Athletes to follow IOC's rules after free speech scandal:BEIJING
Beijing Olympic organizers said on Tuesday all athletes should follow International Olympic Committee rules governing political and religious activity, but would not comment on accusations that Britain had sought to gag its athletes at this summer...
By Agencies |
BEIJING: Beijing Olympic organizers said on Tuesday all athletes should follow International Olympic Committee rules governing political and religious activity, but would not comment on accusations that Britain had sought to gag its athletes at this summer's Games.
On Sunday, the British Olympic Association said it would require its athletes to sign a new clause in their contracts barring them from making politically sensitive remarks or gestures during the Olympics.
Following an outcry, the association's spokesman Graham Newsom said on Monday there had been ``no intention of gagging anyone'' but admitted that its Team Members' Agreement appeared to go beyond the provision of the Olympic Charter.
However, Beijing organizing committee spokesman Sun Weide did not respond to questions about the British controversy.
``We welcome athletes from all over the world to come to Beijing for the Olympics, and we also hope they will follow the Olympic spirit and the IOC's rules,'' Sun said.
The British Olympic Association has instructed athletes headed for Beijing that they should abide by IOC-backed regulations that state they should not comment on any politically sensitive issues or take part in political, religious or racial propaganda at the Olympic sites and venues.
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British Olympic officials said the instructions had been in affect for at least 20 years and that they were sent to athletes who had not seen them before because they would be competing at the Olympics for the first time. Nevertheless, the British group's move drew strong criticism from human rights groups eager to use the Games to raise awareness of China's human rights record, free speech restrictions, and support for Sudan's government that stands accused of backing atrocities in Darfur.
``This affair is indicative of the lack of courage that characterizes some officials in the Olympic movement nowadays,'' Paris-based Reporters Without Borders and anti-censorship group Article 19, headquartered in London, said in a statement.
``Such behaviour ends up making the Chinese authorities look like victims with whom one has to choose (one's) words carefully. This is back to front. The victims are the thousands of political prisoners and the 100 or so journalists, Internet users and bloggers who are in prison solely for expressing their views peacefully,'' the groups said.
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Newsom said the British Olympic Association had not tried to put any block on free speech and had been under no political pressure from Beijing. In January, Belgian athletes were told they would be prohibited from raising human rights or other political issues at Olympic venues. Outside the sports venues and Olympic village, however, they will be free to speak their mind.
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Separately on Tuesday, Darfur activists highlighted the Olympics in an open letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao condemning Beijing's support for Khartoum. ``As the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games approach, we will continue to call on the Chinese government for action,'' said the letter, signed by eight Nobel Peace Prize laureates, 13 Olympic athletes and 46 parliamentarians, along with celebrities including actress Mia Farrow and hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons.
``We are aware of the tremendous potential for China to help bring an end to the conflict in Darfur,'' the activists said in the letter, which criticized Beijing's support for Sudan at the United Nations and said China's robust trade with the country was underwriting abuses in Darfur.
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