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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| China defends human rights record | China defends human rights record |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Beijing has rejected claims that the human rights situation in China has deteriorated in the run-up to its hosting of the Olympic Games. | Beijing has rejected claims that the human rights situation in China has deteriorated in the run-up to its hosting of the Olympic Games. |
| China's foreign ministry said a report by Amnesty International showed the group had "tainted glasses". | |
| The report accused China of reneging on its promises of greater freedom, with activists jailed, journalists detained and more people sent to labour camps. | The report accused China of reneging on its promises of greater freedom, with activists jailed, journalists detained and more people sent to labour camps. |
| But Beijing said people who understood China would not agree with Amnesty. | But Beijing said people who understood China would not agree with Amnesty. |
| Foreign ministry spokesman Li Jianchao said: "I hope that Amnesty International can take off the tainted glasses they have been wearing for years and see China in a fair and objective way, and do something more constructive." | |
| We've seen a deterioration in human rights because of the Olympics Roseann RifeAmnesty International deputy programme director (left) Send us your comments class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7047154.stm">China's voices of dissent class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/jamesreynolds/">James Reynolds' China | |
| He insisted that there should be no interference in China's affairs. | He insisted that there should be no interference in China's affairs. |
| The China Society for Human Rights Studies, which has links to the government, also dismissed the Amnesty report. | The China Society for Human Rights Studies, which has links to the government, also dismissed the Amnesty report. |
| Spokeswoman Xiong Lei told the BBC: "We do feel that we have problems, but we are solving them and the human rights situation is getting better and better." | Spokeswoman Xiong Lei told the BBC: "We do feel that we have problems, but we are solving them and the human rights situation is getting better and better." |
| When it was awarded the Games, China pledged to uphold the values of human dignity associated with the Olympian tradition. | When it was awarded the Games, China pledged to uphold the values of human dignity associated with the Olympian tradition. |
| It promised an improvement in human rights, media freedom and better provision in health and education. | It promised an improvement in human rights, media freedom and better provision in health and education. |
| But Amnesty's report, entitled The Olympics Countdown: Broken Promises, says the opposite has occurred. | But Amnesty's report, entitled The Olympics Countdown: Broken Promises, says the opposite has occurred. |
| It says Chinese activists have been locked up, people have been made homeless, journalists have been detained, websites blocked, and that the use of labour camps and prison beatings has increased. | It says Chinese activists have been locked up, people have been made homeless, journalists have been detained, websites blocked, and that the use of labour camps and prison beatings has increased. |
| 'Silenced' | |
| "We've seen a deterioration in human rights because of the Olympics," said Roseann Rife, a deputy programme director for Amnesty International. | "We've seen a deterioration in human rights because of the Olympics," said Roseann Rife, a deputy programme director for Amnesty International. |
| "Specifically we've seen crackdowns on domestic human rights activists, media censorship and increased use of re-education through labour as a means to clean up Beijing and surrounding areas." | "Specifically we've seen crackdowns on domestic human rights activists, media censorship and increased use of re-education through labour as a means to clean up Beijing and surrounding areas." |
| The group names individual activists including Hu Jia, Yang Chunlin and Ye Guozhu as among those who had effectively been silenced by the government in the run-up to the Games. | The group names individual activists including Hu Jia, Yang Chunlin and Ye Guozhu as among those who had effectively been silenced by the government in the run-up to the Games. |
| Mark Allison, China researcher at Amnesty, urged leaders not to forget them. | Mark Allison, China researcher at Amnesty, urged leaders not to forget them. |
| READ THE FULL REPORT The Olympics Countdown - Broken Promises [176KB] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here | |
| "We continue to call on world leaders planning to attend the Games to speak out now to prevent the authorities from using their attendance as a tacit endorsement of violations perpetrated in preparation for the Olympics," he said. | "We continue to call on world leaders planning to attend the Games to speak out now to prevent the authorities from using their attendance as a tacit endorsement of violations perpetrated in preparation for the Olympics," he said. |
| China's human rights record has worried some world leaders, especially in the run-up to the Games. | China's human rights record has worried some world leaders, especially in the run-up to the Games. |
| After some consideration, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has confirmed he will attend the opening ceremony on 8 August, as will US President George W Bush. | After some consideration, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has confirmed he will attend the opening ceremony on 8 August, as will US President George W Bush. |
| Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper plan to stay away, while British Prime Minister Gordon Brown - in his capacity of leader of the next Olympic Games host nation - will attend the closing ceremony only. | Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper plan to stay away, while British Prime Minister Gordon Brown - in his capacity of leader of the next Olympic Games host nation - will attend the closing ceremony only. |
| Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it would investigate claims that the internet service provided for media covering the Games was being censored. | |
| Journalists have reported problems when attempting to access the internet network at Beijing's main press centre. | |
| "All of these things are a concern and we'll investigate them but our preoccupation is that the media are able to report as they did in previous Games," IOC spokesman Kevan Gosper told Reuters. | |
| China's foreign ministry said media should be able to use the internet, although websites linked to the Falun Gong spiritual movement, considered a cult by Beijing, would be blocked. |