Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
When China submitted its bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, it promised that journalists would have "complete freedom to report" from the country. However, "sites such as Amnesty International or any search for a site with Tibet in the address could not be opened at the Main Press Center [in Beijing], which will house about 5,000 print journalists when the games open Aug. 8," reports the Associated Press. Now, it turns out that International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials "negotiated with the Chinese that some sensitive sites would be blocked on the basis they were not considered Games related," reports Reuters. A spokesperson for the Beijing Olympics organizing committee said, "We are going to do our best to facilitate the foreign media to do their reporting work through the Internet." Access to websites about groups like the banned Falun Gong will remain blocked, he said, because "Falun Gong is an evil, fake religion." The Chinese government is also requiring hotels to "install and run the Security Management System," reports the Los Angeles Times. U.S. Senator Sam Brownback says the system will actually be used for "invasive intelligence gathering" during the Olympics, according to hotel documents.
Comments
Diane Farsetta replied on Permalink
The firewall eases slightly...
According to the [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/01/sports/olympics/01censor.html New York Times], journalists in Beijing are now able to access some previously blocked websites:
Olympics officials also claimed not to have OK'd web censorship:
Mutternich replied on Permalink
The Olympic motto is:
which translates roughly as
After Beijing, I think it'll be time to give the Olympics another 1,500-year timeout.
waterflaws replied on Permalink
Who are we to judge? At least the Chinese are 'open' about it.
... well, more open than we are. And, over here, there are so many government-private, private-private, and government-government "partnerships", there's no way to keep track of them all.