CHINA: THE OLYMPIC PRISONERS

The Olympic Games have their anthem, their rings, their heroes and their sponsors. And now, with the Beijing 2008 games, they have their prisoners, writes Robert Menard, Secretary General of Reporters Without Borders International. In this article, the author writes that the Chinese government is not just building fine stadiums, it is also arresting those who dare to condemn the countless human rights violations taking place in China. Just before New Year\'s Eve, leading human rights activist Hu Jia, recently nominated for the European Parliament\'s Sakharov prize, was arrested at his Beijing home. The policemen also threatened his young wife, Zeng Jinyan, a well-known blogger who was named by Time magazine as one of the world\'s 100 heroes in 2007. One would expect an outcry in response to such a level of repression. All those looking forward to the 2008 Beijing games should speak out. But the International Olympic Committee is saying nothing and rejecting all appeals for help. The Olympic sponsors are not saying anything either. And foreign diplomats rarely speak out because they are too scared of upsetting Beijing.