GOAL Chief Blasts Cullen's Olympic Trip

"Ireland has no reason to officially endorse what has been reduced to a morally bankrupt charade by Beijing's failures in Darfur, Burma and Tibet," O'Shea said.

He added that China had spectacularly failed to meet the commitments it gave on human rights on being awarded the games.

"Instead of being censured Beijing is being let off the hook as once more the international community turns a blind eye to injustice and Human Rights abuses in the Developing World," he continued.

"Beijing has not lifted a finger to stop atrocities in Darfur where 300,000 people died. It has ordered Tibetan monks to be batoned off the streets. In Burma it watched as the military Junta turned aid for the starving away to the horror of the world. In all three places the Chinese wield unique clout, yet it has done nothing," O'Shea added.

"The 2008 Games were handed to China on the grounds that they might encourage Beijing to improve its humanitarian record. But democracy activists have been imprisoned and, free speech is regarded as treasonable. So where sits the flame of truth in all of this?"

O'Shea asked "Not only has Ireland squandered a unique opportunity, we have shamefully dispatched our Minister for Sport, Martin Cullen, to represent us at what is in reality a three card trick to divert the world from China's abysmal human rights record."