Man jailed for importing steroids

A former male model who ran a successful business selling illegally obtained human growth hormones and steroids has been jailed.

Brendan James Brophy, 28, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Thursday to a string of drug-related charges, including seven counts of importing tier one goods and trafficking in dangerous drugs.

The court was told Brophy started his illegal business in July 2006, importing drugs from China, Dubai and the United Kingdom and selling them through a website he had created.

He used a number of aliases to receive payments from customers, and to obtain the shipments of illegal drugs.

When police raided his apartment at Ashmore on the Gold Coast in September 2006 they found 6.5 litres of liquid containing steroids and hormones, which had been intended for sale.

They also found a database on his home computer that revealed he had sent drugs to 34 customers since establishing his business, and that several more people were waiting to receive their orders.

Prosecutor Glen Cash said it was impossible to determine how much money Brophy had made but that police found almost $20,000 in cash in his apartment.

Mr Cash told the court that Brophy was arrested and released on bail shortly afterwards, but that he waited less than six months before he made another importation.

Defence barrister Tony Kimmins told the court his client had started importing again so he could fill orders he had not been able to meet prior to his arrest.

Mr Kimmins said Brophy had been threatened with physical violence if he did not deliver the drugs and that he feared for his safety.

The court was told Brophy is now remorseful for his actions, and that he is seeking to make his fortune in real estate.

Justice John Byrne sentenced Brophy to two and a half years' jail.

He ordered he be released on a two-year good behaviour bond after serving just six months behind bars.

Australia urged to ban China's 'transplant tourism'

A human rights lawyer from Canada has called on the Australian Government to ban transplant tourism.

David Matas is addressing the International Congress of the Transplantation Society in Sydney today, where he says he will present new evidence of forced organ removals from prisoners and Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Mr Matas says he has audio tapes of Chinese doctors admitting they have Falun Gong organs for sale.

"We had callers calling into China pretending to be relatives of patients asking hospitals if they had organs of Falun Gong practitioners for sale on the basis that the Falun Gong is an exercise regime and they're healthy, and therefore their organs are healthy, and we got admissions throughout China that yes, we have these organs for sale," he said.

Mr Matas also says until recently, the main market for these organs was foreigners seeking cheap transplants.

"China still does not have a generation system for organs, does still not have a law allowing for the sourcing of organs from a brain dead cardiac alive, it still does not have a national organ distribution and sharing system, it's still the overwhelming 90, 95-96 per cent of its organs are sourced from prisoners," he said.

Related:

China in human rights dance, says Rudd
"As someone who's looked at the history of human rights in China, it's always been two steps forward, one step back," Mr Rudd said when asked if China had fulfilled its promise, made in 2001 when it was awarded the 2008 Games, to improve human rights.

Olympics human rights ads pulled: GetUp!
Advocacy group GetUp says they expect to be reimbursed for advertisements protesting human rights abuses in China that were stopped from going to air during the coverage of the Olympic opening ceremony. The organisation says they paid Channel Seven to feature the ads before and after the event and were given approval to do so. GetUp's Brett Solomon says he is extremely disappointed by the decision not to air the ads.

Hypocrisy, human rights and the Beijing games
The Beijing Olympic games, which began on August 8, are shaping up to be a perfect reflection of our times — taking place against a backdrop of human rights abuses, terrorism scares and under a blanket of chemical smog.

Summer Olympic Games Open in Beijing, Pro-Tibet Protester Deported to US


The eyes of the world are focused on China today as the Summer Olympic Games open in Beijing. One big question centers on whether the Olympic Committee and the Chinese government will allow any public protests during the Games. We speak with an activist who was arrested in China and deported after unfurling a Tibet independence banner close to the main Olympic stadium.

“This is the Olympics the West Wanted”–Dave Zirin on US Corporations Entering China, Athletes Speaking Out and the Games from ’68 to Today


As the 2008 Summer Olympic Games open in Beijing, we speak with sportswriter Dave Zirin. “This is the Olympics the West wanted: games where the grandest prize is not a gold medal but a glittering entree to China’s seemingly endless army of potential consumers,” writes Zirin. “This is the reason that George W. Bush will attend the opening ceremonies, the first U.S. President to do so on foreign soil.”

Athletes' letter condemns China on rights
Forty athletes taking part in the games have written an open letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao, expressing their concerns about Tibet. The signatories to the letter, which was sent to the International Herald Tribune newspaper, include Cuban hurdler Dayron Robles, Croatian world high jump champion Blanka Vlasic, and US 400 metres runner DeeDee Trotter.

Australia to sign up to anti-torture treaty
Things like the Death Penalty, Genocide, Water boarding, Rendition, Terror, False Flag Ops, Propaganda, War on Witches, State-Terror, Selling Human Body Parts of Executed Prisoners, Occupation of Sovereign Nation States, Pre-emptive Strikes on Sovereign Nation States, No Freedom After Speech, Killing Their Opposition Political Party Leaders and Media, Inhibiting or Killing Freedom of the Press, Inhibiting Internet Freedom, Conspiracy Theories, and Govenment Propaganda by Corporate Media etc...

Falun Gong's Olympic 'call for justice'
About 100 protesters from the Falun Gong have gathered in Sydney's CBD calling for greater scrutiny of China's labour camps during the Olympics. The Falun Gong say about 8,000 of their members in China have been arrested since December in crackdown leading up to the games.

Before the Olympics, 'Free Tibet'
A "Free Tibet" activist group will screen an advertisement urging Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to speak to the Chinese leadership about finding a solution for Tibet during his visit to the Olympics in Beijing.

American Foreign Policy Brought to You by China: Advisers to Obama, McCain Tied to US Multinationals that Profit from Beijing


President Bush is heading to China this week, where he will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics on Friday. The Games’ presence in Beijing have helped spotlight opposition to China on a number of policies, including its repression of the Tibetan independence movement, its support for the Sudanese government in Darfur and its crackdown on dissidents and civil liberties at home. In the latest issue of Harper’s Magazine, Ken Silverstein says many of the bipartisan experts who have advocated so-called “constructive engagement” with China are tied to major US multinational corporations that profit heavily from the Chinese market.

Rudd to raise China Olympic censorship
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he will raise concerns with the Chinese Government about internet censorship during the Olympics. Chinese authorities are blocking sensitive websites used by the international media and are using spyware to monitor internet use in hotels used by journalists and other visitors to the Games.

China's human rights worse: Amnesty
Human rights group Amnesty International has released a scathing assessment of China's human rights record since it was awarded the right to host next month's Olympic Games seven years ago.

Kucinich Testifies Bush Impeachment House Judiciary Committee Holds Historic Hearings on the Case for Impeachment, Democracy Now! The House Judiciary Committee held historic hearings on Friday about whether the White House overstepped its constitutional authority during the presidency of George W. Bush and whether or not such abuses would justify his impeachment. The hearing was billed as one on “Executive Power and Its Constitutional Limitations.” Although the title expressly did not include the word “impeachment,” several Democratic Congress members and witnesses used the opportunity to begin impeachment proceedings against the President and Vice President. We play highlights.

China in human rights dance, says Rudd

Kevin Rudd poses for photos with a Chinese children's choir after they sang at the welcoming ceremony for the Australian Olympic Team.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd yesterday summed up China's progress on human rights as "two steps forward and one step back".

Speaking before the opening of the Olympic Games, Mr Rudd said China deserved credit for moving beyond the horrors of the Cultural Revolution and the suppression of the Tiananmen Square democracy movement in 1989, but that "much, much more" needed to be done.

"As someone who's looked at the history of human rights in China, it's always been two steps forward, one step back," Mr Rudd said when asked if China had fulfilled its promise, made in 2001 when it was awarded the 2008 Games, to improve human rights.

Mr Rudd said China's record on human rights had to be viewed in a longer time frame and to acknowledge that China had made "significant progress, while saying in the same breath there is much more progress that still needs to occur".

Mr Rudd was speaking just hours before Tibetan Buddhist monks tried to storm the heavily guarded Chinese embassy complex in New Delhi as the Games opening ceremony got underway in Beijing. As the police tackled the Tibetan exiles, some monks ran through the barricades towards the embassy walls but were stopped and taken into custody.

Mr Rudd declined to comment on US President George Bush's speech made in Bangkok, before his arrival in Beijing to attend last night's opening ceremony, in which Mr Bush criticised China's continued human rights abuses. Mr Rudd said he wanted to read Mr Bush's full speech before commenting.

Mr Rudd spoke to the media after a private meeting of about 45 minutes with Premier Wen Jiabao, one of the few bilateral meetings granted during the Olympic period.

He said he raised human rights, religious freedom, Tibet and internet freedom with Mr Wen, but declined to say how this was received.

"My responsibility as Prime Minister of Australia is to be frank about what I have seen … where positive changes have occurred and where we still believe changes need to occur."

After 30 years of studying China, he said he found a combination of "private diplomacy as well as periodic public reminders" of international concerns about human rights was the most effective way to encourage change.

He stressed several times the importance of bringing up human rights concerns "respectfully" and acknowledging how far civil liberties had improved since China began opening to the world in 1978.

Mr Wen agreed these matters would be pursued through Australia's annual human rights dialogue with China.

Mr Rudd noted the resumption of dialogue between China and representatives of the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama after the sustained riots in Tibet and western China since March.

At a state banquet for world leaders yesterday, Mr Rudd was seated next to Mr Wen and President Bush was seated next to President Hu Jintao.

Asked about the grey smog that yesterday cloaked Beijing, Mr Rudd said he was relying on the International Olympic Committee to monitor pollution levels to protect athletes' health.

Mr Rudd said his main job here was to support the 433 Australian athletes, who had given Beijing's physical preparations a good "rap".

He brushed off a question about whether ordinary Chinese were being kept away from the Games by the security clampdown, saying it was much easier for 20 million Australians to be involved in the Sydney Games than it was for 1.3 billion Chinese.He is due to meet Mr Hu later today.

Mr Rudd also:
* Stressed his government's non-discriminatory policy on foreign investment in Australia.
* Said Mr Wen agreed to pursue the stuttering bilateral Free Trade Agreement.
* Announced that the first ministerial dialogue on climate change would be held in Canberra in November.

Related:

Olympics human rights ads pulled: GetUp!
Advocacy group GetUp says they expect to be reimbursed for advertisements protesting human rights abuses in China that were stopped from going to air during the coverage of the Olympic opening ceremony. The organisation says they paid Channel Seven to feature the ads before and after the event and were given approval to do so. GetUp's Brett Solomon says he is extremely disappointed by the decision not to air the ads.

Summer Olympic Games Open in Beijing, Pro-Tibet Protester Deported to US


The eyes of the world are focused on China today as the Summer Olympic Games open in Beijing. One big question centers on whether the Olympic Committee and the Chinese government will allow any public protests during the Games. We speak with an activist who was arrested in China and deported after unfurling a Tibet independence banner close to the main Olympic stadium.

Hypocrisy, human rights and the Beijing games
The Beijing Olympic games, which began on August 8, are shaping up to be a perfect reflection of our times — taking place against a backdrop of human rights abuses, terrorism scares and under a blanket of chemical smog.

“This is the Olympics the West Wanted”–Dave Zirin on US Corporations Entering China, Athletes Speaking Out and the Games from ’68 to Today


As the 2008 Summer Olympic Games open in Beijing, we speak with sportswriter Dave Zirin. “This is the Olympics the West wanted: games where the grandest prize is not a gold medal but a glittering entree to China’s seemingly endless army of potential consumers,” writes Zirin. “This is the reason that George W. Bush will attend the opening ceremonies, the first U.S. President to do so on foreign soil.”

Athletes' letter condemns China on rights
Forty athletes taking part in the games have written an open letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao, expressing their concerns about Tibet. The signatories to the letter, which was sent to the International Herald Tribune newspaper, include Cuban hurdler Dayron Robles, Croatian world high jump champion Blanka Vlasic, and US 400 metres runner DeeDee Trotter.

Australia to sign up to anti-torture treaty
Things like the Death Penalty, Genocide, Water boarding, Rendition, Terror, False Flag Ops, Propaganda, War on Witches, State-Terror, Selling Human Body Parts of Executed Prisoners, Occupation of Sovereign Nation States, Pre-emptive Strikes on Sovereign Nation States, No Freedom After Speech, Killing Their Opposition Political Party Leaders and Media, Inhibiting or Killing Freedom of the Press, Inhibiting Internet Freedom, Conspiracy Theories, and Govenment Propaganda by Corporate Media etc...

Falun Gong's Olympic 'call for justice'
About 100 protesters from the Falun Gong have gathered in Sydney's CBD calling for greater scrutiny of China's labour camps during the Olympics. The Falun Gong say about 8,000 of their members in China have been arrested since December in crackdown leading up to the games.

Before the Olympics, 'Free Tibet'
A "Free Tibet" activist group will screen an advertisement urging Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to speak to the Chinese leadership about finding a solution for Tibet during his visit to the Olympics in Beijing.

American Foreign Policy Brought to You by China: Advisers to Obama, McCain Tied to US Multinationals that Profit from Beijing


President Bush is heading to China this week, where he will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics on Friday. The Games’ presence in Beijing have helped spotlight opposition to China on a number of policies, including its repression of the Tibetan independence movement, its support for the Sudanese government in Darfur and its crackdown on dissidents and civil liberties at home. In the latest issue of Harper’s Magazine, Ken Silverstein says many of the bipartisan experts who have advocated so-called “constructive engagement” with China are tied to major US multinational corporations that profit heavily from the Chinese market.

Rudd to raise China Olympic censorship
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he will raise concerns with the Chinese Government about internet censorship during the Olympics. Chinese authorities are blocking sensitive websites used by the international media and are using spyware to monitor internet use in hotels used by journalists and other visitors to the Games.

China's human rights worse: Amnesty
Human rights group Amnesty International has released a scathing assessment of China's human rights record since it was awarded the right to host next month's Olympic Games seven years ago.

Kucinich Testifies Bush Impeachment House Judiciary Committee Holds Historic Hearings on the Case for Impeachment, Democracy Now! The House Judiciary Committee held historic hearings on Friday about whether the White House overstepped its constitutional authority during the presidency of George W. Bush and whether or not such abuses would justify his impeachment. The hearing was billed as one on “Executive Power and Its Constitutional Limitations.” Although the title expressly did not include the word “impeachment,” several Democratic Congress members and witnesses used the opportunity to begin impeachment proceedings against the President and Vice President. We play highlights.

Olympics human rights ads pulled: GetUp!

Advocacy group GetUp says they expect to be reimbursed for advertisements protesting human rights abuses in China that were stopped from going to air during the coverage of the Olympic opening ceremony.

The organisation says they paid Channel Seven to feature the ads before and after the event and were given approval to do so.

GetUp's Brett Solomon says he is extremely disappointed by the decision not to air the ads.

"This is really a slap in the face to all the people who put in small amounts of money to fund the advertisement and so I guess there's a range of options at this point," he said.

GetUp says it will continue to try to get mainstream coverage for the campaign but will now approach other commercial networks.

Related:

Summer Olympic Games Open in Beijing, Pro-Tibet Protester Deported to US


The eyes of the world are focused on China today as the Summer Olympic Games open in Beijing. One big question centers on whether the Olympic Committee and the Chinese government will allow any public protests during the Games. We speak with an activist who was arrested in China and deported after unfurling a Tibet independence banner close to the main Olympic stadium.

Athletes' letter condemns China on rights
Forty athletes taking part in the games have written an open letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao, expressing their concerns about Tibet. The signatories to the letter, which was sent to the International Herald Tribune newspaper, include Cuban hurdler Dayron Robles, Croatian world high jump champion Blanka Vlasic, and US 400 metres runner DeeDee Trotter.

Australia to sign up to anti-torture treaty
Things like the Death Penalty, Genocide, Water boarding, Rendition, Terror, False Flag Ops, Propaganda, War on Witches, State-Terror, Selling Human Body Parts of Executed Prisoners, Occupation of Sovereign Nation States, Pre-emptive Strikes on Sovereign Nation States, No Freedom After Speech, Killing Their Opposition Political Party Leaders and Media, Inhibiting or Killing Freedom of the Press, Inhibiting Internet Freedom, Conspiracy Theories, and Govenment Propaganda by Corporate Media etc...

Falun Gong's Olympic 'call for justice'
About 100 protesters from the Falun Gong have gathered in Sydney's CBD calling for greater scrutiny of China's labour camps during the Olympics. The Falun Gong say about 8,000 of their members in China have been arrested since December in crackdown leading up to the games.

Before the Olympics, 'Free Tibet'
A "Free Tibet" activist group will screen an advertisement urging Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to speak to the Chinese leadership about finding a solution for Tibet during his visit to the Olympics in Beijing.

American Foreign Policy Brought to You by China: Advisers to Obama, McCain Tied to US Multinationals that Profit from Beijing


President Bush is heading to China this week, where he will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics on Friday. The Games’ presence in Beijing have helped spotlight opposition to China on a number of policies, including its repression of the Tibetan independence movement, its support for the Sudanese government in Darfur and its crackdown on dissidents and civil liberties at home. In the latest issue of Harper’s Magazine, Ken Silverstein says many of the bipartisan experts who have advocated so-called “constructive engagement” with China are tied to major US multinational corporations that profit heavily from the Chinese market.

Rudd to raise China Olympic censorship
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he will raise concerns with the Chinese Government about internet censorship during the Olympics. Chinese authorities are blocking sensitive websites used by the international media and are using spyware to monitor internet use in hotels used by journalists and other visitors to the Games.

China's human rights worse: Amnesty
Human rights group Amnesty International has released a scathing assessment of China's human rights record since it was awarded the right to host next month's Olympic Games seven years ago.

Athletes' letter condemns China on rights

Forty athletes taking part in the games have written an open letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao, expressing their concerns about Tibet.

The signatories to the letter, which was sent to the International Herald Tribune newspaper, include Cuban hurdler Dayron Robles, Croatian world high jump champion Blanka Vlasic, and US 400 metres runner DeeDee Trotter.

Olympic athletes have been given a warning about expressing political opinions and protesting in China as the communist country prepares to open the Games tonight.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge says the rules on athletes expressing their political opinions are clear.

"The athletes have the full right of course to express their views outside of accredited zones," he said.

"They can express their views the way they wish while respecting the laws of the country where they are.

Buddhists arrested after Kathmandu anti-China protest

Security forces in Nepal have broken up a demonstration in Kathmandu by about 2,000 Buddhists angry about China's policies in Tibet.

The protesters chanted religious mantras and accused Beijing of suppressing religious freedom in Tibet.

About 500 people were arrested after security forces moved in to disperse the crowd.

There have been regular protests by Tibetan exiles in Nepal since China suppressed demonstrations in Tibet in March.

Rights group hijacks Chinese radio frequency

A human rights group has broken China's tight control of the media by broadcasting a radio show calling for freedom of expression in Beijing.

The pirate broadcast happened exactly 12 hours before the Olympic Games opening ceremony begins.

Using FM transmitters, the group Reporters Without Borders sent out a 20-minute program in French, Chinese and English slamming the Communist Government's control of the media and free expression.

"It's our way of saying to them, despite everything you do, here are the voices of people you want to silence and they are speaking, in the heart of Beijing on the very first day of the Olympics," a spokesman said.

It is not known how many people were able to listen to the program.

The group says it was the first broadcast by a radio station not controlled by China's Government since the Communists took power in 1949.

Related:

Australia to sign up to anti-torture treaty
Things like the Death Penalty, Genocide, Water boarding, Rendition, Terror, False Flag Ops, Propaganda, War on Witches, State-Terror, Selling Human Body Parts of Executed Prisoners, Occupation of Sovereign Nation States, Pre-emptive Strikes on Sovereign Nation States, No Freedom After Speech, Killing Their Opposition Political Party Leaders and Media, Inhibiting or Killing Freedom of the Press, Inhibiting Internet Freedom, Conspiracy Theories, and Govenment Propaganda by Corporate Media etc...

Falun Gong's Olympic 'call for justice'
About 100 protesters from the Falun Gong have gathered in Sydney's CBD calling for greater scrutiny of China's labour camps during the Olympics. The Falun Gong say about 8,000 of their members in China have been arrested since December in crackdown leading up to the games.

Before the Olympics, 'Free Tibet'
A "Free Tibet" activist group will screen an advertisement urging Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to speak to the Chinese leadership about finding a solution for Tibet during his visit to the Olympics in Beijing.

American Foreign Policy Brought to You by China: Advisers to Obama, McCain Tied to US Multinationals that Profit from Beijing


President Bush is heading to China this week, where he will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics on Friday. The Games’ presence in Beijing have helped spotlight opposition to China on a number of policies, including its repression of the Tibetan independence movement, its support for the Sudanese government in Darfur and its crackdown on dissidents and civil liberties at home. In the latest issue of Harper’s Magazine, Ken Silverstein says many of the bipartisan experts who have advocated so-called “constructive engagement” with China are tied to major US multinational corporations that profit heavily from the Chinese market.

Rudd to raise China Olympic censorship
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he will raise concerns with the Chinese Government about internet censorship during the Olympics. Chinese authorities are blocking sensitive websites used by the international media and are using spyware to monitor internet use in hotels used by journalists and other visitors to the Games.

China's human rights worse: Amnesty
Human rights group Amnesty International has released a scathing assessment of China's human rights record since it was awarded the right to host next month's Olympic Games seven years ago.

Falun Gong's Olympic 'call for justice'

About 100 protesters from the Falun Gong have gathered in Sydney's CBD calling for greater scrutiny of China's labour camps during the Olympics.

The Falun Gong say about 8,000 of their members in China have been arrested since December in crackdown leading up to the games.

Protest organisers say they have gathered to call for journalists to scrutinise China's labour camps while covering the Olympics.

About 50 people gathered in front of banners calling for justice, while two Falun Gong women who say they have survived torture spoke about their experiences.

One of the women, Jennifer Zeng, says the Games should be used by international media as an opportunity to investigate torture claims.

"Just miles away from the Olympic venue, people are being tortured or even being tortured to death," she said.

"I was detained in the Beijing female labour camp for one year for practicing Falun Gong."

Chinese political prisoners 'worse-off' in Games lead-up

A letter from a jailed Chinese dissident to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) claims the treatment of pro-democracy supporters in China has worsened in the lead-up to the Games.

The New York-based group Human Rights in China has released the letter written by veteran dissident He Depu.

He is serving an eight-year sentence for inciting subversion of state power.

His letter to IOC President Jacques Rogge was written in April and smuggled out of his Beijing prison.

Mr He writes authorities are treating political prisoners worse because of the Olympic Games.

He says they are not allowed to call or meet with their families, obtain a reduced sentence or participate in recreational activities.

He Depu invites Mr Rogge to visit, saying he should see for himself if the Olympic Games have really been a catalyst for political change.

Another human rights protest in Beijing



As the Olympic Games draw closer, more human rights protests are breaking out in Beijing.

Yesterday there were protests about repression in Tibet and by foreign Christians about China's population control policies.

Today, the same foreign Christians were detained after another protest.

Also, a group of athletes, including 40 Olympians, have called on China's President to respect human rights and to resolve the Tibet issue.

Human rights were always going to be a sensitive issue for the Beijing Games, and various groups believe now is the time to get their causes heard.

During the Olympics China wants to shine in the international spotlight - others want to use it to expose dark corners [gross human rights abuse.]

Related:

Before the Olympics, 'Free Tibet'
A "Free Tibet" activist group will screen an advertisement urging Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to speak to the Chinese leadership about finding a solution for Tibet during his visit to the Olympics in Beijing.

American Foreign Policy Brought to You by China: Advisers to Obama, McCain Tied to US Multinationals that Profit from Beijing


President Bush is heading to China this week, where he will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics on Friday. The Games’ presence in Beijing have helped spotlight opposition to China on a number of policies, including its repression of the Tibetan independence movement, its support for the Sudanese government in Darfur and its crackdown on dissidents and civil liberties at home. In the latest issue of Harper’s Magazine, Ken Silverstein says many of the bipartisan experts who have advocated so-called “constructive engagement” with China are tied to major US multinational corporations that profit heavily from the Chinese market.

Rudd to raise China Olympic censorship
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he will raise concerns with the Chinese Government about internet censorship during the Olympics. Chinese authorities are blocking sensitive websites used by the international media and are using spyware to monitor internet use in hotels used by journalists and other visitors to the Games.

China's human rights worse: Amnesty
Human rights group Amnesty International has released a scathing assessment of China's human rights record since it was awarded the right to host next month's Olympic Games seven years ago.

Before the Olympics, 'Free Tibet'

Please, Mr Rudd, do not leave Beijing without speaking out about Tibet...[let alone Human Rights Abuse...and Internet Censorship!!!]

A "Free Tibet" activist group will screen an advertisement urging Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to speak to the Chinese leadership about finding a solution for Tibet during his visit to the Olympics in Beijing.

Political action group Get Up and the Australia Tibet Council have sent Mr Rudd a copy of the ad, which will be aired on a television network before and after Friday's opening ceremony, costing tens of thousands of dollars.

It features an Australian-Tibetan woman in traditional dress sitting in a meditation pose, pleading with the prime minister.

"Please, Mr Rudd, do not leave Beijing without speaking out about Tibet," she says.

Get Up executive director Brett Solomon said the advertisement would not be screened during the opening ceremony "out of respect".

He said the poignant images of the woman's plea would effectively communicate the message to the prime minister that seven out of ten Australians supported speaking out about the oppressive regime in Tibet.

"We think this is the opportune time, when he's directly face-to-face with people who can change this, to actually speak out," Mr Solomon told reporters.

Australian Tibetan Council officer Paul Bourke said China was going through the motions and appearing to address the Tibet issue without coming up with a solution.

"Nothing's changed in Tibet, in fact it's worse," Mr Bourke told reporters.

"If Mr Rudd and other world leaders attending the opening ceremony remain silent, the Chinese government will interpret this as acceptance of the current situation in Tibet."

Quote: Not much mention about China selling body parts in recent times including hearts of people imprisoned from those on death row or those forced into labour camps. Please Note: Don't expect too much from Kevin Rudd because he also has a “constructive engagement” with China and tied to major Australian multinational corporations that profit heavily from the Chinese market.

Related:

American Foreign Policy Brought to You by China: Advisers to Obama, McCain Tied to US Multinationals that Profit from Beijing


President Bush is heading to China this week, where he will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics on Friday. The Games’ presence in Beijing have helped spotlight opposition to China on a number of policies, including its repression of the Tibetan independence movement, its support for the Sudanese government in Darfur and its crackdown on dissidents and civil liberties at home. In the latest issue of Harper’s Magazine, Ken Silverstein says many of the bipartisan experts who have advocated so-called “constructive engagement” with China are tied to major US multinational corporations that profit heavily from the Chinese market.

Rudd to raise China Olympic censorship
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he will raise concerns with the Chinese Government about internet censorship during the Olympics. Chinese authorities are blocking sensitive websites used by the international media and are using spyware to monitor internet use in hotels used by journalists and other visitors to the Games.

China's human rights worse: Amnesty
Human rights group Amnesty International has released a scathing assessment of China's human rights record since it was awarded the right to host next month's Olympic Games seven years ago.

Thousands flock to Canberra ahead of torch relay
"Among all the communities, including the Chinese and Tibetan, those who live in Australia, I personally have had to deal with them in many, many years, they are strongly supportive of peace and harmony, because we are a great multicultural nation here."

Dalai Lama arrives in Sydney
The president of the NSW Tibetan Community, Tenzin Gaden said he hoped the Dalai Lama's visit would raise awareness of the plight of the Tibetan people, who are under Chinese rule.

Rudd to raise China Olympic censorship

China's human rights worse: Amnesty

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he will raise concerns with the Chinese Government about internet censorship during the Olympics.

Chinese authorities are blocking sensitive websites used by the international media and are using spyware to monitor internet use in hotels used by journalists and other visitors to the Games.

The chairman of the International Olympic Committee's media commission, Kevan Gosper, has complained that he was not informed of the decision and says his reputation has been damaged over the issue.

Mr Rudd has said he will discuss the issue when he visits Beijing for the Games.

"I'm quite concerned by them, I saw the reports, also the comments by Kevan Gosper," he said.

"My attitude to our friends in China is very simple, they should have nothing to fear by open digital links with the rest of the world during this important international celebration of sport."

Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates meanwhile agrees that the controversy has "damaged" Mr Gosper.

"He clearly at some stage has been under the impression, and you showed me the bit of paper saying there would be restrictions," he said.

"He didn't know that, he's apologised.

"Others in the IOC say there are no restrictions. So we'll see. I'm finding it a little confusing."

Related:

China's human rights worse: Amnesty
Human rights group Amnesty International has released a scathing assessment of China's human rights record since it was awarded the right to host next month's Olympic Games seven years ago.

Dalai Lama arrives in Sydney
The president of the NSW Tibetan Community, Tenzin Gaden said he hoped the Dalai Lama's visit would raise awareness of the plight of the Tibetan people, who are under Chinese rule.

Thousands flock to Canberra ahead of torch relay
"Among all the communities, including the Chinese and Tibetan, those who live in Australia, I personally have had to deal with them in many, many years, they are strongly supportive of peace and harmony, because we are a great multicultural nation here."

China's human rights worse: Amnesty

Human rights group Amnesty International has released a scathing assessment of China's human rights record since it was awarded the right to host next month's Olympic Games seven years ago.

The report says that far from improving, China's human rights record has actually worsened.

Amnesty says when it won the right to host the games, the Chinese Government promised better human rights and greater freedom for the media.

But Amnesty's China researcher Mark Allison says this has not happened.

"We want China to live up to its promise of complete media freedom and allow full access to foreign journalists who are reporting in China," he said.

"We want them to release all the journalists, Chinese journalists, who've been imprisoned in violation of their human rights and also to stop its censorship of the domestic media, particularly the internet."

There has not been a reaction to the Amnesty report from China so far.

Related:

Beijing 2008: how much will you be allowed to see?



The spectacle of the opening ceremony. The competition in the pool. The drama in the glamorous stadium. All of this and more will be broadcast around Australia and the world when the Beijing Olympics get underway in just a few weeks time.

But what about the executions still being carried out by the Chinese Government? Or the ‘Re-education through Labour’ camps where hundreds of thousands of people are detained without charge or trial? What about the torture that is frequently reported? The repression of free speech?

Ye Guozhu was tried in secret and sentenced to four years in jail for “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble”. His ‘crime’ was to apply for permission to protest after his home and restaurant were demolished to make way for the Olympics.

People like Ye Guozhu are silenced. You are not. Use your freedom to speak up for those who can’t and become a Human Rights Defender.

Human rights in China have actually deteriorated because of the Games. The authorities have locked up and forcibly removed people they think will threaten the image of stability and harmony.

This is the China the authorities do not want you to see. Please don’t let them pull the wool over your eyes. Get the full picture on China.

Help monitor China's internet censorship now!

China operates a sophisticated internet censorship regime and it is difficult to know exactly what information Chinese citizens can and can't access. The lead-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics has seen some previously inaccessible websites in China become wholly or partly accessible.

We have developed a method to test, monitor and report on changes in levels of censorship, to assist in pressuring the Chinese Government to not revert old ways once the Games are over. If you are travelling to China during 2008 you can register to become a Chinese Internet Censorship Index (CICI) tester. This simply involves testing access to specific websites. The sites chosen for testing are ones that a tourist or journalist might access, such as BBC news and flickr. We believe that participating in these tests presents no risk to visitors to China.

Those not travelling to China can also participate by displaying a CICI badge on their Facebook, MySpace, blog or website to help us spread the word.

Join global day of protest

To mark the 10-day countdown to the Beijing Olympics on 30 July, we will be holding a global, online day of protest against internet censorship in China. All registered websites will display a censorship simulation which will momentarily censor random words on webpages.

Join the protest by registering now

Updated 30 July 11:36am (AEST)

China to censor Internet during Games: official

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.

Dalai Lama arrives in Sydney
The president of the NSW Tibetan Community, Tenzin Gaden said he hoped the Dalai Lama's visit would raise awareness of the plight of the Tibetan people, who are under Chinese rule.

Thousands flock to Canberra ahead of torch relay
"Among all the communities, including the Chinese and Tibetan, those who live in Australia, I personally have had to deal with them in many, many years, they are strongly supportive of peace and harmony, because we are a great multicultural nation here."

Dalai Lama arrives in Sydney

The Dalai Lama blesses monks from Sydney's Tibetan community moments after arriving in Sydney.

Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama has arrived in Sydney, greeted by a large and colourful contingent of Sydney's Tibetan community.

The Nobel Peace laureate, in Sydney to lead five days of meditation teachings, said he was "looking forward to meeting the Buddhist community and the Australian public".

Looking relaxed and fresh despite his flight being delayed by 12 hours, the Buddhist leader stopped to greet many of the 100 plus members of Sydney's Tibetan community who were decked out in traditional garb and who carried white scarves for His Holiness to bless.

The president of the NSW Tibetan Community, Tenzin Gaden said he hoped the Dalai Lama's visit would raise awareness of the plight of the Tibetan people, who are under Chinese rule.

"This is not a political visit, but just having him here is a huge boost for the Tibetan people," Mr Gaden said.

Other members of the community said they were disappointed that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd would not be meeting their leader during his visit.

"It is sad that Mr Rudd is feeling pressure from China," one supporter, who did not wish to be named, said.

"Mr Rudd has lost some dignity, I think, by bowing to them."

The Dalai Lama will head to Sydney Olympic Park this morning to begin his teachings, which are expected to attract up to 5000 Buddhist devotees from across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

His visit will be marked by the toughest security measures ever introduced for a Tibetan leader, amid concerns of protests by Chinese students and a Buddhist splinter group, The Western Shugden Society.

Related:

Thousands flock to Canberra ahead of torch relay
"Among all the communities, including the Chinese and Tibetan, those who live in Australia, I personally have had to deal with them in many, many years, they are strongly supportive of peace and harmony, because we are a great multicultural nation here."

Food production must rise 50pc by 2030: Ban

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says $15-20 billion a year needs to be invested to overcome the global food crisis.

Mr Ban was speaking at a Rome UN summit which also heard a top UN offiicial call for developed countries to lower trade barriers and remove export bans to help fight the looming food crisis.

"Nothing is more degrading than hunger, especially when man-made," Mr Ban told world leaders who are likely to disagree over the link between biofuel production and high food prices.

The head of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which is hosting the summit, said wealthy nations had been spending billions of dollars on farm subsidies, wasteful and excess consumption of food, and on arms.

"The excess consumption by the world's obese costs $20 billion annually, to which must be added indirect costs of $100 billion resulting from premature death and related diseases," said FAO Director General Jacques Diouf, who is from Senegal.

The World Bank and aid agencies estimate soaring food prices could push as many as 100 million more people into hunger. About 850 million are already hungry.

Mr Ban estimated the "global price tag" to overcome the food crisis would be $15-20 billion a year and that food supply had to rise 50 per cent by the year 2030 to meet climbing demand.

"Some countries have taken action by limiting exports or by imposing draft controls," he said. This "distorts markets and forces prices even higher. I call on nations to resist such measures and to immediately release exports designated for humanitarian purposes".

Aid agencies say Japan and China have contributed to high rice prices, which have triggered riots as far away as Haiti, by controlling their stocks. Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda promised to release at least 300,000 tonnes of imported rice.

The Rome summit will set the tone on food aid and subsidies for the Group of Eight summit in Japan in July and what is regarded as the concluding stages of the stalled talks under the World Trade Organisation aimed at reducing trade distortions.

A British minister urged the European Union to help reduce prices by reforming farm policies that cost consumers more than 40 billion euros ($64.8 billion) a year and suspending some food import tariffs.

"I do not see how Europe can justify keeping EU prices so much higher than world market levels at a time when people across Europe are really feeling the pinch," said Treasury minister Yvette Cooper.

Food to fuel

The cost of major food commodities has doubled over the last couple of years, with rice, corn and wheat at record highs. This has provoked protests and riots in some developing countries where people may spend more than half their income on food.

The OECD sees prices retreating from their current peaks but still up to 50 per cent higher in the coming decade. OECD chief Angel Gurria said in Paris that oil prices, "which are part and parcel of food prices", would not ease sharply either.

That has increased interest in biofuels, blamed by many for competing with food output for grains and oilseed. The United States and Brazil, the world's biggest producer of ethanol from sugar cane, defended biofuels from such accusations in Rome.

"It offends me to see fingers pointed against clean energy from biofuels, fingers soiled with oil and coal," Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told the summit.

The United States plans to channel a quarter of its maize crop into ethanol production by 2022 and the European Union plans to get 10 per cent of auto fuel from bio-energy by 2020.

Biofuel producers wrote to the summit urging energy sources to be diversified when "a highly constrained supply of crude oil and petroleum products is wreaking havoc on all countries and markets across the globe, especially with respect to food".

US agriculture secretary Ed Shafer says biofuels account for only 3 per cent of the total food price rise while the charity Oxfam said it was closer to 30 per cent.

Mr Lula da Silva said rich nations' "intolerable protectionism" was the main cause of global food inflation.

"Subsidies create dependency, breakdown entire production systems and provoke hunger and poverty where there could be prosperity. It is past time to do away with them," he said.

A distraction from food at the summit was the presence of Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and Iran's Mahmood Ahmadinejad, on his first trip to the European Union. Critics accuse both of contributing to food shortages at home.

Detainees climb Villawood roof in deportation protest

The Department of Immigration has confirmed two Chinese nationals have climbed on to the roof of Sydney's Villawood Detention Centre.

The Refugee Action Coalition says the men are protesting against a decision to send them back to China.

Last week, federal Immigration Minister Chris Evans announced there would be 24 deportations from Villawood.

Staff at the centre, including an interpreter, are talking with the men, who are yet to make any formal demands.

Related:

Visas offered to 31 in long detention
The federal government is offering visas to 31 people who have been in immigration detention for more than two years.

Evans unveils new border security measures
Immigration Minister Chris Evans says new border security measures at international airports and sea ports will strengthen Australia's security. The new system will allow immigration officials to assess passengers' data before their flight or ship arrives in Australia.

1000 refugees receive protection, not detention
MOHAMMAD DAWLAT HUSSAIN is among 1000 refugees who can apply for family members to join them in Australia after the Federal Government scrapped temporary protection visas in Tuesday night's budget.

Georgiou repeats call to scrap citizenship test
Liberal backbencher Petro Georgiou says Australia's controversial new citizenship test should not just be reviewed - it should be scrapped altogether. Immigration Minister Chris Evans says he has no plans to abolish the Howard Government-era test, but he is open to making improvements.

Thousands flock to Canberra ahead of torch relay

Thousands of people have been streaming into Canberra ahead of the Olympic torch relay this morning.

Scores of buses have been arriving from interstate, and the city centre and parliamentary triangle areas are already packed.

International legs of the relay has been marred by clashes between pro-Tibet and pro-China supporters over human rights abuses in Tibet.

Police have been working with protest organisers to ensure the Canberra leg is peaceful and the two groups are kept separate.

Sam Wong from the ACT Chinese Australian Association says both sides have given assurances their protest action will not turn violent.

"Australian people in general are peaceful, harmonious, loving people," he said.

"Among all the communities, including the Chinese and Tibetan, those who live in Australia, I personally have had to deal with them in many, many years, they are strongly supportive of peace and harmony, because we are a great multicultural nation here."

Overnight a small crowd held a candlelit prayer vigil outside the Chinese embassy, just a few blocks from the route of the torch relay.

Tight security

Security will be tight today as the Olympic torch relay swings into action.

Barricades line the entire route and road blocks will ensure the public is kept at a distance from the runners.

A one-kilometre convoy will follow the runner incorporating 18 vehicles and 6 motorcycles.

ACT chief police officer Michael Phelan says he is hopeful protesters make for a peaceful day.

"Both our intelligence and our liaison with all of those groups has been very good," he said.

"They've assured us that they're looking for a peaceful event to try and showcase not only the message they want to get across but also showcase Australia and Canberra."

Related:

Four arrested in Kings Cross Tibet protest
Three Sydney men and a woman will face court next month after flying a pro-Tibet protest flag from a building in Kings Cross. The four have been charged with trespassing, after they gained access to a building and draped the flag over a well-known sign in Darlinghurst Road yesterday afternoon. The four will go before court in mid-May.

Tension builds as Canberra prepares for torch relay
The demonstrators have lit several hundred candles, some spelling out the phrase 'Free Tibet'.

Sydney Harbour Olympic protesters arrested
Two protesters were arrested on the Sydney Harbour bridge as the Olympic torch flew into Canberra this morning to a red carpet welcome.

Olympic torch touches down in Canberra
The flame flew in from Jakarta, where it was paraded through a heavily-guarded stadium last night after police stopped about 100 pro-Tibet protesters from disrupting the Indonesian relay leg.

Police get extra powers for torch relay
Amnesty International has published their annual death penalty count and China remains the top executioner in the world. April 16 2008

Tension builds as Canberra prepares for torch relay

The demonstrators have lit several hundred candles, some spelling out the phrase 'Free Tibet'.

Pro-Tibet activists held a candlelight prayer vigil outside the Chinese Embassy in Canberra last night as the city prepares to host the troubled Olympic torch relay.

A small crowd has gathered outside the embassy, just a few blocks from the route of the torch relay, and a low security presence is keeping protesters behind a fenced off area.

The demonstrators lit several hundred candles, some spelling out the phrase 'Free Tibet'.

The Tibetan community is planning more action today as the flame is carried through the streets of the national capital.

The protesters outside the embassy have been joined by a group of peace marchers from Sydney's Tibetan community, who have walked into Canberra.

The 17 pro-Tibet activists arrived at the embassy as fireworks were going off around the city to celebrate the arrival of the Olympic flame.

They had walked from Bungendore, 42 kilometres from Canberra, going without food for the past three days.

Protesters have been urged to demonstrate peacefully during today's torch relay and not to respond to any provocation by Chinese supporters.

Related:

Sydney Harbour Olympic protesters arrested
Two protesters were arrested on the Sydney Harbour bridge as the Olympic torch flew into Canberra this morning to a red carpet welcome.

Olympic torch touches down in Canberra
The flame flew in from Jakarta, where it was paraded through a heavily-guarded stadium last night after police stopped about 100 pro-Tibet protesters from disrupting the Indonesian relay leg.

Police get extra powers for torch relay
Amnesty International has published their annual death penalty count and China remains the top executioner in the world. April 16 2008

Sydney Harbour Olympic protesters arrested

Two protesters were arrested on the Sydney Harbour bridge as the Olympic torch flew into Canberra this morning to a red carpet welcome.

There were no incidents at the tightly guarded airfield, but police said a man and a woman were arrested in Sydney while trying to display a banner on the Harbour Bridge.

The flame has become the focus of international demonstrations against China's role in Tibet and the Olympic host's human rights record.

"Two people, a man and a woman, were detained by security officers as they tried to unfurl a banner on the bridge," a police spokeswoman said.

There were reports the pair had planned to unveil a Tibetan flag, but the spokeswoman said she could not confirm that.

Overnight, a laser light display was used to project the slogans "Don't torch Tibet" and "One Dream: Peace in Tibet" onto one of the bridge's pylons.

Paul Bourke from the Australia Tibet Council said the display was designed to protest a plan to carry the Olympic torch through Tibet, saying it had nothing to do with sport.

"It is a blatant political manoeuvre by the Chinese leadership to symbolically cement and legitimise their control over the region," he said.

Related:

Olympic torch touches down in Canberra
The flame flew in from Jakarta, where it was paraded through a heavily-guarded stadium last night after police stopped about 100 pro-Tibet protesters from disrupting the Indonesian relay leg.

Police get extra powers for torch relay
Amnesty International has published their annual death penalty count and China remains the top executioner in the world. April 16 2008

Olympic torch touches down in Canberra

The Olympic torch has landed amid tight security at the Canberra airport RAAF base.

The flame flew in from Jakarta, where it was paraded through a heavily-guarded stadium last night after police stopped about 100 pro-Tibet protesters from disrupting the Indonesian relay leg.

The international symbol of the Olympic Games will be given a red carpet welcome when it is carried off the aircraft.

Indigenous Australians will perform a welcome ceremony, before the flame is handed over to the ACT's Chief Minister Jon Stanhope.

It is the only Australian stop-off for the Olympic torch before it embarks on a massive tour of China.

Related:

Police get extra powers for torch relay
Amnesty International has published their annual death penalty count and China remains the top executioner in the world. April 16 2008

Police get extra powers for torch relay

Police in Canberra have been given extra powers to search people and seize items during the Olympic torch relay next week.

The ACT Government has made declarations under major events security laws, designed to prevent dangerous items from being brought into the torch relay area.

Police will have greater authority to search people and to seize items, including eggs, paint bombs, fire extinguishers and flares.

Meanwhile the head of the Canberra Torch Relay Committee, Ted Quinlan, says Chinese torch attendants could be arrested if they lay a hand on people during the relay.

"The Chinese authorities, from my negotiations with them ... [are] fairly clear on that," he said.

"The final question will be are the people who arrive here with the flame clear also, and we'll be making sure they are."

Yesterday the head of security for the Canberra leg of the Olympic torch relay moved to clear up confusion over the role Chinese military officials will play.

Deputy president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Kevan Gosper said the Chinese will accompany the torch but will only be called on in an emergency.

But ACT deputy chief police officer Shane Connolly said Chinese authorities will not be used for security under any circumstances.

Related:

Amnesty International has published their annual death penalty count and China remains the top executioner in the world. April 16 2008

China 470+
Iran 317+
Saudi Arabia 143+
Pakistan 135+
USA 42
Iraq 33+
Vietnam 25+
Yemen 16 +
Afghanistan 15
Libya 9+
Japan 9
Syria 7+
Sudan 7+
Bangladesh 6
Somalia 5+
Equatorial Guinea 3
Singapore 2