The Australian, July 31, 2008
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/beijing_olympics/story/0,27313,24105968-5014104,00.html#
MEMBERS of the International Olympic Committee had negotiated with Chinese authorities to allow censorship of the internet.
IOC Press Commission head Kevan Gosper has apologised for misleading the media by promising journalists that internet access during the Beijing Olympics would be unfettered.
Mr Gosper, an Australian, told the South China Morning Post that the IOC knew some sites would be blocked.
"(Recently) I have also been advised that some of the IOC officials had negotiated with the Chinese that some sensitive sites would be blocked," the Hong Kong-based newspaper quoted Mr Gosper as saying.
"If you have been misled by what I have told you about there being free internet access during the Games, then I apologise."
IOC president Jacques Rogge had guaranteed
that the internet would be free and open for media covering the Games.
China has created an international furore by reversing a pledge to provide complete media freedom at the Games.
Sun Weide, spokesman for the Olympic organising committee, said no one would be able to access internet information or websites China did not sanction including sites about the Falun Gong spiritual movement, which is banned in China, and other sites he did not specify.
"During the Olympic Games we will provide sufficient access to the internet for reporters," Mr Sun said.
"Our promise was that journalists would be able to use the internet for their work during the Olympic Games. So we have given them sufficient access to do that."
In September 2006, China publicly promised that foreign media would enjoy uncensored access.
Last night the International Olympic Committee and Communist officials were at loggerheads over the announcement.
After a day of fraught negotiations yesterday, Mr Gosper said he was disappointed by the unexpected shift but that talks were continuing to convince China to honour its commitment.
"It was my express belief that there would be open, free and uncensored access to the internet during the Games," Mr Gosper told The Australian.
"My preoccupation now is to ensure there is no impediment to reporting the Games themselves."
Australian Olympic team boss John Coates said he had no idea that the IOC had cut a secret deal with Games organisers about censorship.
"I have no involvement in any of that and there's nothing I can do about it. It's in the hands of others," Mr Coates said.
"It would appear that this is something that has been done at coordination commission level and that sort of detail doesn't come through to the membership.
"If we're on particular commissions we might be privy to information like that. I certainly wasn't."
Sites that have been blocked
include the BBC, Germany's Deutsche Welle, Amnesty International and a sites run
by the banned sect Falun Gong.