Amnesty International issued a report today about how the Chinese are doing with regard to the promises they made when they were bidding for the Olypmic games, which start in less than two weeks [08/08/08] They outlined how foreign media are being restricted [one of the promises was to NOT do that]; and how a Chinese local, who spoke out about how the Olympic construction took away his family's home, is now in jail ; etc.
Not good... Read their report here:
{OH OH - I was just there 5 minutes ago, and now I see this:
"Website is currently offline for maintenance"}
Possibly just my timing... check later, and see the report:
Amnesty International Olympic Promises report - July 29th 2008
Good luck with THAT!.
Meanwhile, at "Tibet Watch" website, they have their own report, which also includes Tibet issues [which the Amn. Int. seems to have been avoiding??] - second article on this page, links to other sites, PDF report eventually:
Broken Promises - Tibet Watch
Page one of the PDF report:
[QUOTE]
Seven years ago,on 13 July 2001,the Chinese government was triumphant when Beijing won the award of hosting the 2008 Olympic Games.The international kudos of hosting an Olympic Games is immense, as are the potential profits. But the selection of Beijing was controversial,especially in light of China ’s human rights record both within China itself,and in Tibet,which China has occupied since 1950.Upon being awarded the 2008 Olympics,the Chinese government swiftly made a number of promises regarding the promotion of human rights across China for the seven years leading up to the Beijing Olympics,as well as promising freedom of movement and access for the thousands of journalists who would be in
China covering the Olympics in Beijing before and during August 2008.
The head of the 2001 Beijing Olympic Games bidding committee,Wang Wei,promised that being
awarded the 2008 Games would “enhance all social conditions,including education,health and human
rights ”2 in China.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC)claimed that awarding Beijing the Olympics would lead to
improvements in human rights across China.“Some people say,because of serious human rights issues,
‘We close the door and say no [to China ],’” said Francois Carrard,IOC Executive Director,on 13 July 2001.
“The other way is to bet on openness … we are taking the bet that seven years from now we will see many changes [in China ],” he added.
Seven years later,in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics,this Tibet Watch report examines the reality of China ’s Olympic promises.Focusing exclusively on human rights in Tibet,this report reveals how, contrary to improving its human rights record,China has systematically continued to violate cultural,religious,educational,and political rights in Tibet since it was awarded the Games in 2001.Today,following the uprising in March April 2008,thousands of Tibetans remain imprisoned in Chinese administered
detention,religious restrictions have intensified,and peaceful protests have been brutally crushed.Tibetans
are living in a culture of fear in their own country,whilst being deprived of education and development
opportunities by the Chinese regime.
By analysing up-to-date statistics and Chinese laws,policies and official statements,as well as corroborated
eye-witness accounts from inside Tibet,this report details the nature and intensity of human rights abuses in
Tibet over the last seven years.These abuses culminated in a mass violent crackdown in March 2008,when protests against the Chinese occupation erupted in the Tibetan capital,Lhasa.This report examines the
March 2008 protests,including the international protests that followed on from the protests across Tibet.
[/QUOTE ]