Olympics Countdown

People’s Republic of China: The Olympics countdown – broken promises

With the Olympics less than two weeks away, it is time to assess progress made by the Chinese authorities to improve human rights in line with their own commitments made in 2001. This report provides a final summary and updates developments in these four key areas which are: the continuing use of the death penalty; abusive forms of administrative detention; the arbitrary detention, imprisonment, ill-treatment and harassment of human rights defenders, including journalists and lawyers; and the censorship of the internet.

China: The Olympics countdown – broken promises: Update

People’s Republic of China: The Olympics countdown – crackdown on activists threatens Olympics legacy

With little more than four months to go before the Beijing Olympics, few substantial reforms have been introduced that will have a significant, positive impact on human rights in China. This is particularly apparent in the plight of individual activists and journalists, who have bravely sought to expose ongoing human rights abuses and call on the government to address them.

People’s Republic of China: The Olympics countdown – crackdown on Tibetan protesters

Since 10 March 2008, serious human rights violations have been reported in the Tibet Autonomous Region and Tibetan areas of neighbouring provinces in connection with the police and military crackdown on Tibetan protesters. Initial protests by Tibetans appear to have been peaceful but later turned violent. Amnesty International is concerned that in restoring order, the Chinese authorities have resorted to measures which violate international human rights law and standards. These have reportedly included unnecessary and excessive use of force, including lethal force, arbitrary detentions and intimidation.

People's Republic of China: The Olympics countdown: One year left to fulfil human rights promises

With just one year to go before the Olympics take place in Beijing, many in China and abroad are beginning to look ahead to assess the likely legacy of the Games for human rights in China. In this update, Amnesty International summarizes recent developments on four key human rights issues the organization is monitoring ahead of August 2008 and assesses how far these meet promises made by Chinese officials to improve human rights in the run-up to the Olympics.

China: The Olympics countdown: Repression of activists overshadows death penalty and media reforms

Amnesty International remains deeply concerned that several senior Chinese officials continue to use 'strike hard' policies to constrain the legitimate activities of a range of peaceful activists, including journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders. This report updates concerns in these areas, illustrated by the experiences of several individuals who have been detained or imprisoned in violation of their fundamental human rights. The failure of the Chinese authorities to address the legal and institutional weaknesses that allow such violations to flourish continues to hamper efforts to strengthen rule of law in China.

China: The Olympics Countdown - Failing to keep human rights promises

This report summarizes a number of Amnesty International's human rights concerns in China - concerns which the organization is continuing to highlight as key areas for reform in the run-up to the Olympics. They are: the continuing use of the death penalty and abusive forms of administrative detention, the arbitrary detention, imprisonment, torture and harassment of human rights defenders, including journalists and lawyers, and the censorship of the Internet. Amnesty International considers that positive reforms in all of these areas are essential if China is to live up to its promises to improve human rights.

China: The Olympic countdown - three years of human rights reform?

In three years, the Olympic Games will begin in Beijing. Amnesty International is calling on the Chinese authorities to make good on their promise to improve the human rights situation in their country if China were chosen to host the 2008 Games. Despite promises, serious violations of human rights continue in China such as the forcible eviction of thousands of Beijing residents from their homes and intensified suppression of groups that the authorities fear may embarrass the nation during the Games.