Olympic Committee asks Beijing not to censor games

by Nikki Sandison, Brand Republic 28-Mar-08, 09:15

LONDON - The International Olympic Committee has asked the Chinese authorities to promise not to interrupt television coverage of the games, after concerns were raised when Tibet protests at the torch-lighting ceremony in Greece were censored.

French TV executives have asked the European Broadcasting Union to obtain guarantees from Beijing that transmissions will be live and uninterrupted, even if protests take place.

Yesterday, French president Nicolas Sarkozy said he would consult European Union leaders on a possible boycott of the opening ceremony.

The torch-lighting ceremony was interrupted by a protester from the French-based media organisation Reporters Without Borders, protesting against censorship and the Chinese government's poor record on human rights.

The organisation called for France to boycott the opening ceremony of the games, while the president of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pottering, said in the German press that he sees a boycott as being justified if the Chinese government refuses to make compromises on Tibet.

Protests are expected when the torch passes through London on April 6.

In Tibet itself yesterday, there was a fresh anti-Chinese protest during a guided tour of the capital Lhasa organised by the Chinese for a group of international journalists it has allowed into the country.

A group of 30 young Buddhist monks interrupted the visit to one of Lhasa's temples to shout about the lack of freedom in the country, accusing the Chinese authorities of lying to the visiting journalists and promising further demonstrations.

Separately, it emerged that the BBC is sending 437 employees to cover the Beijing Olympics, which is 100 more than the number of British athletes competing.

The numbers were revealed after police were called in to investigate missing travel documents, which disappeared from BBC offices earlier this month.

This is 33 more staff than covered the Olympics in Athens four years ago and adds fuel to claims that the BBC is spending excessive amounts on its sports coverage.