In its November session, the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights discussed the worsening human rights situation in China.
During the session in which various NGO representatives were present, Hu Jia, a prominent environmental and democracy activist who is currently under house arrest in China, conducted a live phone interview.
"We all hoped that the Olympic Games would bring democracy," said Hu Jia. "While now we see on the contrary, the CCP tries to use the games as a justification, like in 1936. Right now is the peek of the persecutions going on in China."
"A good example is the fact that the highest responsible official for the organization of the Olympics in China is also the head of the public security bureau in Beijing."
Phelim Kine of Human Rights Watch said that in 2001, the IOC stated that the Olympic Games would help the human rights in China improve. During the last seven years, however, there have been pervasive human rights violations in China.
Describing a recent example of China's censoring of foreign media, Mr. Kine said, "On November 20, a Swiss TV crew went to Hubei province for a story about citizens protesting against illegal land seizures. The TV crew was physically abused and detained for several hours, and their tape erased."
This incident happened after the Chinese regime announced that from January 2007 to October 2008, there would be no restrictions on foreign media.
"If this is an example how the Chinese authorities respect the rights of the media, then journalists who will enter China for the Olympics are at risk," Mr. Kine concluded.
"The IOC is failing in its obligation that China should live up to its commitments it made to get the games. The IOC is so far paying a deaf ear to the abuses."
Sharon Hom, director of Human Rights in China, said there is word of a blacklist by the Chinese regime including 42 categories of banned individuals (such as Falun Gong practitioners, the Dalai Lama, and NGO's) who are not permitted to attend the Olympics.
Pal Schmitt, International Olympic Committee (IOC) official and European parliament member, said he did support the idea of boycotting the Beijing Olympics.
"The IOC is mainly a sports organization," Schmitt said. "However, it has taken political stances before, such as when it suspended the participation of South Africa in 1964 because of its apartheid regime. We can't just close our ears to what's happening. We made a statement against the apartheid regime, so let's do it again."
The Chair of the Subcommittee, Hélène Flautre, expressed the intention to send a delegation to Beijing before the 2008 Olympics to further investigate.
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