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03.07.2003Olympic Watch representatives meet IOC tonight at Prague’s ZofinPrague, July 3, 2003. Jan Ruml, Acting President of the Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games in a Free and Democratic Country (Olympic Watch), Michael Zantovsky, and other representatives of the Committee will meet the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee tonight. The meeting will take place during the reception at Prague’s Zofin hall.Senator Ruml earlier sent a letter on behalf of the Olympic Watch Committee to all the members of the IOC Executive Board, in which he pointed out the ongoing human rights violations in the People’s Republic of China. “We at the Olympic Watch Committee believe that the Chinese government must improve its human rights record for it to be a good host to the Olympic Games: one that is true to the great Olympic ideals of ‘respect for universal ethical principles’, ‘harmonious development of man’ and ‘preservation of human dignity’,” he wrote in the letter. “In particular, we are concerned with the ongoing persecution of the opponents of the regime; the use of death penalty in an environment short on fair trial procedures; the curtailment of freedom of speech and access to information; and the Beijing government’s policies towards Tibet and Taiwan.” Olympic Watch representatives will restate this position in their discussion with the IOC Executive Board tonight. They will also inquire about opportunities for regular consultations on the Chinese government’s progress in human rights and about the IOC activities in this field. Olympic Watch (Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games in a Free and Democratic Country) was established in Prague in 2001. Its mission 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 gather support of key persons and general public for its improvement. For more information on Olympic Watch, please visit www.olympicwatch.org or write to info@olympicwatch.org. Olympic Watch |
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