Web pages about "Beijing Olympics"

China: IOC caves in to China's demands on internet censorship

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:26:42 +0100

"The International Olympic Committee and the Organizing Committee of the Beijing Olympic Games should fulfil their commitment to ‘full media freedom’ and provide immediate uncensored internet access at Olympic media venues. Censorship of the internet at the Games is compromising fundamental human rights and betraying the Olympic values,” said Mark Allison, East Asia researcher for Amnesty International.

The organisation was reacting to statements by Kevin Gosper, International Olympic Committee (IOC) press commission chair, saying “I regret that it now appears BOCOG has announced that there will be limitations on website access during Games time (…). I also now understand that some IOC officials negotiated with the Chinese that some sensitive sites would be blocked on the basis they were not considered Games related.”

Foreign journalists working from the Olympics press centre in Beijing are unable to access the Amnesty International website. A number of other websites are also reported to have been blocked.

The IOC has on many occasions highlighted the loosening of restrictions on foreign media in China as an example of the promised improvement in human rights by the Chinese authorities through the hosting of the Olympics. On 1 April, Kevin Gosper said that the continued blocking of some websites would "reflect very poorly" on the hosts. On 17 July Jacques Rogge, IOC President, said "there will be no censorship of the internet."

"This blatant media censorship adds one more broken promise that undermines the claim that the Games would help improve human rights in China," said Mark Allison.

On Monday 29 July, Amnesty International published the report “Olympic Countdown: Broken Promises” which evaluates the performance of the Chinese authorities in four areas related to the core values of the Olympics: persecution of human rights activists, detention without trial, censorship and the death penalty. They all relate to the 'core values' of 'human dignity' and 'respect for universal fundamental ethical principles' in the Olympic Charter. The new report showed there has been little progress towards fulfilling the Chinese authorities' promise to improve human rights, but rather continued deterioration in key areas.

IOC caves in to China's demands on internet censorship

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:11:54 +0100

The International Olympic Committee has said that there won't be uncensored internet access at Olympic media venues.

In a statement Kevin Gosper, International Olympic Committee (IOC) press commission chair, said: “I regret that it now appears BOCOG has announced that there will be limitations on website access during Games time (…). I also now understand that some IOC officials negotiated with the Chinese that some sensitive sites would be blocked on the basis they were not considered Games related.”

In reaction to the IOC statement, Mark Allison, East Asia researcher for Amnesty International said: "The International Olympic Committee and the Organizing Committee of the Beijing Olympic Games should fulfil their commitment to ‘full media freedom" and provide immediate uncensored internet access at Olympic media venues. Censorship of the internet at the Games is compromising fundamental human rights and betraying the Olympic values.

Foreign journalists working from the Olympics press centre in Beijing are unable to access the Amnesty International website. A number of other websites are also reported to have been blocked.

The IOC has on many occasions highlighted the loosening of restrictions on foreign media in China as an example of the promised improvement in human rights by the Chinese authorities through the hosting of the Olympics. On 1 April, Kevin Gosper said that the continued blocking of some websites would "reflect very poorly" on the hosts. On 17 July Jacques Rogge, IOC President, said "there will be no censorship of the internet."

"This blatant media censorship adds one more broken promise that undermines the claim that the Games would help improve human rights in China," said Mark Allison.

On Monday 29 July, Amnesty International published the report "Olympic Countdown: Broken Promises" which evaluates the performance of the Chinese authorities in four areas related to the core values of the Olympics: persecution of human rights activists, detention without trial, censorship and the death penalty. They all relate to the 'core values' of 'human dignity' and 'respect for universal fundamental ethical principles' in the Olympic Charter. The new report showed there has been little progress towards fulfilling the Chinese authorities' promise to improve human rights, but rather continued deterioration in key areas.

Have your say on censorship and other human rights issues in China on Amnesty International's The China Debate website.

China: Authorities’ broken promises jeopardize Olympic legacy

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 09:58:20 +0100

(Hong Kong) The Chinese authorities have broken their promise to improve the country’s human rights situation and betrayed the core values of the Olympics, said Amnesty International in a new report published today, marking the 10 day countdown to the Games.

“By continuing to persecute and punish those who speak out for human rights, the Chinese authorities have lost sight of the promises they made when they were granted the Games seven years ago,” said Roseann Rife, Asia-Pacific Deputy Director at Amnesty International at a press conference in Hong Kong.

“The Chinese authorities are tarnishing the legacy of the Games. They must release all imprisoned peaceful activists, allow foreign and national journalists to report freely and make further progress towards the elimination of the death penalty.”

Amnesty International’s report “The Olympics Countdown: Broken Promises” evaluates the performance of the Chinese authorities in four areas related to the core values of the Olympics: persecution of human rights activists, detention without trial, censorship and the death penalty.

The document concludes that in most of these areas human rights have continued to deteriorate in the run-up to the Olympics. In preparation for the Games, the Chinese authorities have locked up, put under house arrest, and forcibly removed individuals they perceive may threaten the image of ‘stability’ and ‘harmony’ they want to present to the world.

Amnesty International believes that local activists and journalists working on human rights issues in China are at particular risk of abuse during the Games.

Human rights activist and writer Hu Jia continues to serve his sentence for “inciting subversion” by writing about human rights and giving interviews to foreign media. Hu Jia suffers from liver disease due to a Hepatitis B infection but the authorities have prevented his family from providing him with medicine in the prison.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, Jacques Rogge, recently claimed the IOC’s quiet diplomacy had led to several human rights reforms, including the new regulations for foreign media.

“We welcome the IOC’s recognition of its role on human rights, but given the current reality, we are surprised at their confidence that foreign media will be able to report freely and that there will be no internet censorship,” said Roseann Rife. “And they must speak out when the authorities violate the wider Olympic principles.”

“Additionally, world leaders who attend the Games need to raise their voice publicly for human rights in China and in support of individual Chinese human rights activists. A failure to do so will send the message that it is acceptable for a government to host the Olympic Games in an atmosphere of repression and persecution.”

Note to editors
Amnesty International’s report concluded that:

Many human rights defenders continue to be held in prisons across China and under house arrest; others are tightly monitored by police to ensure they will not disrupt the Olympics in any way.
The Chinese authorities have extended the use of punitive administrative detention – including
“Re-education through Labour” and “Enforced Drug Rehabilitation” – to “clean up” Beijing before the start of the Olympics and ensure activists stay out of sight during the Games.
Temporary media regulations that were supposed to allow greater freedom of reporting for foreign media have not been fully implemented. The Foreign Correspondents Club of China reported 260 cases of reporting interference since 1 January 2007. The regulations do not extend to Chinese journalists who continue to be prevented from publishing stories on issues deemed sensitive by the government.
The death penalty continues to be used for some 68 crimes, including some non-violent crimes such as economic and drug-related offences. Despite assurances that the number of executions has dropped since the Supreme People's Court reinstated the review process, the Chinese authorities have not published actual figures.

Liu Jie, a rural activist, was detained in Beijing and assigned to 18 months “Re-education through Labour” (RTL) in Heilongjiang province, northeast China, where local sources say she has been physically abused for having organized a public letter urging leaders to carry out political and legal reforms, including abolition of RTL.

In June 2008, the police detained Sichuan-based human rights activist Huang Qi on suspicion of “illegally acquiring state secrets”. Huang had been involved in assisting the families of five primary school pupils to bring a legal case against the local authorities. The five pupils died when the school buildings collapsed in the earthquake in Sichuan in May.

In 2001, when China was granted the hosting of the 2008 Olympic Games, Wang Wei, Secretary General of the Beijing Olympic Bid Committee said: “We will give the media complete freedom to report when they come to China. ( … ) We are confident that the Games coming to China not only promote our economy but also enhances all social conditions, including education, health and human rights.”

For a copy of the 18-page report “ ‘People’s Republic of China The Olympics Countdown – Broken Promises” please see: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA17/089/2008/en

FACTS AND FIGURES - Olympic values and Olympic realities

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 10:05:00 +0100

Olympic Charter
http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_122.pdf

Olympic Fundamental Principle 1
Respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.

Olympic Fundamental Principle 2
Preservation of human dignity

Beijing Promise
“We will give the media complete freedom to report when they come to China. (…) We are confident that the Games coming to China not only promotes our economy but also enhances all social conditions, including education, health and human rights.” Wang Wei, Secretary General of the Beijing Olympic Bid Committee, 13 July 2001 (when Beijing was granted the hosting of the Olympics), China Daily.

Olympics Realities
Olympic reality
People continue to be punished for defending human rights.

• Many Chinese human rights activists have been targeted by the authorities in their efforts to “silence dissent” ahead of the Games. Some have been imprisoned, while others have been harassed and kept under tight police surveillance as prisoners in their own homes.

• Chinese authorities are using Beijing’s hosting of the Olympics as a pretext for extending the use of detention without trial, notably “Re-education through Labour” and “Enforced Drug Rehabilitation.”

• Thousands of people, including petitioners who have gone to Beijing seeking justice from the government, have been swept up in efforts to “clean up” the city before the Games.

• Authorities in Shanghai have barred activists from speaking to foreigners or leaving the city without permission, including travelling to Beijing before the end of the Olympics. A public notice stated that those violating the rules “may be warned, detained or face criminal punishment.”

• In the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake, local authorities in the provincial capital, Chengdu, urged schools to “set up effective plans to ensure stability” and called for 24-hour surveillance to “absolutely prevent petitioners from going to Beijing.”

• Parents of children who died when schools collapsed during the earthquake and who are demanding Investigations into alleged shoddy building practices, have been particularly targeted to prevent them from bringing their demands to Beijing.

Olympic reality
China does not allow “complete media freedom” as promised.

• The Chinese authorities barred media access to Tibet and Tibetan-populated areas of surrounding provinces following the protests there in March.

• Despite new media regulations that were supposed to allow for freer reporting, foreign journalists continue to be prevented from covering “sensitive issues”, including talking to those who suffer human rights violations. The Foreign Correspondents Club of China (FCCC) documented approximately 180 incidents of reporting disruptions in 2007. This has now increased to 260.

• Chinese journalists operate in a climate of censorship, unable to report on issues deemed sensitive by the authorities, and with many still languishing in jail for reporting on such issues.

• Internet control and censorship is increasing as the Olympics approach. Many sites, including several reporting on HIV/AIDS issues in Beijing, have been targeted.

Olympic reality
China is the world’s top executioner

• The Supreme People’s Court (SPC) initiated a review of the death penalty that is believed to have resulted in a significant drop in executions – a senior official said that in the first half of 2008, 15 per cent of death sentences were rejected by the SPC.

• However, the authorities continue to refuse to disclose the full number of those sentenced to death and executed -- the total figure remains a state secret. Estimates put the number of those executed every year in the thousands.

• Around 68 offences – including non-violent crimes such as drug-related offences – are punishable by death in China.

• Those facing capital charges do not receive fair trials even after the introduction of the SPC review: they do not get prompt access to lawyers; there is no presumption of innocence; courts continue to be subjected to political interference; and the law does not prevent courts from taking into account evidence extracted through torture.

END/

Amnesty International website blocked at Olympic venue

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:54:02 +0100

Foreign journalists working from the Olympics press centre in Beijing are unable to access amnesty.org - the Amnesty International website. A number of other websites are also reported to have been blocked.

As Amnesty International prepares to launch a new report evaluating the Chinese authorities’ human rights performance in the run-up to the Olympics, this flies in the face of official promises to ensure “complete media freedom” for the Games.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has on many occasions highlighted the loosening of restrictions on foreign media in China as an example of an improvement in human rights brought about by the hosting of the Olympics. On 17 July Jaques Rogge, IOC President, went as far as to claim that ‘there will be no censorship on the internet.’

The Olympics Countdown: Broken Promises is to be published online today at 21:00 GMT, Tuesday 29 July at 05:00am Hong Kong time.

The follow-up to China: The Olympics Countdown: Crackdown on Activists Threatens Olympic Legacy which was released in April this year, the new report shows that there has still been little progress towards fulfilling the Chinese authorities’ promise to improve human rights, but rather continued deterioration in key areas.

Blocking Amnesty International’s website, along with a number of others, is a clear example of the Chinese authorities' broken promises.

On Tuesday 1 April 2008, Kevin Gosper, Vice Chair of the IOC co-ordinating commission, was at a meeting in Beijing where he urged the Chinese government to honour the commitment in the host city contract to allow free internet access to the media attending the Games.

Gosper said that the continued blocking of some websites would "reflect very poorly" on the hosts. "This morning we insisted again," Gosper added. "Our concern is that the press is able to operate as it has at previous Games - at Games time. I'm satisfied that the Chinese understand the need for this and they will do it.

Have your say on censorship and other human rights issues in China on Amnesty International's The China Debate website.

Chinese authorities’ broken promises threaten Olympic legacy

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:41:15 +0100

The Chinese authorities have broken their promise to improve the country’s human rights situation and betrayed the core values of the Olympics, according to a new Amnesty International report.

Published to mark the 10-day countdown to the Games, the report evaluates the performance of the Chinese authorities in four areas related to the core Olympic values of ’universal fundamental ethical principles’ and ‘human dignity’: these include persecution of human rights activists, detention without trial, censorship and the death penalty.

The Olympics Countdown: Broken Promises concludes that in most of these areas human rights have continued to deteriorate since the previous Amnesty International report The Olympics Countdown: Crackdown on Activists Threatens Olympic Legacy, which was published in April this year.

In the run-up to the Olympics, the Chinese authorities have locked up, put under house arrest and forcibly removed individuals they believe may threaten the image of “stability” and “harmony” they want to present to the world.

“By continuing to persecute and punish those who speak out for human rights, the Chinese authorities have lost sight of the promises they made when they were granted the Games seven years ago,” said Roseann Rife, Asia-Pacific Deputy Director at Amnesty International.

“The Chinese authorities are tarnishing the legacy of the Games. They must release all imprisoned peaceful activists, allow foreign and national journalists to report freely and make further progress towards the elimination of the death penalty.”

Reports have just confirmed that foreign journalists working from the Olympics press centre in Beijing are unable to access amnesty.org, the Amnesty International website. In addition, The China Debate, a site recently launched by Amnesty International as a forum to discuss human rights has been blocked in China.

A number of other websites are also reported to have been blocked, including Taiwan newspaper Liberty Times and the Chinese versions of both Germany's Deutsche Welle and the BBC.

This flies in the face of official promises to ensure “complete media freedom” for the Games. Internet control and censorship is increasing as the Olympics approach. Many other sites, including several reporting on HIV/AIDS issues in Beijing, have been targeted.

Despite new media regulations that were supposed to allow for freer reporting for foreign journalists, they continue to be prevented from covering “sensitive issues”, including talking to those who suffer human rights violations. The Foreign Correspondents Club of China (FCCC) documented approximately 180 incidents of reporting disruptions in 2007. This has now increased to 260.

Amnesty International also believes that local activists and journalists working on human rights issues in China are at particular risk of abuse during the Games. Chinese journalists operate in a climate of censorship, unable to report on issues deemed sensitive by the authorities, and many still languish in jail for reporting on such issues.

Housing rights activist Ye Guozhu continues to serve his four-year sentence for “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble” because of his opposition to the seizure and demolition of property to make way for new construction projects for next month’s Olympic Games.

Ye Guozhu’s prison sentence was due to expire on 26 July. Instead the Chinese authorities say, he will remain imprisoned until at least 1 October, after the end of the 2008 Olympic Games.

China is still the world’s top executioner. The Supreme People’s Court (SPC) initiated a review of the death penalty that is believed to have resulted in a significant drop in executions. A senior official said that in the first half of 2008 15 per cent of death sentences were rejected by the SPC.

However, the authorities continue to refuse to disclose the full number of those sentenced to death and executed -- the total figure remains a state secret. Estimates put the number of those executed every year in the thousands. Around 68 offences – including non-violent crimes such as drug-related offences – are punishable by death in China.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, Jacques Rogge, recently claimed the IOC’s ‘quiet diplomacy’ had led to several human rights reforms, including the new regulations for foreign media.

“We welcome the IOC’s recognition of its role on human rights, but given the current reality, we are surprised at their confidence that foreign media will be able to report freely and that there will be no internet censorship,” said Roseann Rife. “And they must speak out when the authorities violate the wider Olympic principles.”

“Additionally, world leaders who attend the Games need to raise their voice publicly for human rights in China and in support of individual Chinese human rights activists. A failure to do so will send the message that it is acceptable for a government to host the Olympic Games in an atmosphere of repression and persecution.

Have your say on human rights issues in China on Amnesty International's The China Debate website.

China: Ye Guozhu must be immediately released

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:03:31 +0100

Amnesty International today demanded the immediate release of Beijing housing activist Ye Guozhu. He was due to be released on Saturday 26 July, but will now remain imprisoned until 1 October, after the end of the 2008 Olympic Games.

"Ye Guozhu is being kept in prison to prevent him from speaking out about the people, like himself, who were forcibly evicted from their homes in Beijing to make room for the Olympics," said Amnesty International.

"This is in complete contradiction of the promises China made to improve human rights before the start of the Games."

According to Ye's family, the Chaobai prison authorities telephoned them on 22 July, informing the family they should not go to the prison to receive Ye Guozhu on 26 July, the original date for his release. The prison authorities said that Beijing Xuanwu district police had taken Ye away. The Xuanwu District police later said that for the good of the family and to keep them out of trouble during the Olympic Games, the police would take care of Ye Guozhu but would not allow him to return home until sometime after 1 October 2008. The police refused to let the family meet Ye Guozhu or tell them where he is now being detained.

Ye Guozhu, considered by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment in 2004 for his opposition to forced evictions in Beijing associated with construction for the Olympic Games.

In 2006 it emerged that Ye was tortured while in detention. Police at the Dongcheng district detention centre in Beijing reportedly suspended him from the ceiling by his arms and repeatedly beat him. He was also reportedly tortured in another prison in the second half of 2005.

Ye Guozhu must be released immediately

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:34:20 +0100

Amnesty International today demanded the immediate release of housing rights activist Ye Guozhu, who was arrested and sentenced in December 2004, after he applied for permission to hold a demonstration against forced evictions in Beijing.

The Chinese authorities say they will now not free Ye Guozhu when his four-year prison sentence expires on 26 July. Instead he will remain imprisoned until at least 1 October, after the end of the 2008 Olympic Games.

"Ye Guozhu is being kept in prison to prevent him from speaking out about the people, like himself, who were forcibly evicted from their homes in Beijing to make room for the Olympics," said Amnesty International.

"This is in complete contradiction of the promises China made to improve human rights before the start of the Games."

According to Ye's family, the Chaobai prison authorities telephoned them on 22 July, informing the family that they should not go to the prison to receive Ye Guozhu on 26 July, the original date for his release.

The prison authorities were reported to have said that Beijing Xuanwu district police had taken Ye away. The Xuanwu District police later said that for the good of the family and to keep them out of trouble during the Games, the police would take care of Ye Guozhu.

They would not however, allow him to return home until sometime after 1 October 2008. The police refused to let the family meet Ye Guozhu or tell them where he is now being detained.

Ye Guozhu, considered by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience, was convicted of “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble” because of his opposition to the seizure and demolition of property to make way for new construction projects for next month’s Olympic Games.

Ye Guozhu’s restaurant and living quarters were among many properties seized when officials of Beijing’s Xuanwu District, along with developers, forcibly evicted a large number of city residents. He received no compensation.

Amnesty International launches final report ahead of Olympics

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:57:51 +0100

On Tuesday 29 July -- to mark the 10 day countdown to the Beijing Olympics -- Amnesty International will launch the report “The Olympics Countdown: Broken Promises”.

The report evaluates the performance of the Chinese authorities in four areas related to the core values of the Olympics: persecution of human rights activists, detention without trial, censorship and the death penalty.

Journalists are invited to attend an embargoed press briefing on Monday 28 July in Hong Kong.

When: Monday 28 July 15:00 (Hong Kong time).

Where: Foreign Correspondents Club - 2 Lower Albert Road, Central, Hong Kong

Who:
Mark Allison, China Researcher, Amnesty International.
Roseann Rife, Asia-Pacific Deputy Programme Director, Amnesty International.

To confirm your attendance to the pre-launch embargo briefing or arrange an interview, please contact:
Josefina Salomón, M: +44 7778 472 116, jsalomon@amnesty.org

Thousands worldwide call for positive Beijing Olympics legacy in human aerial art events

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:53:15 +0100

On the eve of the anniversary of Beijing being granted the 2008 Olympics, Thousands of Amnesty International supporters in over 25 locations across the globe teamed up today with Circle Up Now to create visual representations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), as a reminder to the Chinese authorities of their human rights promises.

From New Delhi to London, the coast of the Netherlands and Istanbul, artists and activists joined to create aerial images of words such as “Freedom”, “Dignity” and “Justice” to represent the principles of the UDHR.

“In order for the Beijing Olympics to have a long-lasting positive legacy, the Chinese authorities must deliver on their human rights promises now. Today's events show that there is global support for human rights improvements throughout China,” said Amnesty International.

“This global day of action has united, inspired and motivated individuals on every continent to celebrate basic human rights for all, as well as commit themselves to stand up in solidarity with those in China and elsewhere whose rights are consistently being denied,” said Circle Up Now.

High resolution photos of the aerial art images created across the world are now available on: http://circleupnow.smugmug.com/gallery/5344545_ENFZm/1/326785690_pjbHE (password: dayofaction)

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Amnesty International – Josefina Salomon, P: +44 207 413 5562, M: +44 7778 472 116, jsalomon@amnesty.org

Circle Up Now – Nicole Hamze P: +1 888 461 8881, press@circleupnow.org

Note to editors
The UDHR was adopted by UN member states on 10 December 1948. This aerial art event is one of a series of activities that Amnesty International is organizing in the run-up to the 60th anniversary to celebrate the UDHR and focus on what must be done to make human rights a reality.