from Westminster to Brussels of Frankfurt. - TJ Towers, Langley Park.