By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 5: The US on Thursday called out China to ensure freedom of movement for journalists at the Beijing Winter Olympics in February next year. The message was followed by the statement issued by Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China this week about the concerns of “lack of transparency” from the organizers of the elite international games from Feb. 4 – 20.
“We urge PRC officials not to limit freedom of movement and access for journalists and to ensure that they remain safe and able to report freely, including at the Olympic and the Paralympic Games,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said at a press briefing.
The FCCC statement issued on Tuesday, “Over the last year, the foreign press corps has been continuously stymied in its coverage of Winter Olympic Game preparations, denied attendance at routine events, and prevented from visiting sports venues in China”. It further stated that even though the Games will be starting in almost three months, there have been no certainties as to how the international journalists would cover the event.
The Olympics torch lighting ceremony in Greece was marred with activists from diverse backgrounds protesting for the rights of people in Tibet, Hong Kong and freedom for the Uyghur people last month. However, US spokesperson did not give any update on the country’s position on participation in the Games. US minority leader and Speaker Nancy Pelosi in May called for a “diplomatic boycott” of the Olympics in Beijing at a bipartisan congressional hearing, urging the US government and world leaders to refrain from attending the games on the grounds of ‘moral authority’.
As per multiple reports, the participants at the Games will be subjected to daily COVID-19 tests, and the international media will be kept in a “closed loop” including three venues; one in Beijing, one near the Great Wall, and another in the northwest of the city in Hebei province. China’s foreign ministry spokesperson firmly asserted that all journalists would be allowed to cover the international games if they abided by Chinese laws and regulations, and said the reports were “fake news” intended to smear China and the IOC.
