In ancient Greece, war was suspended so athletes could compete in the Olympics. This year, the 130-day torch relay to the Beijing Summer Olympics is serving as the venue for a public relations war over China's repressive policies in Tibet. Protests along the torch route should keep China's dismal human rights record front and center. China can't expect a pass on this most sensitive issue in the run-up to the Games. The Olympics is a unique opportunity for host cities to showcase their accomplishments, and China is no exception. But Beijing's economic might alone won't improve its standing in the international community. Its military suppression of recent protests in Tibet has left more than 100 dead, a grim and graphic example of its need to reform.

Some governments are already leaning on the Chinese. The British Foreign Office has sharply criticized China's violations in Tibet and its "disappointing" lack of progress toward a peaceful resolution of the conflict there. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has suggested he might stay away from the Olympic opening ceremonies in August, depending on events in Tibet. And yesterday, President Bush called China's President Hu Jintao and expressed concerns about the crackdown in Tibet.

While a serious boycott by any of the major participants in the Games is unlikely, the U.S. and others must keep the pressure on Beijing, reminding the Chinese that the Olympics is a chance to present its best face to the world - and an improved human rights record.

Chinese officials reportedly are privately alarmed about the growing activism for protests in San Francisco, the only U.S. city where the torch will be carried. And while Beijing may be able to limit TV coverage of protests during the Games, the whole world will be following the Olympic torch and the challenges to China's misconduct likely to accompany it.