IOC Criticizes China For Incident Involving British Reporter

Davies Says IOC Disapproves Of Attempts To Hinder Journalsts

FORCING THE ISSUE: In DC, Jill Drew writes under the subhead, "Expelled U.S. Protesters Tell Of Hospitality And Haranguing." The focus of Chinese officials' "strategy for handling protests by foreigners, emerging now after about half a dozen small-scale incidents, seems to be to limit the force used to subdue participants ... while documenting any gentle treatment in custody." Religious and political activists who were detained in Beijing said that a goal of the city's police is to "get them to admit they broke a Chinese law against disturbing public order" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/15). Meanwhile, a Free Tibet video on YouTube has been removed under the IOC's "intellectual-property deal" with the Web site. Davies: "A YouTube video containing the Olympic marque was taken down by automated copyright-protection software. This was the result of the system operating automatically to prevent the illegal uploading of Olympic content" (Manchester GUARDIAN, 8/15).

ZONE DEFENSE: In DC, Cha & Drew write as the Olympics near the end of the first week, there have been "no reports that anyone has used the 'protest pens' set up in three Beijing parks for demonstrations sanctioned under Chinese law." BOCOG Exec VP & General Secretary Wang Wei said that he had "no information on why no one had yet been approved to protest" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/15). In Toronto, Bill Schiller writes if BOCOG officials "thought that announcing the 'zones' was a good public relations strategy, it now seems to have backfired." BOCOG officials "continue to stonewall" the requests of foreign media for BOCOG to "release the number of citizens who have applied to protest" (TORONTO STAR, 8/15). A FINANCIAL TIMES editorial, under the header "Olympic Repression And A Gutless IOC," states the "breathtaking cynicism of the Chinese authorities in declaring zones in three parks open for public protests and then persecuting, detaining or expelling from Beijing those who applied for permission to use them is a clear breach of the promises made by China." The IOC is "so eager not to offend the Chinese hosts that it has made no visible attempt to hold China to its word." While "no one expected the domestic media suddenly to be unshackled for the Olympics," foreign journalists "did think they would operate freely. That has not happened" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 8/15).

China Misrepresented Children Supposedly  Repping 56 Ethnic Groups At Opening Ceremony

GREEN ACRES (OF ROOM): USA TODAY's Christine Brennan writes at the Games the "atmosphere outside the venues and especially in the Olympic Green is the least inspiring at an Olympics in at least a generation, and perhaps much longer." The Chinese government has "created an event that is buttoned up so tightly that it might as well be hermetically sealed." But Brennan writes, "Not that the Green is that impressive anyway. Visitors can't help but notice stern guards in formation marching here and there. ... There is no ambiance to speak of past midafternoon." China "built an Olympics of structure with no soul" (USA TODAY, 8/15). In Vancouver, Michael Smyth writes the "sight of athletes competing for medals in front of entire sections of empty seats is an embarrassment for a country of more than a billion people." The Olympic Green is "practically a ghost town because of strict Chinese security measures when it should be a place of celebration for the people." The security is "suffocating overkill" (Vancouver PROVINCE, 8/15). But the Olympic Green today was "one of the busiest days the area has seen" due to the start of competition at the Bird's Nest and sponsors handing out coupons for access to the Green (Tripp Mickle, SportsBusiness Journal).  NBC's Matt Lauer: "You may notice a bigger than normal crowd here on our plaza tonight because track & field has gotten underway" ("Today," NBC, 8/15). 

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