By Kenneth Todd Ruiz Staff Writer, Pasadena Star News

PASADENA - Dismissing the idea of a human-rights procession before the start of next year's Rose Parade as an attempt to "disrupt" its annual event, the Tournament of Roses has refused to discuss the idea.

Those objecting to the planned Chinese Olympic float on human-rights grounds are calling for the inclusion of the "Human Rights Torch Relay" currently touring the world to balance the furor caused by the float.
"When Mattel imported contaminated toys, it was their duty to take them back," said Pasadena resident John Li, one of the principal float opponents and president of Caltech's Falun Gong club.
"So when someone imported this float to carry propaganda from the Chinese Communist Party, it's their responsibility to make sure these rights violations stop before the Olympic celebrations commence, or at least let people know about them," he added.
Because the Tournament essentially controls Colorado Boulevard from mid-December through Jan. 1, City Manager Cynthia Kurtz told Li on Monday it would likely be "impossible" to accommodate another event on such a busy day and that any event on the street would require Tournament support.
She suggested it be held another day or possibly on another street.
Li said Friday he still expected to hear back from Tournament President C.L. Keedy and hoped his organization would consider the idea.
"Mr. Keedy said he'd call me to talk about the arrangement of the Human Rights Torch Relay," Li said.
Apart from a recent letter to Mayor Bill Bogaard asserting the apolitical nature of the parade, Tournament officials have remained silent on the growing controversy and have refused to discuss the matter or return phone calls.
"If someone wants to do something to disrupt the parade in Pasadena, then that's something for the Police Department" to respond to, Tournament spokeswoman Caryn Eaves said Friday.
Keedy "kind of feels we don't have anything to add to that," she added.
Li took the issue to the Xicheng Sister City Committee on Friday night, but said the committee didn't allow any public comment at the meeting.
Li's Falun Gong group has been joined by international human- rights groups, religious groups, local residents, and members of the Chinese-American, Burmese and Tibetan communities opposed to the float.
They were disappointed when the Pasadena City Council rejected a city commission's recommendations to rebuke China's rights record and took no action regarding the float on Oct. 29.
At the heart of their complaint is belief that China's worsening rights record means it has broken the promises it made to secure the 2008 Olympic bid.
Earlier this year, China secretly ordered a ban of individuals and groups it believes pose a threat to the public relations boost it expects from hosting the Olympics, a U.S.-based group advocating for religious freedom said Friday.
The Ministry of Public Security issued a broad order to exclude terrorists, some reporters, non-governmental organizations, Falun Gong members and other "antagonistic elements" such as any "people who have serious grievances against the Party," according to the China Aid Association of Midland, Texas.
The float's $400,000 price tag was split between Pasadena-based Avery Dennison Corp. and an association of Chinese-American organizations, some of which have direct links to the Chinese Government.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_7437765