London Lass
07-28-2008, 07:18 PM
China rights 'worsen with Games'
The human rights situation in China has deteriorated, not improved, with its hosting of the Olympic Games this year, campaigners Amnesty International say.
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.
Chinese officials were not commenting on the report ahead of its publication.
However, Beijing routinely denies allegations that it abuses human rights, arguing that recent reforms have improved the situation and saying its economic management has improved the quality of life of hundreds of millions of people.
Olympic values 'undermined'
When it was awarded the chance to host the Games, China said it would uphold the values of human dignity associated with the Olympian tradition, says the BBC's Vaudine England in Hong Kong.
It promised an improvement in human rights, media freedom and better provision in health and education, but Amnesty International says the opposite has occurred.
We've seen a deterioration in human rights because of the Olympics
Roseann Rife
Amnesty International deputy programme director (left)
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 have 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."
The group names individual activists including Hu Jia, Yang Chunlin and Ye Guozhu as among those who have effectively been silenced by the government in the run-up to the Games.
Mark Allison, China researcher at Amnesty, urged leaders not to forget them.
"We continue to call on world leaders planning to attend the Games to speak out now to prevent the authorities from using their attendance as a tacit endorsement of violations perpetrated in preparation for the Olympics," he said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7529453.stm
The human rights situation in China has deteriorated, not improved, with its hosting of the Olympic Games this year, campaigners Amnesty International say.
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.
Chinese officials were not commenting on the report ahead of its publication.
However, Beijing routinely denies allegations that it abuses human rights, arguing that recent reforms have improved the situation and saying its economic management has improved the quality of life of hundreds of millions of people.
Olympic values 'undermined'
When it was awarded the chance to host the Games, China said it would uphold the values of human dignity associated with the Olympian tradition, says the BBC's Vaudine England in Hong Kong.
It promised an improvement in human rights, media freedom and better provision in health and education, but Amnesty International says the opposite has occurred.
We've seen a deterioration in human rights because of the Olympics
Roseann Rife
Amnesty International deputy programme director (left)
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 have 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."
The group names individual activists including Hu Jia, Yang Chunlin and Ye Guozhu as among those who have effectively been silenced by the government in the run-up to the Games.
Mark Allison, China researcher at Amnesty, urged leaders not to forget them.
"We continue to call on world leaders planning to attend the Games to speak out now to prevent the authorities from using their attendance as a tacit endorsement of violations perpetrated in preparation for the Olympics," he said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7529453.stm