Amnesty International: China Not Keeping Its Word On Human Rights

The 2008 Olympic Games have become a catalyst for more repression in China, not less, according to an Amnesty International report released Sunday and aimed at pressuring the Beijing government a year before the start of the world's premier sporting event.

The 22-page report says China's illegal detention and imprisonment of activists and other measures have overshadowed some modest reforms, including how the Chinese legal system reviews death-penalty cases and the loosening of some restrictions on the foreign press.

To win its first Olympics bid, China promised in 2001 to improve human rights, increase environmental protections and address the city's traffic problems. The Games are expected to attract 500,000 visitors, including thousands of journalists, giving China a chance to showcase itself before a huge international audience.

In recent weeks, however, various groups have begun arguing that China has not done enough.
Last Wednesday, four American tourists were detained after unfurling a banner at a base camp on Mount Everest that read, "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 2008," a play on the Beijing Olympics motto.

On the same day, French presidential candidate Segolene Royal said that if elected president, she would not rule out a boycott of the Olympics unless China used its influence with the government of Sudan to stop ongoing atrocities in the Darfur region. "All means must be used," she said. China, a veto-wielding member of the U.N. Security Council, has major oil investments in Sudan.


SOURCE:
Seattle Times

The PRChinese government should not be surprised, the Olympics have
been historically a venue for international pressure on participating and
hosting countries.

Honestly, I think that we should boycott the Beijing Olympics, as it
seems that the PRChinese government is not keeping its word.


Comments, Opinions?

I'm not sure how this is a surprise. The PRC couldn't care less about world opinion. They are the center of the universe in their own minds.

Boycotting the Olympics is an option that should be explored. As I am a huge fan of the Olympics, I don't urge this lightly. Embarrasing the Chinese might be the only option to force them to make improvements in human rights.

One world, one dream, free Tibet 2008. I can get around that.

Originally posted by seagull
I'm not sure how this is a surprise. The PRC couldn't care less about world opinion. They are the center of the universe in their own minds.

Boycotting the Olympics is an option that should be explored. As I am a huge fan of the Olympics, I don't urge this lightly. Embarrasing the Chinese might be the only option to force them to make improvements in human rights.

One world, one dream, free Tibet 2008. I can get around that.

It has nothing to do with Chinese people,you'd better criticise the Chinese government

The USA also couldn't care less about world opinion. They are the center of the universe in their own minds too.
So,let's boycott American Goods

[edit on 2-5-2007 by chao]

Originally posted by iori_komei
China not keeping its' word on human rights

This deserves a great big - DUH!

Seriously - Amnesty International used to be such a great organization.
Now it seems that they are just run by anti-Americans with blindfolds on.
We USED to donate to them. Not anymore.

Originally posted by chao
So,let's boycott American Goods

You are in China, right?! Go ahead and boycott our goods.
(whatever makes it through the communist censorship)
You'll make your communist leaders very happy.

Hey .. do Chinese soldiers goose step, like those in North Korea?

Originally posted by FlyersFan
Hey .. do Chinese soldiers goose step, like those in North Korea?

what's your point?
Do the Americans survive in Iraq,because they don't goose step?I only see them dying everyday

There is sport and there is politics. They are two different things and should remain so.

I know that this is an idealistic point of view and that the Olympics are so over sized these days that no country can take them on without some element of political interference or influence but talk of boycotts is feeble minded.

Everyone knows that the human rights record of the PRC is atrocious by the standards we in the West like to think of as civilised but we have known this for many years both before and after the award of the Olympics. If leaders believe that a political record is such that action needs to be taken then take political or economic action rather than hide behind the relatively painless and cowardly step of a sporting boycott which will achieve nothing.

Will any Western nation refuse to trade with China until it puts its house in order? No, of course they won't because that will be both financially and politically too expensive, but a sporting boycott, that'll show 'em we mean business.

Amnesty International PRC index page

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Seriously - Amnesty International used to be such a great organization.
Now it seems that they are just run by anti-Americans with blindfolds on.
We USED to donate to them. Not anymore.

You have just revealed the secrets of these GREAT organizations.

My apologies, chao. I was indeed refering to the Chinese gov't., not the Chinese people. Again, my apologies. Though my point does remain.