Saturday, March 08, 2008
Beijing Update: No Progress in Human Rights
Six months ahead of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games, Reporters Without Borders has issued an update on human rights in China that is sharply critical of the government. Tendai Maphosa reports from London.
Reporters Without Borders says that despite international pressure, there is no indication that China has improved its human rights record, including its treatment of the media.
Spokesman Vincent Brossel urges the international community to maintain pressure on Beijing, asserting that as China wants to improve its image ahead of the Olympic Games, pressure has had some positive results on other issues, such as the Chinese government's support of Sudan in the case of Darfur.
"We feel that there is a way to put pressure on China and we saw it very clearly in the case of Darfur because there were the criticism they (China) had to send a special envoy to Sudan and they obviously had to change a little bit their position," Brossel says.
A Heavy Price
He adds that pressure from US President Bush, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and other world leaders who plan to attend the Games could have an impact.
Reporters Without Borders says those inside China who are using the Olympics to focus attention on human rights in the country are paying a heavy price. The group cites the case of activist Hu Jia, who remains in detention in Beijing on charges of subversion against the state while his wife, blogger Zeng Jinyan, and their baby daughter are subject to constant police surveillance.
At least four other activists are being held for calling for more freedom before the games. Yang Chunlin, who started the "We want human rights, not the Olympic Games" campaign, faces a heavy sentence after his recent trial. Two of his associates were sentenced in January to reeducation through labor.
No Boycott
However, Brossel says that despite the lack of progress on human rights, his organization is not calling for a boycott of the games because some of the people attending will publicize the issue. "We are very clear on this also that we don't call for the boycott because thousands of journalists and people will go to China is a positive thing," he said.
Reporters Without Borders also calls on China to release imprisoned journalists and Internet users, end censorship of news Web sites and stop jamming international radio stations.
Hollywood film director Steven Spielberg recently quit as artistic advisor to the Games because of China's policy in Sudan. The Chinese embassy in London did not respond to requests for an interview about his resignation. But the Chinese foreign ministry has issued a statement saying the human rights campaign "violates the Olympic spirit of separating sports from politics."
Reporters Without Borders says that despite international pressure, there is no indication that China has improved its human rights record, including its treatment of the media.Spokesman Vincent Brossel urges the international community to maintain pressure on Beijing, asserting that as China wants to improve its image ahead of the Olympic Games, pressure has had some positive results on other issues, such as the Chinese government's support of Sudan in the case of Darfur.
"We feel that there is a way to put pressure on China and we saw it very clearly in the case of Darfur because there were the criticism they (China) had to send a special envoy to Sudan and they obviously had to change a little bit their position," Brossel says.
A Heavy Price
He adds that pressure from US President Bush, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and other world leaders who plan to attend the Games could have an impact.
Reporters Without Borders says those inside China who are using the Olympics to focus attention on human rights in the country are paying a heavy price. The group cites the case of activist Hu Jia, who remains in detention in Beijing on charges of subversion against the state while his wife, blogger Zeng Jinyan, and their baby daughter are subject to constant police surveillance.
At least four other activists are being held for calling for more freedom before the games. Yang Chunlin, who started the "We want human rights, not the Olympic Games" campaign, faces a heavy sentence after his recent trial. Two of his associates were sentenced in January to reeducation through labor.
No Boycott
However, Brossel says that despite the lack of progress on human rights, his organization is not calling for a boycott of the games because some of the people attending will publicize the issue. "We are very clear on this also that we don't call for the boycott because thousands of journalists and people will go to China is a positive thing," he said.
Reporters Without Borders also calls on China to release imprisoned journalists and Internet users, end censorship of news Web sites and stop jamming international radio stations.
Hollywood film director Steven Spielberg recently quit as artistic advisor to the Games because of China's policy in Sudan. The Chinese embassy in London did not respond to requests for an interview about his resignation. But the Chinese foreign ministry has issued a statement saying the human rights campaign "violates the Olympic spirit of separating sports from politics."
