Issues

Amnesty International is calling for substantial reforms in four key areas linked to the core Olympic values of “respect for universal fundamental ethical principles” and the preservation of human dignity. These are:

Freedom of speech: Amnesty International calls upon China to cease the arbitrary detention, intimidation or harassment of human rights activists.

Detention without trial: To “clean up” Beijing for the Olympics, the use of detention without trial called Re-education Through Labour has been extended.

Internet censorship: The “Great Firewall of China” compromises the country’s commitment to “complete media freedom.”

The death penalty: While the number of executions in China is dropping, the country remains the world leader in the use of the death penalty.