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China to censor Internet during Games: official
2008-07-29
BEIJING (AFP) - China will censor the Internet used by foreign media during the Olympics, an organising committee official confirmed Wednesday, reversing a pledge to offer complete media freedom at the games. "During the Olympic Games we will provide sufficient access to the Internet for reporters," said Sun Weide, spokesman for the organising committee. He confirmed, however, that journalists would not be able to access information or websites connected to the Falungong spiritual movement which is banned in China. Other sites were also unavailable to journalists, he said, without specifying which ones. Journalists working at the main press centre for the Olympics also complained that they were unable to access Internet sites belonging to rights group Amnesty International, the BBC, Germany's Deutsche Welle, Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily, and Taiwan newspaper Liberty Times. "Our promise was that journalists would be able to use the Internet for their work during the Olympic Games," said Sun. "So we have given them sufficient access to do that." However, in the runup to the Games the Beijing Olympic organising committee, under pressure from the International Olympic Committee, has promised full access to the Internet for thousands of reporters expected here to cover the August 8-24 Games. Falungong is a spiritual group banned by China as an "evil cult," and many of its members have been detained, amid claims that hundreds have died in custody due to torture, abuse and neglect.
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