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Open Letter regarding the Beijing 2008 Olympic

December 3, 2007

The Olympic Games have historically been considered a symbol of friendship, cooperation, peace and freedom for people around the world, and those involved in the Games have always aimed to serve these noble purposes.

On 13 July 2001 at the 112th IOC Session in Moscow, Beijing was selected as the host city for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in 2008. Subsequently, a number of non-governmental organizations, as well as numerous state governments, called on Beijing to abide by the universal principles regarding human rights, democracy and liberty. Upoon receiving these requests, the Chinese government promised the international community that it would work toward improving human rights conditions and democratic freedoms.

Unfortunately, more than six years after Beijing’s selection, human rights conditions in China appear to be regressing, not moving forward. Not only has the Chinese government not kept its promises regarding the advancement of human rights and democracy, it has in fact intensified its already harsh repression of fundamental individual liberties. In addition, the Beijing government is directly or implicitly encouraging other state governments to follow in its path of human rights violations and obstacles to democracy.

The recent announcement of Beijing’s security plans for the Olympics is yet another example of the continuation of the authoritarian rule that exists in China. The unveiling of the classified document regarding the surveillance of the activities and background of people who will attend the Games, including the members of the International Olympic Commitee, athletes from different countries, foreign dignitaries and officials, and all other types of personnel, demonstrates the Chinese government’s determination to continue implementing the same non-democratic, draconian types of policies as it always has. The security plans not only violate the human rights of those attending and participating in the Games, they also constitute a direct breach of international laws and an infringment of basic Olympic principles.

In spite of widespread international criticism and condemnation, the Chinese government has continued to terrorize the people living within China’s borders, and to disregard universally-accepted human rights principles. Minority peoples, such as Tibetans and Uyghurs, are the most severely persecuted targets of Chinese government oppression. Since the September 11 attacks on the United States, the Uyghur people have suffered from particularly harsh policies of ethnic assimilation and state terrorism.

The most recent example of the Chinese government’s insistence upon persecuting Uyghurs in the name of anti-terrorism occurred on November 8, when six Uyghurs- namely Abduweli Imin, Muxtar Setiwaldi, Qurban Mamut, Axmat Raxman, Imin Mehman, and Parhat Yaqup- were sentenced to death and life imprisonment after an unfair trial. Without the existence of an independent judiciary or a transparent legal system, Chinese authorities were able to convict these men without presenting compelling evidence to the court.

We hereby call upon international organizations and the governments of democratic states to condemn the Chinese government’s violations of basic human rights, international law and the principles of the Olympic Games.

Sincerely,

Rebiya Kadeer
President of the World Uyghur Congress