Die Organisation “Reporter ohne Grenzen” hat mit einem Brief ihre Protestkampagne “Beijing 2008″ neu gestartet, die gegen die anhaltenden Menschenrechtsverletzungen in China gerichtet ist. Sie fordern das Internationale Olympische Komitee (IOC) auf, die 2001 von China gegebenen Zusicherungen einzufordern, insbesondere auch deswegen, weil China die Olympischen Spiele als Propagandainstrument nutzt.

“You know better than anyone that the Chinese government and Communist Party attach the utmost importance to the success of the Olympic Games for their own sakes, but without keeping any of the promises they have made. Mr. President, it is not too late to get the Chinese organisers, who are for the most part also senior political officials, to release prisoners of conscience, reform repressive laws and end censorship.”

Nähere Informationen zur Einschränkung der Presse- und Informationsfreiheit in China sind z.B. in diesem Artikel zu finden.

“At least 30 journalists and 50 Internet users are currently detained in China. Some of them since the 1980s. The government blocks access to thousands for news websites. It jams the Chinese, Tibetan and Uyghur-language programmes of 10 international radio stations. After focusing on websites and chat forums, the authorities are now concentrating on blogs and video-sharing sites. China’s blog services incorporate all the filters that block keywords considered “subversive” by the censors. The law severely punishes “divulging state secrets,” “subversion” and “defamation” – charges that are regularly used to silence the most outspoken critics. Although the rules for foreign journalists have been relaxed, it is still impossible for the international media to employ Chinese journalists or to move about freely in Tibet and Xinjiang.”