In 2001, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded China the 2008 Summer Games, it promised the Olympics would bring significant improvements to human rights in China. With the Beijing Olympics now less than a year away, the Chinese government's human rights record has worsened and it has adopted a hardened position on political dissent in Tibet.

On December 10th, International Human Rights Day, the IOC Executive Committee will meet in Lausanne Switzerland. Please send the letter below now to IOC President, Jaques Rogge, asking him to hold the Chinese government accountable for its failed human rights record in China and Tibet.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am writing to express my disappointment in the International Olympic Committee. The IOC has failed to uphold its promise to the global community that the Beijing Olympics would bring positive social and political change in China. You personally stated in an April 2002 interview on BBC's Hardtalk that the IOC was "convinced that the Olympic Games will improve human rights in China."

However, for the past six years, the IOC has completely ignored the fact that the Chinese government's human rights record in Tibet, in China, and in other Chinese occupied territories has worsened. In August, Human Rights Watch issued a press release concluding that the Chinese government "shows no substantive progress in addressing long-standing human rights concerns." It has since released a report documenting China's widespread violations of media freedom.

The situation in Tibet is particularly dire as the Chinese government has hardened its response to any sign of dissent in the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics. On November 19th, Runggye Adak, a 52 year-old father of eleven children, was sentenced to eight years in prison for doing nothing more than peacefully expressing his views. Far from improving human rights, the Chinese government is actually intensifying its crackdown on freedom of expression, assembly, and religion in Tibet - and yet, the IOC has said nothing.

It is not too late to act. On December 10th, while people around the world observe International Human Rights Day, you will meet with members of the IOC Executive Committee in Lausanne, Switzerland. On this important day, I call on you to make a public statement holding the Chinese government accountable for its failed human rights record.

By speaking in defense of human rights now, you will demonstrate that the IOC is truly "concerned with the preservation of human dignity" as stated in the Olympic Charter.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
December 03, 2007