China and the Olympics

Beijing was selected to host the summer Olympics in 2008 despite its dismal human rights record. Although China is a rising global economic power, the government continues to restrict even the most basic political rights and civil liberties of Chinese citizens.  Chinese citizens have no say in their leadership, the judiciary is not independent, and freedom of speech, association, and religion are all severely restricted.

Ten Things You Should Know about China

1. Half of the world’s population living in countries designated “Not Free” by Freedom House live in China.
2. China imprisons more journalists than any other country in the world.
3. The Chinese government maintains one of the world’s most sophisticated systems of blocking access to websites and monitoring its citizens’ e-mail communications.
4. The one-child policy leads to forced abortions, a shortage of females, and an increase in trafficking of people.
5. 65 crimes in China carry the death penalty.
6. The Chinese government has supported extremely repressive regimes such as those governing Burma, Sudan and Zimbabwe.
7. Tibetan Buddhists, Christians, Muslims and practitioners of other religions face frequent harassment.
8. Thousands of North Korean refugees who escape into China are sent back to North Korea to face arrest, torture, and sometimes death.
9. Public protests have been on the increase in recent years.
10. Chinese citizens deserve better.

freedomhouse.org: China and the Olympics