Human rights groups have been saying for years that China will conduct the most restricted and repressive Olympics in modern times.

Last week, the communist Beijing Olympics welcome center web site revealed some of the anticipated rules and regulations.

Overseas visitors coming to Beijing will be turned away if they have mental illnesses or sexually transmitted disease. No word on how China will determine these ailments but the honor system is not widely used inside China.


Any visitor to China expecting to protest, carry a banner, or otherwise demonstrate needs to get an approval permit in advance, like now. Banners and other objects such as signs need to be evaluated by the state police.

Groups that have tried this process already lost their banners and signs to confiscation and got a sternly worded letter prohibiting them from protesting or demonstarting.

Visitors to China for the Olympics may not bring in "anything detrimental to China." This includes documents on freedom and human rights, other documents, videos, CDs movies and the like.

The New York Times, in an editorial today, said pretty much what the rest of us thought when we first read the restrictions: China is using them for their own authoritarian goals.

China promised to improve human rights (along with pollution and a lot of other things) as part of their deal with the International Olympic Committe to win the right to host the games. But they have broken many (most?) promises. In fact, it is safe to say, this will be a record setting Olympic Games because the host nation has broken more promises to the IOC than any previous host in history.

Last week, networks reliant upon lead TV network NBC revolted when they learned the free speech restrictions that will govern their access and coverage. There is virtually no chance that you'll see on TV a report on eating dog or on the animal penis eatery (one of my favorites) in Beijing. Such "not politically correct" coverage has a tight lid on it. And woe unto the daring reporter who sneaks past the rules and gets a forbidden report out. He'll be sent home or to the slammer....

Source: NowPublic.com

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