Block placed on radio reporter

Chinese authorities have been accused of preventing a Tibetan-born radio reporter from covering the Beijing Olmpics.

Dhondup Gonsar, who works for Radio Free Asia – a USA-based station which is blocked in China – had his accreditation request accepted by the International Olympic Committee months ago but has not received the necessary approval from the Beijing organising committee (BOCOG).

Jill Ku Martin, chief correspondent of RFA’s Mandarin service, has been accredited but her colleague remains in Hong Kong.

“We can only speculate as to why it is happening but he is of Tibetan descent and broadcasts in the Tibetan language,” she said.

Radio Free Asia was set up in the 1950s by the CIA but they withdrew involvement in the early 1970s since when it has been run as a non-profit organisation funded by the US Congress. Critics in China claim it still has CIA connections.

BOCOG and the IOC insisted that the application was still being processed.