Report: China's rights record worse
22 September 2006
International human rights group Amnesty International says China is not honouring its commitment to improve human rights ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Although senior officials said hosting the Games will lead to progress on human rights issues, activists, journalists and lawyers are still being imprisoned, harassed and tortured and media controls have been tightened, Amnesty International said in a report issued Thursday to the International Olympics Committee, the Financial Times reported. The organization asked the committee to "exert influence on the Chinese authorities" to secure reforms. During Beijing's 2001 bid, officials said hosting the games would help promote the development of human rights in China but the IOC later said it was not its task to monitor or lobby on the issue.
