Olympic Notes: Rogge Cautious Of What He Says On Human Rights

Rogge Says His Position With IOC Tempers His Comments On China's Human Rights

IOC President Jacques Rogge said that he "cannot speak in detail about human rights in China for diplomatic reasons." Rogge: "I have to be careful about what I do and what I say. I am at the head of an organization. My duty is to make the Olympics a success and let the athletes express themselves freely. I am criticized. And I answer that I am ready to take blows in order to protect the athletes. In view of my responsibilities, I have lost some of my freedom of speech." Rogge added, "I call it hypocrisy when I hear a politician demanding a boycott of the Beijing Olympics when he is not even considering for one second calling back his ambassador or ceasing trade and cultural exchanges (with China). Why should sport have to pay for the rest?" Rogge also "answered criticism about the IOC and claims that there was too much money involved in the Olympics." Rogge: "The Games, to put things clearly, yield [US$7.07B] per cycle. Not one of those [dollars] comes from taxpayers. Television and sponsors are the only ones who pay for the Olympics" (REUTERS, 7/26).

POP-UP BLOCKER: IOC Press Commission Chair Kevan Gosper today said that the IOC will "investigate apparent censorship of the Internet service provided for media coverage" at the Beijing Games. REUTERS' Nick Mulvenney notes despite the Chinese government vowing to loosen its regulations on the governing of media, foreign media in China have "complained of continuing harassment by officials," and Human Rights Watch earlier this month released a report which said that the country was "not living up to its pledges." Mulvenney notes attempts to use the Internet at the Main Press Center to access the Web site of Amnesty Int'l, which Monday issued a report "slamming China for failing to honour its Olympic human rights pledges, proved fruitless." China Foreign Ministry Deputy-Director General of Info. Dept. Liu Jianchao said that "difficulties accessing certain websites could be the fault of the sites themselves." Liu: "There are some problems with a lot of websites themselves that makes it not easy to view them in China" (REUTERS, 7/29).

NOTES: In Manchester, Paul Kelso reported LOCOG Chair Sebastian Coe and a team of 80 staff members from LOCOG and the Olympic Delivery Authority will travel to the Beijing Olympics as "part of a knowledge-sharing 'observer programme.'" Another 30 government reps from London, "including four ministers, their private secretaries and press officers, as well as representatives of the police, ambulance service and fire brigade, health authorities, the home office the Ministry of Defence and the security services" also will join the team. Coe will update the IOC on "London's progress so far and reassuring anyone who asks that his Games will be ready" (Manchester GUARDIAN, 7/26)....BOCOG officials said that Olympic tickets in Beijing have completely sold out, "leaving only tickets for competitions in co-host cities" (REUTERS, 7/28).