Beijing Olympics: China lifts internet restrictions but warns foreign media

Beijing Olympics: China lifts internet restrictions but warns foreign media

www. telegraph.co.uk

For the first time, major international websites devoted to human rights, such as those of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, were freely accessible on computer screens across the city.

English speakers were able to see and read articles with headlines such as "Chinese authorities' broken promises threaten Olympic legacy". The Amnesty site also showed Chinese prisoners apparently at a sentencing rally before being executed.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.timesonline.co.uk
www.bloomberg.com
uk.reuters.com

It seems China is doing a little house-cleaning just in time for Spring...

They want things to appear calm and serene for the upcoming Olympics; yet they pretend the rest of the world has forgotten about Tiananmen Square and doesn't know that the Chinese censor their Internet, or imprison & torture dissidents and run state-sponsored propaganda?

Kind of a naive approach if you think about it but the nevertheless and step in the right direction for China.

Maybe it won't be a temporary measure or maybe it will but nevertheless for the Chinese government to actually succumb to foreign pressure for once and media portrayal signals a shift in China's stance on human rights.

They actually do care what the rest of the world perceives them as it seems.
Maybe they'll release a few thousand dissidents too, who knows?

Goes to show you how we take everything for granted in the Western world, at least we have access to alternative sources of information, whereas most Chinese are just spoon-fed propaganda, like it or not.

www. telegraph.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 2/8/08 by The Godfather of Conspira]

It seems China is also using this opportunity to investigate foreign journalist's and visitors computers:

Citing information received anonymously from hotels stating that officials will be monitoring all of their guests, US Senators as well as security experts are urging all travelers to encrypt their data and telling journalists to use clean computers and equipment to protect themselves as well as their sources.

www.neowin.net...

There had to be some motivation for them lifting the restrictions after all...

reply to post by The Godfather of Conspira


US senators want people to go to china with a clean computer, LOL. Didn't they just make a new law that says US customs agents can search any device that has data on it.

reply to post by DaVillen


Good point, I believe your referring to this: www.abovetopsecret.com...

Still that only applies to customs agents for travellers; here they're talking about hotels and general public computers being monitored.

I don't deny the CIA or NSA don't monitor internet traffic within the US too but at least it's a covert program.

China makes no attempt to disguise what their doing. Their both just as bad if you ask me.