Sensitive issues remain for 2008 Olympics

By Andreas Landwehr Sep 28, 2006, 3:36 GMT

Beijing - Liu Qi sees the 22,000 media representatives expected in Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games as 'ambassadors' who will be 'strengthening the understanding between China and the rest of the world.'

The president of the organizing committee BOCOG, mayor of Beijing and member of the politburo is one of the most powerful politicians in China.

At a first Olympic press briefing this week, Liu Qi promised 'good working conditions for foreign journalists.'

Yet China, with its press censorship and attempts to spoon-feed the international media, is no ordinary place. The potential for conflict is also a matter of concern to the International Olympic Committee's press commission chief Kevan Gosper.

Mindful of not upsetting the hosts, he is calling on all journalists 'to respect the conditions and rules' which make China function as it does.

More than 300 representatives from 93 international news organizations and officials from the IOC were in Beijing for the briefing and to begin their planning for the major event.

From a logistics point of view, there was much praise and recognition for the 2008 hosts, but questions remained on issues of journalism. The promised guidelines for foreign media for the Games will not be published until next year.

Unlike at present, foreign journalists attending the Olympics are expected to be allowed to travel freely.

Olympics press chief Sun Weijia said: 'They can travel anywhere in China. There will be no restrictions.'

However, whether journalists attending the Games will be able to report on the fate of Tibetans or the repression of the Moslem Uigur ethnic group in north-west China remains to be seen.

At least in the press centre, journalists should have unrestricted internet access, although China bars sensitive content on issues such as human rights violations.

The list of items not permitted to be brought into the country is also baffling. Along with weapons and explosives it includes 'print products and CD-ROMs which are harmful to China's politics, economy and culture'.

Press chief Sun could not be more specific on this, saying only that there is 'a list of contents regarded as harmful to the state.'

A thick file given to everyone is also unable to shed more light on the matter. But it is clear the ban is aimed at material which human rights groups, exiled Tibetans or members of the banned cult movement Falun Gong might want to bring into the country during the Games.

Undoubtedly it could easily come to a conflict between the strict state apparatus in China and journalists used to freedom of reporting and movement - especially if human rights groups or the like plan any protest actions in Beijing during the Games.

Normally foreign journalists would be taken into custody for 'illegal reporting', and would have to hand over film and photo material.

However it is entirely unclear how China's security forces would handle such incidents in 2008. Little tolerance can be expected if the present practice is anything to go by.

The IOC's Gosper, however, remains optimistic. He seems to be banking on the persuasive abilities of the international community and China's ability to learn, describing the Chinese as 'the world's best listeners.'