CHINA: Olympics row in Beijing over unofficial broacast of opening ceremony rehearsals and internet restrictions

Record ID: 329833

  • Title: CHINA: Olympics row in Beijing over unofficial broacast of opening ceremony rehearsals and internet restrictions
  • Date: 31st July 2008
  • Summary: (BN05) BEIJING, CHINA (JULY 31, 2008) (REUTERS) MOTOR CONVOY ARRIVING AT BEIJING RAFFLES HOTEL PRESIDENT OF THE IOC JACQUES ROGGE WALKING PAST CAMERAS ROGGE SPEAKING TO OFFICIALS ROGGE POSING WITH OFFICIALS FOR PHOTOGRAPHS ROGGE STANDING FOR PHOTOGRAPH
  • Embargoed: 15th August 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Communications,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA9B5NHZH8BNA84O2VYBIQD91BE
  • Story Text: China reacted calmly on Thursday (July 31) to the broadcast of a secret dress rehearsal of the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony by a South Korean TV station.
    The television station, SBS, aired just over a minute of film of next week's ceremony, but said on Thursday it had taken the footage legitimately.
    Olympic organisers had reportedly made performers sign confidentiality agreements not to divulge details of the August 8 ceremony, which is directed by Oscar-nominated director Zhang Yimou. Chinese internet bloggers accused the channel of effectively breaking state secrecy laws by showing the footage.
    Speaking at a news briefing on Thursday, Sun Weide, spokesman for the Beijing Organising Committee of the Olympic games (BOCOG) avoided directly criticising the television station, and advised broadcasters to be patient.
    "We are disappointed at the release of footage by a South Korean broadcaster regarding the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. The segment obviously cannot showcase the full picture and grandeur of the ceremony. So we hope everyone will wait until August 8th for the wonderful performances when the Games open," he said.
    Another row, this time over censorship of the internet continued on Thursday, as International Olympic Committee (IOC) press chief Kevan Gosper said that both he and the international media had been taken by surprise that some sensitive websites had been blocked. Beijing organisers had given assurances that international journalists would be able to access the internet without censorship during the Games.
    IOC President Jacques Rogge arrived in Beijing on Thursday, just one week before the opening ceremony and one day after the IOC press chairman admitted that the organisation had cut a media censorship deal with China.
    As the row continued to rumble, Rogge kept silent and refused to answer journalists' questions on his arrival at his Beijing hotel.
    BOCOG had consistently assured journalists attending press briefings ahead of the Games that they would have normal access to the Internet.
    The recent media censorship controversy follows an Amnesty International report, released earlier in the week, slamming China for its failing to honour its Olympic human rights pledges.
    BOCOG spokesman Sun Weide said censorship would not prevent journalists reporting the Games though he acknowledged there would be no access to some websites.
    "Similar to practices in other countries, China is acting in accordance with its laws with regards to the control of the Internet.
    According to Chinese law, the internet cannot be used to transmit information that is illegal, such as that promoting the evil cult Falun Gong, or threatening national security," Sun said.
    "So we hope that the media will respect Chinese laws and regulations," he added.
    In an interview with Reuters on Thursday, Head of the IOC Press Commission, Kevan Gosper said that he believed that there should be no restrictions for journalists at the Olympics.
    "I believe that the MPC and the IBC is special territory and I think this is the territory where all the media should be able to report as they have reported in previous Games," he said, adding that he was disappointed the restrictions had not been released to the public beforehand.
    "Now given that the ground rules have changed, by some form of agreement of which I wasn't aware. I think the least that should have been done is we should have been informing the international media immediately, and the public in general, so no surprises were delivered at this stage. And that hasn't been the case. That's disappointing. I don't feel very good about it myself personally," he said.
    In a regular news briefing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jainchao repeated assurances that China stood by Olympics reporting rules that ease restrictions on foreign journalists.
    The reporting rules ease curbs on foreign journalists' ability to report outside major cities but reporters still complain of facing hassles from local authorities.
    Liu condemned U.S. President George W. Bush's meeting with a group of exiled Chinese dissidents. Bush is under pressure from U.S. lawmakers and advocacy groups to take a stronger stand on China's human rights record.
    But on Tuesday (July 29) Bush angered Beijing by holding meetings with Chinese democracy activists after a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.
    Bush assured the five activists, some of whom served prison sentences in China, that he would carry a message of freedom to the Games and would continue to discuss his human rights concerns in meetings with Chinese officials.
    "These people have long been engaged in anti-China activities and hostile sabotage activities under the banner of so-called 'human rights and religion', which have harmed China's national security and social stability.
    U.S. leaders met them and the U.S. made irresponsible remarks on China's human rights and religion situations. The U.S. has brutally interfered with China's internal affairs and sent wrong messages to anti-China groups. We express strong discontent with and firm opposition to this," Liu said.
    Bush has rejected calls from rights groups to boycott the start of the summer Games, which begin on August 8, insisting it would have been an affront to the Chinese people. Bush has repeatedly said he is going to the Olympics for sports and not for politics.
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