Lack of Beijing reforms ‘threatens Olympic values’

AMNESTY International yesterday warned the “core principles of the Olympic charter” are under threat unless China can be pressured into making wide-ranging human rights reforms before the Beijing Olympics begin in 2008.

The organisation published a report calling on the International Olympic Committee to put pressure on China to ensure that promises made over human rights are met.

The report, The Olympics Countdown — One Year Left To Fulfil Human Rights Promises, acknowledged progress had been made but said more needed to be done.

The report highlights a lack of transparency on the use of the death penalty, the use of detention without trial, the targeting of activist groups and the censorship of journalists and the internet.

It also criticises “the apparent reluctance of [the committee] to take a more proactive stance on human rights issues in the run-up to the Olympics”.

Amnesty International Britain director Kate Allen said: “This report is a disturbing reminder of how far China still has to go to make good its promise to use the Olympics as a spur to improving human rights.

“With even housing rights campaigners being locked up for complaining about people evicted from their homes to make way for the games, the situation is extremely serious,” she said.

An Olympics spokesman said it would respond to the report in due course.