IOC: No Censorship Agreement
The International Olympic Committee has responded to allegations that it has cut a deal with the Chinese government to censor the Internet during the Olympic Games in Bejing (which are about to start). According to the IOC’s chairman Jacques Rogge, no such deal has been agreed upon.
Western journalists in China have discovered that a number of websites they hoped to open remain filtered by the authorities, despite earlier Chinese promises of transparency.
After protests this week, some previously blocked websites have now been made available to foreign media, but others are still censored. The BBC Mandarin site, Wikipedia and some human rights sites have now become accessible.
“I am adamant in saying there has been no deal whatsoever to accept restrictions,” Rogge said at a press conference. “I am not going to make an apology for something that the IOC is not responsible for. We are not running the internet in China.”
“There has been no change in the IOC’s position,” said the body’s spokeswoman Giselle Davies. “The IOC would like to see open access.”
Whether or not the IOC has agreed to censoring the Internet is quite irrelevant; what is relevant is that Rogge freely admits that he considers it none of his business what kind of rules China establishes when it comes to the freedom of information. This while the Olympic Games pretend to be about more than just sports, and about more than making money. The OG stand for principles; for enlightenment, for harmony, for peace, and for freedom. In other words, for human dignity.
China has no interest in human dignity, and Rogge et alia know this. Nonetheless they let Bejing organize this year’s games.
Disgraceful.
