HONGKONG people overwhelmingly support Beijing's bid to host the 2000 Olympic Games and many believe the territory should do more to help China succeed in its aim, according to an opinion poll. However, more than half of those interviewed thought human rights should be a factor in the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision. Those who played sports were more supportive of the bid than those who did not. Eighty-two per cent of 574 people interviewed in an exclusive South China Morning Post poll said Beijing should be allowed to host the Games. Nearly 79 per cent said Hongkong should help promote Beijing's bid, but nearly half of them thought the Government and Hongkong sports associations were not doing enough. Less than one-third said Hongkong was doing enough. The poll confirmed that, if groups wanted to organise activities to show support of the Beijing bid, they would receive widespread support. Of those who believed Hongkong should support Beijing, 71.3 per cent said they would be willing to help personally, with only 13 per cent saying they would not. Four out of five believed that, if Beijing hosted the Games, it would be strongly or somewhat beneficial to Hongkong. Almost all of them said the people of Hongkong should work actively to improve Beijing's chances. No one who took part in the poll believed that Beijing's being awarded the Games would have any negative effects on Hongkong. However, active participation for most people would stop before the year 2000, and only 19 per cent of respondents said they would make the three-hour flight to Beijing to see the action. More than half the people said they would definitely not go and watch the Games. The opinion poll, commissioned by the Post, was carried out independently by the University of Hongkong's Social Sciences Research Centre. It involved telephone interviews with 574 adults whose names were selected randomly by computer. Beijing, Sydney, Istanbul, Manchester, Berlin and Brasilia are competing to host the Games. The IOC will make the decision at a meeting in Monte Carlo on September 23.