By Ariel Lin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – The International Olympic Committee [IOC] is under fire for refusing to publicly articulate concerns about the human rights situation in China before the Beijing Games.  Amnesty International, the London-based human rights watchdog said, “The Olympics have so far failed to catalyze reform in China and pledges to improve human rights before the Games look disingenuous after a string of violations in Beijing and a crackdown in Tibet.”

Human Rights Watch is also accusing the IOC of operating in a moral void, undermining human rights in China and flouting the spirit and letter of the Olympic Charter.  The letter issued by Human Right Watch  earlier in the week urgedthe Ethics Commission to articulate standards compatible with the respect of human rights to guide the Olympic movement. Human Rights Watch is also urging the IOC to publicly assess the extent to which current human rights violations are linked to the preparation of the Games.

Australian IOC member Kevan Gosper fired back, saying the committee was not an activist group or a government.  Chairman of the IOC’s inspection commission for the Beijing Games, Hein Verbruggen called the suggestion by Amensty International that awarding the Games to Beijing had worsened human rights in China “blatantly untrue.”  He also said at a news conference at the end of the final IOC inspection, “We are not a political organization, so in spite of all the criticism we get, I am not afraid to tell you that we should not speak out on political issues.”  Verbruggen said it would be unfair to link Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympics to issues such as “Guantanamo or Iraq,” and unjust to tie Madrid’s bid for 2016 to problems with Basque separatists.

However, Asia advocacy director of Human Rights Watch, Sophie Richardson said, “The question is not whether the IOC is a human rights organization.  It’s whether the Olympic movement respects human rights. If it does, remaining silent as China’s crackdown intensifies isn’t acceptable.”

IOC officials have made their final inspection ahead of this year’s games in Beijing and “satisfied with renewed assurances” over a number of concerns, includes making sure foreign news websites are unblocked and live television pictures are beamed around the world without any delay.

For more information, please see:

ABC – IOC pleased with China censorship pledges – 3 April 2008

AP – IOC: We’re can’t interfere in politics – 3 April 2008

Reuters – Amnesty lays into China on rights before Olympics – 2 April 2008

Reuters – IOC vigorously defends non-political role in China – 3 April 2008

Human Rights Watch – China: Letter to Ethics Commission of International Olympic Committee – 31 March 2008

Human Rights Watch – China: International Olympic Committee Operating in Moral Void – 1 April 2008