Web pages about "Beijing Olympics"

Viet Nam: At least 14 arrests under the excuse of Olympic torch relay

Tue, 06 May 2008 15:11:57 +0100

Using the Olympic torch as an excuse to crack down on peaceful critics is yet another bitter twist in Viet Nam’s pattern of repressing legitimate and peaceful dissent. Those arrested before and during the torch relay should be released immediately, said Amnesty International.

“Furthermore, the Vietnamese authorities must urgently investigate allegations of beatings against those detained, and ensure their safety and wellbeing.”

As the Olympic Torch relay made its stop in Viet Nam’s largest city, Ho Chi Minh City on 29 April 2008, police arrested at least 12 demonstrators who had protested peacefully against Chinese policies. The majority of arrests took place Hanoi, over 1,700 kilometres away from Ho Chi Minh City and the Olympic torch.

Amnesty International is deeply concerned at the ongoing campaign by the Vietnamese government to silence dissenting voices. Lawyers, trade unionists, religious leaders and Internet dissidents with links to emerging pro-democracy groups have been targeted since this crackdown began in 2006.

Earlier in April Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung urged the authorities to make the Olympic torch relay a success and ensure it would not “be affected by evil forces' distorted information,” according to state controlled media.

In the days leading up to the torch relay, at least three people were arrested, including Nguyen Hoang Hai, a journalist and blogger who had featured articles about protests against China's international policies. Most of those arrested on the day of the torch relay had voiced criticism against China about an ongoing territory dispute with Viet Nam over the Spratly and Paracel Islands, and about its policies in Tibet.

Background

According to reports received by Amnesty International, Nguyen Xuan Nghia and another arrested person, Vu Hung, a teacher, were beaten by police. Vu Hung is among four who have since been released.

It remains unclear whether charges have been brought against any of those who remain in detention, such as writer Nguyen Xuan Nghia and Vu Anh Son, who are reportedly held in Kien An district, Hai Phong province.

In breach of international human rights law the Vietnamese penal code criminalises peaceful dissent. Amnesty International has repeatedly called on the authorities to urgently reform provisions relating to national security and ensure they are either removed or brought into line with international law. The organisation reiterates its calls on the Vietnamese authorities to honour its international human rights obligations by releasing all prisoners of conscience.

Nepal threatens Olympic protesters

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:14:30 +0100

Nepal's threat to use violence to prevent anti-China protests when the Olympic torch reaches Mount Everest has been condemned by Amnesty International.

The Nepali Home Ministry has pledged to use "force, including gunfire… to prevent anti-China protests" when the Olympic torch relay arrives on Mount Everest in early May. The threats follow earlier crackdowns on peaceful pro-Tibetan protesters, which were unconstitutional. Since 10 March over 2,000 people have been arbitrarily detained.

The Nepali government is extending illegal police actions against Tibetans in Nepal and systematically violating their fundamental rights to liberty, due process and freedom of movement, assembly and expression.

"Members of the Tibetan refugee community have in recent days faced increasingly punitive police measures designed to muzzle free speech, including threats of arbitrary deportation to China. Statements threatening the use of lethal force represent an unacceptable escalation," said Amnesty International.

The Nepal authorities must ensure that its officers are adequately equipped and trained to employ non-violent means of crowd control before resorting, where strictly necessary, to the use of force. Firearms may only be used as a last resort where lives are at risk. The government must also ensure that its officers are subject to strict regulations regarding the use of such methods and are tied to a strict system of accountability.

Amnesty International has called on the Nepali government to police demonstrations in line with the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials and the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force.

Hu Jia jailed for three and a half years

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 10:37:13 +0100

Chinese human rights activist Hu Jia has been convicted of “inciting subversion of state power” and sentenced to three and a half years inprison.

After months under house arrest, Hu Jia was detained on 27 December 2007. He was formally charged on 28 January 2008 and went on trial on18 March at the Beijing Municipal No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court.

"This verdict is punishment for Hu Jia’s public critiques of human rights violations in China and a warning to any other activists in China who dare to raise human rights concerns publicly,” said Amnesty International.

“It also makes a mockery of promises made by Chinese officials that human rights would improve in the run-up to the Olympics.”

Prior to his formal detention, Hu Jia had publicly expressed concerns over human rights abuses by police in Beijing, including the arrest of activists without the necessary legal procedures. This included the case of land rights activist Yang Chunlin and human rights defender Lu Gengsong, both also detained on subversion charges.

While detained, Hu has been subjected to 47 lengthy and repeated interrogations. He was denied access to his lawyer, members of his family and medical treatment, including necessary daily medication for liver disease resulting from a Hepatitis B infection. His wife, Zeng Jinyan, is still under house arrest with their newborn baby.

Amnesty International considers Hu Jia a prisoner of conscience and has demanded his immediate and unconditional release. The organization urges the International Olympic Committee and world leaders with a stake in the Olympics to publicly express their concern about his plight - and that of numerous other peaceful activists in China who have been silenced in the run-up to the Games. A failure to speak out would be a "conspiracy of silence" that will be perceived by the authorities as a tacit endorsement of such repression.

Hu started his activism as an AIDS activist in 2001. He is the co-founder of the Beijing Aizhixing Institute of Health Education and of Loving Source, a grassroots organization dedicated to helping children from AIDS families.

Due to his activities and outspokenness, Hu Jia was repeatedly harassed and beaten by police. According to his wife Zeng Jinyan: “Not counting one time in 2002, when Hu was detained by police while interviewing AIDS village inhabitants, he will have been under various forms of imprisonment for exactly four years on 3 April 2008.”

Hu’s focus broadened and he began reporting on wider human rights violations and giving interviews to foreign media. In November 2007, he participated via webcam in a European Union parliamentary hearing in Brussels in which he stated that China had failed to fulfill its promises to improve human rights in the run-up to the Olympics.

In an article on his blog dated 10 September 2007, Hu Jia says: "Everyone should know that the country that is about to host the Olympics is one without democratic elections, freedom of religion, independent courts or independent unions. It prohibits protests and labor strikes. It is a state that carries out widespread torture, discrimination, and employs a large secret police system. It is a nation that violates human rights standards and human dignity, and is not ready to fulfil its international obligations."

In a joint press conference with UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband in Beijing on 28 February 2008, China's foreign minister Yang Jiechi said: "No one will get arrested because he said that human rights are more important than the Olympics. This is impossible."

Amnesty International believes this verdict makes a mockery of the notion that Chinese citizens are free to hold opinions and to speak their mind without retribution from the authorities, and serves as a warning to other activists in China who might dare raise human rights concerns publicly.

Related information

What human rights legacy for the Beijing Olympics? (Report abstract, 2 April 2008)

China: World leaders and IOC should demand release of human rights activist Hu Jia

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:50:58 +0100

Amnesty International today condemned the decision by Chinese authorities to convict human rights defender Hu Jia on charges of ‘inciting subversion of state power'. Hu Jia is being punished for exercising his freedom of expression and speaking out on human rights violations in China. The organization considers Hu Jia a prisoner of conscience and has from the outset opposed his detention and the ‘house arrest’ of his wife and baby.

"Hu Jia should be immediately and unconditionally released and his conviction overturned," said Amnesty International. "This verdict makes a mockery of the notion that Chinese citizens are free to hold opinions and to speak their mind without retribution from the authorities, and serves as a warning to other activists in China who might dare raise human rights concerns publicly." It demonstrates that promises made by Chinese officials that human rights would improve in the run-up to the Olympics remain unfulfilled.

Amnesty International is appealing to world leaders and the International Olympics Committee to call for the unconditional release of Hu Jia and other activists in China who have been silenced and imprisoned solely for peacefully exercising their freedoms of expression and association in the lead-up to the Olympics. Silence from other governments around the world may embolden the Chinese authorities to pursue further acts of repression in the run-up to the Olympics.

Background:

As co-founder of the Beijing Aizhixing Institute of Health Education, Hu Jia began as an activist on HIV/AIDS issues, but his focus broadened to include a variety of other human rights concerns. In September 2007, he published an article together with fellow activist Teng Biao about human rights violations in the run-up to the Olympics. The police formally charged him with ‘inciting subversion’ on 28 January 2008, an accusation regularly used to silence and imprison peaceful activists in China.

Please see our latest related report: China: The Olympics countdown – crackdown on activists threatens Olympics legacy and special Tibet update.

Note to editors:

Amnesty International has obtained broadcast rights for Hu Jia's film: 'Prisoners in Freedom City', which he shot from the window of his home while under house arrest. It explores the confinement and harassment to which he and his family were subjected, along with footage of plain-clothed police outside his house and his own commentary on day-to-day life. The film is 30 minutes and cleared for broadcast use. It has burnt in subtitles in English and Chinese and is available in tape format DVCAM (PAL). Should any broadcasters be interested, AI can ship the film by courier (i.e. the film is not available to download). Please call A/V Producer David Whitbourn in London, UK, on +44 (0)7778 472 107.

What human rights legacy for the Beijing Olympics?

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:14:38 +0100

Liu Jingmin, Vice-President of the Beijing Olympic Bid Committee, said in 2001 that allowing Beijing to host the Games would “help the development of human rights". Seven years on, China’s human rights record shows little sign of improvement, according to an Amnesty International report.

It was hoped that the Games would act as a catalyst for reform but much of the current wave of repression against activists and journalists is occurring not in spite of, but actually because of the Olympics, according to the report China: The Olympics countdown – crackdown on activists threatens Olympics legacy.

Positive changes such as a reform of the death penalty system and a greater reporting freedom for foreign journalists have been overshadowed by stalled reform of detention without trial, repression of human rights defenders and internet censorship.

The report also highlights the Chinese authorities’ recent crackdown on protesters in Tibet, which has led to serious human rights violations since 10 March 2008. Chinese authorities have resorted to measures that are reported to have included unnecessary and excessive use of force, including lethal force, arbitrary detentions and intimidation.

Hundreds of people have been detained in response to the unrest. They could face torture and other ill-treatment by China’s security forces, especially those accused of “separatist” activities.

The near total media blackout on Tibet and the surrounding areas has not only made it difficult to confirm reports, but is a betrayal of official promises to ensure “complete media freedom” in the run-up to the Olympics.

In China too, many activists are held as prisoners of conscience after politically motivated trials. Growing numbers are kept under house arrest. Broad and vaguely defined crimes against national security, such as “separatism”, “subversion” and “stealing state secrets”, are used to prosecute those engaged in legitimate and peaceful human rights activities.

Land rights activist Yang Chunlin was sentenced to five years in prison on 25 March for “inciting subversion” after he spearheaded a petition campaign under the banner “We don’t want the Olympics, we want human rights”. He was initially denied access to lawyers on the grounds that his case apparently involved “state secrets”. He was also reported to have been tortured by the police in detention, but was denied the opportunity to raise these allegations in court.

Housing rights activist Ye Guozhu is serving a four-year prison sentence after he applied for permission to hold a demonstration against forced evictions in Beijing. He was convicted in December 2004 of “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble” because of his opposition to the seizure and demolition of property to make way for new construction projects for this year’s Olympic games.

In May 2006, Beijing extended use of a form of detention without trial called Re-education Through Labour (RTL), to “clean up” the city’s image before the Olympics. The system targets those who have committed minor offences but are not legally considered criminals. They are forced to work for long hours, and can be detained for up to four years. RTL is much criticised in China. Long heralded - but now stalled - reform of the system would be a major human rights improvement.

Beijing housing rights activist Wang Ling was reported to have been sentenced to 15 months RTL in October 2007 for signing petitions and making banners in protest against the demolition of her property to make way for Olympic construction. She is believed to be held at Daxing RTL facility in Beijing.
Despite official promises of “complete media freedom” made in July 2001, the authorities are continuing to use the crime of “inciting subversion” and other state security offences to prosecute and imprison writers and journalists exercising their fundamental human rights to freedom of expression.

The internet is being heavily censored too. Cartoon police icons now warn many of China’s 210 million internet users to stay away from “illegal” websites. These virtual police appear to encourage self-censorship by reminding users that the authorities closely monitor web activity. China is also believed to operate the most extensive, technologically sophisticated and broad-reaching system of internet censorship and filtering in the world.

Text messaging is also being monitored. In December 2007, the Beijing city authorities issued a notice stating that those who use text messages to “endanger public security” or “spread rumours” will be investigated.

China is the world leader in the use of the death penalty, despite official statements that the restoration of Supreme People’s Court (SPC) review led to a significant reduction in the number of executions in China in 2007. But publication of full national statistics and other detailed information on the death penalty in China is essential to support such assertions. The drop in executions may be partly due to a growing “backlog” of prisoners awaiting execution as their case is reviewed by the SPC.

Amnesty International’s report calls on the Chinese authorities to: give immediate access to Tibet and surrounding areas to UN investigators and independent observers; cease arbitrary detention, intimidation and harassment of activists; end punitive administrative detention; allow full and free reporting across the whole of China for all journalists; free all prisoners of conscience and reduce the number of capital crimes as a step towards abolition.

China: Olympics countdown - Time running out for improvement in human rights (Press release, 31 March 2008)

Read more about human rights in China and the Beijing Olympics

China: Olympics countdown - Time running out for improvement in human rights

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:37:34 +0100

Amnesty International called on the Chinese authorities to immediately end repressive measures against Chinese human rights defenders in Beijing and other parts of China, as well as against protesters in Tibet and surrounding regions, as it launched its report China: The Olympics countdown – crackdown on activists threatens Olympics legacy (and a special Tibet update).

“The crackdown on activists has deepened not lessened because of the Olympics,” said Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

In and around Beijing, the Chinese authorities have silenced and imprisoned peaceful human rights activists in the pre-Olympics ‘clean up’. In Tibet and the surrounding areas, the police and military crackdown on demonstrators has led to serious human rights violations in recent days.

“These actions cast doubt on whether the Chinese authorities are really serious about their commitment to improve human rights in the run up to the Olympics,” said Irene Khan.

“The Olympic Games have so far failed to act as a catalyst for reform. Unless urgent steps are taken to redress the situation, a positive human rights legacy for the Beijing Olympics looks increasingly beyond reach,” said Irene Khan.

“With just four months to go, the IOC and world leaders should speak out strongly: a failure to express concern and demand change publicly risks being interpreted as a tacit endorsement of the human rights violations perpetrated by the Chinese authorities in preparation for the Olympic Games.”

Amnesty International is calling on the Chinese authorities to:

give immediate access to Tibet and surrounding areas to UN investigators and other independent observers;
cease arbitrary detention, intimidation and harassment of activists;
end punitive administrative detention;
allow full and free reporting across the whole of China for all journalists;
free all prisoners of conscience;
reduce the number of capital crimes as a step towards abolition.

Highlights of the report

The authorities have used excessive, sometimes lethal force to disperse protesters in Tibet and surrounding areas. Amnesty International recognizes the authorities’ duty to protect individuals and property from acts of violence, including apparently ethnically motivated attacks on Han Chinese, but their actions must follow principles of necessity and proportionality outlined in international human rights standards.

In view of long-documented patterns of torture and other ill-treatment in Tibet, Amnesty International fears that Tibetan detainees are likely to face beatings or other abuses. Some risk being sentenced to death after unfair trials. The organization calls on the authorities to disclose the names, whereabouts and legal status of all those detained, and to release anyone detained solely for peaceful protest.

The near total media black-out on Tibet and the surrounding areas has not only made it difficult to confirm reports but is a betrayal of official promises to ensure ‘complete media freedom’ in the run-up to the Olympics.

AI’s report details cases of prosecution of human rights activists for reporting on abuses or linking their human rights concerns with Beijing’s hosting of the Games. Amnesty International calls for the immediate and unconditional release of peaceful activists detained solely for expressing their views, including:

Land rights activist Yang Chunlin who was sentenced to five years in prison on 25 March, for ‘inciting subversion’ after he spearheaded a campaign under the banner “We don’t want the Olympics, we want human rights”. He was reportedly tortured by the police in detention, but denied the opportunity to raise these allegations in court.

Beijing-based activist Hu Jia who was tried on 18 March for ‘inciting subversion’ in connection with his human rights activities, after he had already spent many months under intrusive ‘house arrest’. His wife Zeng Jinyan continues to be held under tight police surveillance at home together with their new-born baby.

The pre-Olympics ‘clean-up’ has also resulted in the detention of thousands of petitioners in Beijing with many being sent back to their home provinces. Such practices are reminiscent of “Custody and Repatriation”, a system of detention pending repatriation for internal migrants which was abolished in 2003 with great fanfare and heralded in China as an important step forward for human rights. Some petitioners have also been assigned to ‘Re-education through labour’ – another abusive system of detention without trial which has been stalled on China’s reform agenda for many years.

New regulations introduced last year aimed at increasing reporting freedom for foreign journalists in China have not been applied in Tibet and several journalists have been blocked from reporting on sensitive issues in Beijing and other parts of China. Meanwhile tight restrictions remain in place on the domestic media and censorship of the internet has been tightened with several HIV/AIDS news websites among those most recently targeted in Beijing. Reports suggest that information controls are also being extended to cover SMS text messaging in Beijing.

The report welcomes official assertions of a significant reduction in death sentences and executions last year as a result of the re-introduction of Supreme People’s Court review, but calls again on the authorities to publish full national statistics on the death penalty to back up such claims.

Permission denied - housing rights activist in prison

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:54:35 +0100

Housing rights activist Ye Guozhu is serving a four-year prison sentence after he applied for permission to hold a demonstration against forced evictions in Beijing.

In December 2004, Ye Guozhu, then aged 49, was convicted of “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble” because of his opposition to the seizure and demolition of property to make way for new construction projects for this year’s Olympic games.

Ye Guozhu’s restaurant and living quarters were among many properties seized when officials of Beijing’s Xuanwu District conspired with developers to forcibly evict a large number of city residents. He received no compensation.

He is reported to have been tortured while in detention. Suspended from the ceiling by the arms and beaten repeatedly by police before his trial, he was also beaten with electro-shock batons in Chaobai prison, Beijing, towards the end of 2006.

He was then sent twice to Qingyuan prison for periods of “discipline”, most recently in February 2007 for 10 months, apparently because he tried to appeal his conviction.

The Chinese authorities have failed to either confirm or deny these reports, but official sources have confirmed that he was receiving treatment for ‘hypertension’. They have also confirmed that he was held in Chaobai prison and due for release on 26 July 2008.

The prison authorities are reported to only be giving him basic medicine for high blood pressure and preventing members of his family from supplying him with medicine. Ye is believed to be held incommunicado while under “discipline” in Qingyuan prison.

Ye Mingjun and Ye Guoqiang, son and brother of Ye Guozhu, were detained by Beijing police on suspicion of "inciting subversion" at the end of September 2007. They had protested against forced evictions that were reported to have been carried out to clear space for construction for the Beijing Olympics.

Ye Mingjun was released on bail in October 2007, but warned not to speak to the media as this could have a “negative impact” on his situation and that of his father. Ye Guoqiang was released on bail in January 2008, but on condition that he did not contact anyone overseas or continue with his petitioning activities.

The development of Beijing in preparation for the Olympics has seen many homes torn down. Jiang Yu, spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said that, as of June 2007, 6,037 families had been displaced by Olympics related projects since 2002.

The Geneva-based Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions estimates that more than 1.25 million people have been displaced in Beijing in connection to urban redevelopment projects, some of which are directly linked to construction projects for the Beijing Olympics, and that that number will rise to 1.5 million by August 2008. Many have reportedly been evicted without full procedural protection or due process and without adequate compensation.
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Most residents are relocated to what has been called poor housing on the outskirts of Beijing. Real estate companies – often owned by or affiliated with the local authorities carrying out the evictions – may then sell the land to developers for a profit.

Forced evictions are in violation of human rights including the right to adequate housing enshrined in Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, which China has ratified. While the Chinese government has taken steps to protect people from forced evictions – implementation of such laws and regulations remains weak.

Amnesty International considers Ye Guozhu to be a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely as a result of his peacefully held beliefs. Amnesty International calls for his immediate and unconditional release.

The organization further calls on the Chinese government to stop the forced eviction of individuals from their homes carried out without full procedural protection, due process, government provision of adequate alternative accommodation for those unable to provide for themselves, and adequate compensation for any property affected.

Tension in Tibet as police raid homes

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:42:21 +0000

Chinese police are sweeping through the homes of Lhasa residents in search of people involved in recent protests in the city.

While streets in the Tibetan capital are reported to be quiet and empty, there are continued reports of unrest in neighbouring Chinese provinces with large populations of Tibetans. According to reports from the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, hundreds of Tibetans converged on the streets in Kardze County, Sichuan Province, with the situation reported to be extremely tense. There were also reports of demonstrations in Gansu province.

The atmosphere in Lhasa has been reported by some to be “terrifying”, with police and soldiers conducting house-to-house searches and taking people into custody. There is now great concern for the well-being of those detained.

The government imposed a deadline of midnight on Monday 17 March for individuals involved in the protests to turn themselves in, threatening to “severely punish” those who failed to do so. Eyewitnesses have reported that some individuals are being dragged out of their homes and Tibetans who have pictures of the Dalai Lama in their homes are being taken away.

Official Chinese sources say 13 "innocent civilians" have been killed by the Tibetan rioters. Tibetan exile sources say 99 Tibetans have been killed by the armed police forces.

The Chinese authorities have imposed a near-total block on information from Tibet and the surrounding areas. The authorities have also cut off internet and mobile phone connections within Tibet. When foreign news reports about Tibet come up on foreign news broadcasting in China, they are censored - the screen going black.

Amnesty International has called on the Chinese authorities to avoid the use of excessive force in restoring order.

"The authorities must also fully account for all those detained, ensuring they are not tortured or otherwise ill-treated, have access to lawyers and medical care, are brought promptly before an independent court and are able to challenge their detention," said Catherine Baber, Acting Director of the Asia-Pacific Programme.

"China must allow full and unimpeded access to Tibet and other Tibetan areas to journalists and other independent observers as well as allowing independent UN investigation into the events of the last week."

UN scrutiny of Tibet crisis required

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:11:00 +0000

The Chinese authorities must allow independent UN investigation into the events of the last week in Tibet and lift the long-term restrictions on human rights monitoring in the area.

After a week of unrest, the region has been sealed off. Amnesty International has called on the Chinese authorities to show restraint in responding to continuing protests in Lhasa and elsewhere in Tibet. International law requires that governments handle such crises in ways that uphold fundamental human rights and the principles of necessity and proportionality in the use of force.

The authorities must also fully account for all detainees and release those detained solely for peacefully expressing their views.

"The Chinese authorities also need to address the underlying grievances of the Tibetan people and the long-term policies that have generated such resentment," said Catherine Baber, Director of the Asia-Pacific Programme at Amnesty International. "The situation also demands attention by the UN Human Rights Council at its current session."

Tibetans' long-term grievances include perceived exclusion from the benefits of economic development, restrictions on religious practice, and government policies weakening their culture and ethnic identity.

On Friday, protests in Lhasa turned violent, with protestors setting fire to Chinese-owned businesses, police stations and attacking Han Chinese. As a result, thirteen persons died according to official Chinese sources, largely Han Chinese businesspeople in Lhasa. Police and military forces were reported to have fired teargas and live ammunition into crowds and beaten protestors in an attempt to disperse them. According to spokespersons for the Tibetan Government in Exile this has resulted in around 80 deaths.

A curfew is reported to have been imposed throughout Lhasa and all shops are closed. Entry into the city has been blocked off through check-points. Armoured vehicles and contingents from the People’s Armed Police are present throughout the city. Reports suggest that scattered protests continued in parts of the city over the weekend.

Police and military forces have surrounded three major monasteries in the Lhasa area, confining monks inside and beating those who have attempted to leave. Monks from Sera monastery are reported to have started a hunger strike demanding the withdrawal of military forces from their monastery.

Crackdown on activists and minorities in China

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:05:25 +0000

The Chinese authorities have engaged in a number of troubling crackdowns on activists and minority groups in the past week. On Tuesday, eyewitnesses reported that Chinese police used teargas and electric prods to disperse 500 demonstrators in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa.

The demonstrators were seeking the release of fellow monks held after the previous day's protests.

It was also reported that 11 protesters, including nine monks, were severely beaten and detained outside Tsuklakhang cathedral in central Lhasa on Monday. They had been demonstrating to mark the 49th anniversary of the Dalai Lama's flight from Tibet after the failed rebellion against Chinese rule. Some 50 monks have also been detained across the capital.

The authorities had previously targeted the Uighur population of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR). They claimed on Sunday to have thwarted a "terrorist" plot to attack the Olympics, which they linked to alleged Uighur separatists.

This was based on a raid conducted on a so-called "terrorist gang" in the XUAR in January 2008 in which, according to official sources, Chinese police killed two members of the gang and arrested 15 others.

They provided no concrete evidence to support these assertions, and it is unclear why the authorities only disclosed the alleged plans for an attack on the Olympics three months later. These charges also contradict the original claim made the authorities that the “terrorist gang” in Xinjiang had been planning an incident on February 5, the Gulja Massacre, when the Chinese authorities brutally cracked down on peaceful demonstrators, with several hundred estimated to have been killed.

The authorities also claimed on Sunday to have thwarted a plot to crash a Chinese airplane flying from Urumqi, the capital of the XUAR, to Beijing.

The claims came just days after Amnesty International warned of an ongoing crackdown against human rights lawyers and other activists in Beijing linked to China’s hosting of the Olympic Games. The Chinese authorities’ references to “terrorism” and threats to state security, especially in the context of preparations for the Olympics, are seen as a justification for a broad crackdown not only on ethnic minorities critical of China’s rule, but human rights defenders as well.

"Intensified censorship and attacks and abductions of peaceful activists by suspected security officials in Beijing make a mockery of official promises to improve human rights in the run-up to the Olympics," said Tim Parritt, Deputy Program Director of Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Program, on Friday.

Amnesty International revealed that Teng Biao – a lawyer, academic and human rights activist – went missing after eyewitnesses saw him being bundled into a vehicle just after he arrived home at around 8.30pm on Thursday, 6 March. While he has subsequently released, he was apparently warned not to speak to foreign journalists about his abduction.

In a separate case on Friday morning, human rights lawyer Li Heping’s car was rammed by a police car while he was driving his son to school in Beijing. He and his son were jolted by the crash, but are not thought to have suffered serious injuries. The police car had been following him from his home and apparently accelerated before the crash.

Li Heping recognized the three officers in the car as being from his police district. He said that the driver of the car ignored him when he confronted him about the crash and traffic police refused to take up the case when he reported the incident to them later in the day.

In September 2007, Li Heping was abducted by unidentified men, beaten with electro-shock batons and told he should leave Bejing or risk further attacks.

"The intensification of the targeting of two human rights lawyers suggests that the stranglehold on activists in Beijing is tightening in the run up to the Olympics,” said Tim Paritt.. The authorities must conduct a full, impartial investigation into the abduction of Teng Biao and the incident involving Li Heping.