Frequently Asked Questions

I’m concerned about human rights in China, but isn’t this mixing sport and politics?

This is not about mixing sport and politics, because human rights are not political – it’s about the universal and basic rights that are protected by international treaties.

Chinese authorities linked the Olympics and human rights in their bid to be host city. And the International Olympic Committee has said it believes the Games will act as a catalyst to improve human rights in China.

When August 2008 arrives, the Chinese people deserve to be proud of their country in every respect, including developments in its human rights record. Our campaign aims to ensure the Olympics have a positive human rights legacy for Beijing and beyond.

Is it right to focus on China when other countries taking part in the Games also have poor human rights records?

At any one time we’ re running multiple campaigns about human rights abuses happening in countries all over the world. We have campaigned about previous Olympic host countries. For example, in the run-up to the Athens Olympics we voiced concern at the treatment of Roma communities. During the Atlanta Olympics in the US we campaigned about America’s use of the death penalty.

Should the Olympics be being held in China?

The Games will put the spotlight on China and hopefully give Chinese authorities the motivation to make the vital human rights reforms the country needs. With political will, China could make major progress on human rights before the Olympics begin, but time is running out.

We advise anyone visiting China for the Olympics, or even just watching them on TV at home, to learn more about the country, including its human rights record.

We also urge people worldwide to positively engage with the Olympics, with Chinese authorities, with their own governments, and with the International Olympic Committee and the various National Olympic Committees to ensure the best possible human rights legacy of these Games.

Does the International Olympic Committee have a duty to help China improve its human rights record?

Responsibility mainly lies with the Chinese authorities, however the Universal Declaration on Human Rights says it’s the duty of every person and sector of society to promote respect for human rights.

The International Olympic Committee has considerable influence with the Chinese authorities. It is in the International Olympic Committee’s interest, and China’s, to ensure the Games are not tarnished by human rights abuses, especially ones linked to the hosting of the Olympics.

The Olympic Charter’s core provisions talk about the “preservation of human dignity” and “respect for universal fundamental ethical principles”.

What role should commercial sponsors of the Beijing Olympics play in promoting human rights?

Corporate sponsors of the Games, like other stakeholders, can play a part in making sure the human rights legacy is positive.

Companies operating in China should have human rights policies and practices that ensure their actions don’t make them complicit in human rights abuses.

China has the second biggest online community in the world behind the US – surely that brings positives as well as negatives?

The growth of the Internet and other new communications tools has helped human rights activism in China, as it has in other countries. Many Chinese activists are using these tools to pool their knowledge and resources, and to form informal networks.

However, at the same time, China has upped surveillance and attempted to tighten controls over the Internet. Recently Xiamen city residents, in Southeast China, used the Internet to organise a peaceful protest against a planned toxic chemical factory. Authorities hit back by introducing laws that force web users to register under their real names before using the Internet.

Many ‘politically sensitive’ issues remain off-limits – such as the Tiananmen crackdown – and that list is constantly changing and growing. Those who fall foul of the censors find themselves under police surveillance, detained under ‘house arrest’ or in jail.