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MissionThe mission of Olympic Watch is to monitor the human rights situation in the People's Republic of China in the run-up to the 2008 Olympic Games and to campaign to achieve positive change in the lives of the people of China. The original manifesto is particularly concerned with four issues: the ongoing persecution of the Beijing regime's democratic opposition; curtailment of freedom of speech and access to information; death penalty in an environment short on fair trial procedures; and the Beijing government's policies towards Tibet and Taiwan. While these remain the primary points of concern, as change in these areas is likely to bring about improvement in others, Olympic Watch also pays attention to other issues, such as religious freedoms, abortion policies, forced labor camps, etc. We both work on general monitoring of the situation and intervene in specific cases of human right abuses. We do so both through public advocacy and by building support for human rights and democracy in China among high-profile personalities and institutions. Olympic Watch was established in Prague in 2001 in response to the IOC's decision to grant Beijing the organization of the 2008 Olympic Games. Originally an initiative of Sen. Jan Ruml, Sen. Michael Zantovsky, and Mr. Karel Schwarzenberg, the International Committee currently consists of thirteen personalities from six countries around the world. Olympic Watch (Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games in a Free and Democratic Country / Vybor pro olympijske hry 2008 ve svobodne a demokraticke zemi) is registered as a Czech non-profit, non-governmental organization ("občanské sdružení", "civic association"). |
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