Broken Promises

We knew this anyway. Now a report from Amnesty makes it clear:

The human rights situation in China has deteriorated in the run-up to its hosting of the Olympic Games this year, Amnesty International says.

It documents the use of "re-education through labour", the suppression of rights activists and journalists, and the use of arbitrary imprisonment.

A spokesman urged world leaders due to attend the Games, opening in 10 days, to speak out against the violations. [...]

The report says that Chinese activists have been locked up, people have been made homeless, journalists have been detained, websites blocked, and the use of labour camps and prison beatings has increased.

"We've seen a deterioration in human rights because of the Olympics," said Roseann Rife, a deputy programme director for Amnesty International.

"Specifically we've seen crackdowns on domestic human rights activists, media censorship and increased use of re-education through labour as a means to clean up Beijing and surrounding areas."

Amnesty International UK Campaigns Director Tim Hancock:

'The Chinese authorities have broken the promises they made when they were granted the Olympics seven years ago. They told the world that the Olympics would help bring human rights to China, but the government continues to persecute and punish those who speak out for human rights ahead of the Games.'

 

Comments

[tolkein]

I'll boycott watching the Games. It's about all I can do. It is a sacrifice as I love athletics.