Team Resources
About the campaign
Human rights in China and the Beijing Olympics
This year's Freedom Challenge theme is human rights in China and the Beijing Olympics. This campaign is part of a global campaign run by Amnesty before and during the Olympics to highlight the human rights abuses occurring in China. Amnesty International has broad human rights concerns in China, but the Beijing Olympics campaign focuses on four clear issues:
- the death penalty
- detention, torture and the lack of fair trials in China
- repression of human rights defenders
- censorship of the internet, media and journalists
As part of Freedom Challenge you will be focusing particularly on two Chinese human rights defenders in order to achieve these goals.
When they were awarded the Olympics, the Chinese authorities pledged that human rights would improve through the hosting of the Games. Amnesty is monitoring China’s human rights performance, particularly in areas linked to preparations for the Olympics and the promises made by Chinese officials to improve the human rights situation. The International Olympic Committee advised that Amnesty was best placed to keep them up to date on China's human rights.
That report card is showing at best "must improve" and at worst "failing, must take urgent remedial attention." The eyes of the world will be on Beijing in August – we can’t wait till then for a final report, particularly if it’s a fail.
Amnesty wants the use the Olympic Games as an opportunity to constructively mobilize people for positive change.
It's time China gave human rights a sporting chance.
