Word: ioc
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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Beijing appeared to back down in the face of international pressure Friday, removing a wide range of filters blocking access to websites beyond China's so-called Great Firewall. The move followed negotiations with the International Olympic Committee, sought by the IOC after numerous complaints from reporters arriving in Beijing to cover the Games that open August 8. Even at the main Olympic press center, access to the Web had been heavily restricted...
...decision was presented by the IOC as a direct response to its pressure. "The issue were put on the table and the IOC requested that the Olympic Games hosts addressed them," a press release stated. "We trust them to keep their promise...
...IOC has faced considerable criticism for failing to press the Chinese authorities to keep their promises that being awarded the Games would make China a more open society and improve its human-rights record. Amnesty International reported on July 22 that instead of improving human rights, the hosting of the Games had actually had the opposite effect. "In fact, the crackdown on human-rights defenders, journalists and lawyers has intensified because Beijing is hosting the Olympics," the report stated. "The authorities have stepped up repression of dissident voices in their efforts to present an image of 'stability' and 'harmony...
...IOC, deeming this as political interference in sporting matters, gave the Iraqi government a deadline in which to reinstate the old committee. Baghdad refused to back down, and now the seven Iraqis who had qualified for the Games - two rowers, an archer, a discus thrower, a sprinter, a weightlifter and a judoka - have been told to unpack their bags...
They're not the only ones suffering the consequences of political wrangling, though. The ban amounts to collective punishment for all Iraqis. The IOC's protestations that it had no choice but to impose its rules are plainly disingenuous. For one thing, Iraq is hardly the only country where politicians meddle with sport. The Games are, after all, being held in China! For another, if the IOC was perfectly happy to let Iraq participate in previous Games when Uday was running Iraq sports. Perhaps locking a football player in an iron maiden doesn't qualify under the IOC's definition...