AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Media Advisory

AI Index: ASA 17/049/2007 (Public)

News Service No: 193

9 October 2007

Amnesty International's media kit on the 2008 Beijing Olympics

Amnesty International today published a media kit for journalists covering the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The kit, Legacy of the Beijing Olympics: China’s Choice, provides an overview of the organisation’s key human rights concerns in China in the lead up to the 29^thOlympic Games.

When bidding to host the 2008 Olympics, Chinese officials repeatedly promised that human rights improvements in China would follow a successful bid. The president of the International Olympic Committee highlighted these commitments and called on international human rights organizations to assist in monitoring progress. Amnesty International believes improvement of the human rights for all Chinese citizens would be a major positive legacy for the Beijing Olympics. The Chinese authorities must use this unique opportunity to the full to honour the promises made to improve human rights.

The media kit documents the challenges and opportunities for China to improve on its human rights record and outlines what a positive legacy for the Beijing Olympics could be in China, including, further reform of the death penalty, abolition of “Re-education Through Labour”, freedom for human rights defenders, complete media freedom for foreign and national journalists, and an end to unwarranted internet censorship.

Note to editors:

Amnesty International spokespeople are available for interviews.

For media queries or requests for interviews, please contact Karen Trentini, Press Officer, at +44 (20) 7413 5717 or karen.trentini@amnesty.org

To download a copy of the kit, please visit: http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA170432007

Public Document

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For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566

Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW. web: http://www.amnesty.org

For latest human rights news view http://news.amnesty.org