SOH News

Breaking News – Beijing Olympics bans NGO from entering China.

On the 10th December, the international press freedom organization, ‘Reporters Without Borders’ marched through Hong Kong to protest against Beijing banning its members from entering China. It urged Beijing to release imprisoned journalists.

On Monday, five members from Reporters Without Borders marched to the liaison office of China’s Central Government in Hong Kong. They held a flag showing the Olympic rings transformed into handcuffs in protest against Beijing’s refusing their visas to China.

Mr. Vincent Brossel, the Director of Reporters Without Borders in the Asia-Pacific region expressed in an interview with Voice of America that they originally plan to protest in Beijing, but they could not enter China this time, which indicates some reporters had been already registered in Beijing’s blacklist.

Mr. Brossel said: “It is obvious that the public security department of China has a blacklist that contains the records of foreign journalists and human rights activists. Their refuting our visa to China indicates Beijing’s determination to exclude people with different opinions and ideologies.

Reporters Without Borders’s data indicates, there are presently around 80 journalists and cyber-dissidents locked up by Chinese authorities.

Mr. Brossel expressed that Beijing promised to improve human rights and press freedom when it was granted the right to host the Olympic games. Our organization hopes all these journalists will be freed before the 2008 Olympic games.

Reporters Without Borders indicates, they have repeatedly written to Jacques Rogge, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), urging him to pressure Beijing. However, the IOC refused their requests, because it is not a political organization.

Hong Kong will assist the Olympic Games by holding the equestrian contests. Mr. Brossel indicates, if Beijing continues to ban members of Reporters Without Borders from entering China, then they would not rule out a series of protests to hold in Hong Kong against Beijings Communist party during the Olympic games.

The above news is brought to you by Chen Xi, reported by Erin Toirkens and Philip Law for Breaking News on SOH Radio Network.