China's human rights record under the scanner

[Ram]

China defends human rights record Beijing has rejected claims that the human rights situation in China has deteriorated in the run-up to its hosting of the Olympic Games China's foreign ministry said a report by Amnesty International showed the group had "tinted glasses". The report accused China of reneging on its promises of greater freedom, with activists jailed, journalists detained and more people sent to labour camps. But Beijing said people who understood China would not agree with Amnesty. Foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said: "I hope that Amnesty International can take off the tinted glasses they have been wearing for years and see China in a fair and objective way, and do something more constructive." He insisted that there should be no interference in China's affairs The China Society for Human Rights Studies, which has links to the government, also dismissed the Amnesty report. Spokeswoman Xiong Lei told the BBC: "We do feel that we have problems, but we are solving them and the human rights situation is getting better and better." When it was awarded the Games, China pledged to uphold the values of human dignity associated with the Olympian tradition. It promised an improvement in human rights, media freedom and better provision in health and education. But Amnesty's report, entitled The Olympics Countdown: Broken Promises, says the opposite has occurred. It says Chinese activists have been locked up, people have been made homeless, journalists have been detained, websites blocked, and that 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. 'Silenced' "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 report names individual activists including Hu Jia, Yang Chunlin and Ye Guozhu as among those who had effectively been silenced by the government in the run-up to the Games. BBC China editor Shirong Chen says ordinary people in China are increasingly aware of their rights and are prepared to defend them. But, he adds, the Chinese Communist Party will punish severely any perceived challenge to its authority, including lengthy imprisonment for some campaigners. Amnesty is calling on world leaders attending the Games to speak out. French President Nicolas Sarkozy - after some consideration - has confirmed he will attend the opening ceremony on 8 August, as will US President George W Bush. Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper plan to stay away, while British Prime Minister Gordon Brown - in his capacity of leader of the next Olympic Games host nation - will attend the closing ceremony only. Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it would investigate claims that the internet service provided for media covering the Games was being censored. Journalists have reported problems when attempting to access the internet network at Beijing's main press centre. China's foreign ministry said media should be able to use the internet, although websites linked to the Falun Gong spiritual movement, considered a cult by Beijing, would be blocked. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7530308.stm ------------------------------------- This is probably the last thing China needed, barely 10 days before the event.

[sandtest]

A very timely thread. In fact majority of people including west never really come to know the other side of China and what lies behind it's so called "success" story. China has so far succeeded in maintaining a very tight control over it's media, foreign policy, foreign media in China, Internet, and aspirations of rural population of vast China mainland. China is a country ruled by single Party CPC, which exerts a great control through millions of CPC workers spread all over mainland. Same for PLA which remains under tight grip if CPC. Here is a news item regarding Olympics which reflects the total control of Communist party of China (CPC) -- Beijing tells spectators to leave banners at home

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing has advised spectators coming to next month's Olympics to leave their banners at home, even if they do not contravene rules forbidding the airing of political or religious views at venues. Beijing authorities have long been concerned that its citizens will take some of the gloss off the August 8-24 Games through bad manners and on Monday released its "Spectators House Rules" along with a "Good Habit for a Good Games" campaign. The rules, which Beijing organisers said were "virtually the same as for the Athens and Sydney Olympics", ban banners and flags larger than two metres by one metre although officials said they would prefer that even smaller signs were not displayed. "We advise that you do not bring banners of any kind to the Games because we must create a fair play environment for the athletes from all countries," Huang Keying, deputy director of spectator services division at the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG), told a news conference.:hysterical::giggle: "The kind of banner with "Go China!" on it would be unfair for athletes from other countries.":haha: The Olympic charter bans "any kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda ... in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas". NO GAMBLING, DRUNKENNESS, STREAKING The Beijing rules forbid any "display for commercial, religious, political, military purposes, or those for territory, human rights, environmental protection or animal protection" without prior official permission. The regulations also ban "Flags of non-participating members of the Olympics and Paralympics", which seems to be aimed the flag of Taiwan -- which is banned in China. China considers Taiwan to be a renegade province to be reunited with the mainland by force, if necessary, and the self-ruled island competes at the Olympics as "Chinese Taipei" under a special flag. Those breaching the rules, which also ban gambling, sit-ins, demonstrations, drunkenness and streaking, would be dealt with according to the transgressions, Huang said. "Different cases will be handled by different departments following relevant rules or laws. We have specially trained staff who will communicate with spectators." Umbrellas will be allowed in venues in a break from the rules that excluded them from the venues at the last Olympics in Athens, Huang said. "In foreign countries people like to sunbathe, but in Beijing we prefer to avoid the sunlight," she added. "So we will allow people to bring collapsible umbrellas as long as they don't put them up in the stands." Umbrellas are a common sight in Beijing during August, acting as parasols on the rare days of bright sunshine and protection from the relatively frequent downpours. The other change from the regulations for the Athens, Huang said, was the ban on large numbers of coins, which is not relevant in Beijing where paper money predominates.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080714/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_olympics_banners;_ylt=AgqTEPaJspzCUhNqy4uWP2XtiBIF

[Guest dada_rocks]

I am in awe of one thing about China though ..within span of 4 decades literacy has gone in the range of 90+% or so I am told..... when will we attain that stage