Human rights in China worsening

2 April 2008

Amnesty International reports that four months before the Olympic Games are due to begin, the human rights situation in China is worsening rather than improving, as the Chinese authorities promised it would when the country first was awarded the games.

As an example, Amnesty cites the recent actions against protestors in Tibet and neighbouring provinces. In and around Beijing, human rights activists have been detained to prevent them from embarrassing the authorities during the games.

Amnesty is demanding that China immediately stops the repression of activists.

It is appealing to the International Olympic Committee and world leaders to speak out forcefully against human rights violations in China, claiming that failure to do so amounts to tacit approval.