Beijing was selected to host the summer Olympics in 2008 despite its dismal human rights record. Although China is a rising global economic power, the government continues to restrict even the most basic political rights and civil liberties of Chinese citizens. Chinese citizens have no say in their leadership, the judiciary is not independent, and freedom of speech, association, and religion are all severely restricted.
Freedom House condemned the decision of the International Olympic Committee to once again choose a repressive regime as the host country for the games. However, as citizens of the world focus their attention on China over the course of the Olympic Games, it is our hope that they will be as moved by the plight of the world’s 1.3 billion Chinese living without freedom as by the courage and skill of the athletes who will gather there. Listen to Freedom House experts discuss the Beijing Games including: U.S. President George W. Bush’s controversial visit to the opening ceremony, China’s press freedom restrictions and the history of authoritarian regimes hosting the Olympics.
Five Things You Should Know about the Beijing Olympics
- China’s commitment to improve human rights for the Olympics was not significant and has not been enforced.
- Repression has increased, not decreased, in the lead up to the Olympics.
- The Olympics will not be covered freely by foreign or domestic media.
- China’s athletics system still bears the hallmarks of a totalitarian system.
- The Olympic Games have political implications and are not just a sporting event.
Ten Things You Should Know about China
- Half of the world’s population living in countries designated “Not Free” by Freedom House live in China.
- China imprisons more journalists than any other country in the world.
- The Chinese government maintains one of the world’s most sophisticated systems of blocking access to websites and monitoring its citizens’ e-mail communications.
- The one-child policy leads to forced abortions, a shortage of females, and an increase in trafficking of people.
- 65 crimes in China carry the death penalty.
- The Chinese government has supported extremely repressive regimes such as those governing Burma, Sudan and Zimbabwe.
- Tibetan Buddhists, Christians, Muslims and practitioners of other religions face frequent harassment.
- Thousands of North Korean refugees who escape into China are sent back to North Korea to face arrest, torture, and sometimes death.
- Public protests have been on the increase in recent years.
- Chinese citizens deserve better.
- The 21 edits from the Chinese Government’s propaganda unit, August 14, 2008, Sydney Morning Herald
- Things Get Testy at Olympic News Conference, August 14, 2008, The New York Times, by Peter Berlin
- Partners in Grime; August 5, 2008, The Washington Post, by Sally Jenkins
- China’s Gold Rush, August 5, 2008, The New York Times, by Matthew Forney
- China revokes ex-speedskater Joey Cheek's visa, August 6, 2008, Associated Press, by Eddie Pells
- Not all in Beijing are Olympic enthusiasts, August 5, 2008, International Herald Tribune, by Andrew Jacobs
- Golden Ambition; July 25, 2008 in The New York Sun, by Arch Puddington
- Beijing is Listening to our Silence; January 18, 2008 in National Post (Canada) by Sarah Cook
- While in Beijing...What a 'Dissident President' Would Do at the Games; January 7, 2008 in The Washington Post, by Ellen Bork
- Let a Hundred Flowers Be Crushed; January 2, 2008 in Weekly Standard, by Ellen Bork
- China Games, October 23, 2007 in Commentary Magazine, by Arch Puddington
- Freedom in the World 2008: China
- Freedom of the Press 2008: China
- Countries at the Crossroads 2007: China
- Countries at the Crossroads 2007: China (Chinese Translation)
- Special Report – Speak No Evil: Mass Media Control in Contemporary China; February 9, 2006
- Olympics Deliver Blow to Press Freedom in China; July 30, 2008
- China's Block on Dissidents Heightens Importance of Bush Visit; July 1, 2008
- Freedom House Welcomes China’s Greater Media Openness Amid Quake; May 16, 2008
- Freedom House Calls on China to Release Political Prisoners and Urges Democracies to Step up Pressure; February 1, 2008
- China's Emerging Governance Crisis Enables Corruption, Environmental Degradation, and Ineffective Consumer Regulation; September 25, 2007
- Freedom House Condemns U.S. Support of China on Taiwan UN Bid; September 10, 2007
- U.S. Firms Should Not Aid Repressive Governments in Stifling Human Rights; August 28, 2007
- Repression of Freedom of Religion in Tibet Continues Unabated; August 10, 2007
- Freedom House Criticizes Sentence of New York Times Researcher Zhao Yan; August 25, 2006
- President Bush Urged to Discuss Human Rights Abuses in China with President Hu; April 19, 2006
- Freedom House Condemns Latest Act of Media Repression in China; January 26, 2006
- Write a letter to your Congressperson or Senator
An important way to influence American foreign policy is to let your representatives in Washington know how you feel. You can contact your congressperson by visiting the US House website and your senator by visiting the US Senate website. Feel free to use text from our sample letter to help you get started.
- Write a letter to the International Olympic Committee
If you believe it is wrong for the International Olympic Committee to award the Olympic Games to countries that severely repress the rights of their own citizens, you should let them know. Feel free to use text from our sample letter, which includes contact information for the IOC Chairman, to help you get started.
- Contribute to Freedom House
Freedom House relies heavily on the contributions of concerned citizens around the world to produce its analysis, engage in advocacy, and assist democracy and human rights activists in China and around the world. If you would like to help Freedom House continue in its efforts, we would greatly appreciate your tax-free donation.
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