British Olympic Athletes...mums the word on China's human rights record!

[LiberalinNC]

LONDON, England (CNN) -- British athletes selected for this year's Olympic Games in Beijing will be asked to sign a contract that forbids them from criticizing China's human rights record.

Graham Nathan, spokesman for the British Olympics Association (BOA), told CNN that "British athletes will have to sign a contract promising not to comment on any politically sensitive issues."

He added that they won't go further than what is required by the International Olympic Committee charter which restricts demonstrations of political propaganda at an Olympic Games.

Athletes who refuse to sign the agreement will not be allowed to travel to compete in the Games from August 8-24, according to a sunday newspaper report.

British Olympic team members have long been required to sign a contract, but for the first time the commitment will include an undertaking not to comment on any politically sensitive issues.

The document refers athletes to Section 51 of the IOC charter which "provides for no kind of demonstration, or political, religious or racial propaganda in the Olympic sites, venues or other areas."

Link: http://www.cnn.com/2008/SPORT/02/10/olympics.britain/index.html

The article goes on to say that the US, Canadian and Australian athletes can say whatever they want on China's human rights, or should I say, Lack of human rights.

[rpannier]

1. I wonder if they'll enforce it if the

national Futbol team refuses to sign?

on edit:
I'd sign it and still make a scene. Especially if I was a starter on the futbol team.

[malaise]

2. The National football team doesn't play in the Olympics

Olympic football is U23. FIFA won't share their big money with the IOC.

Tommy Smith and John Carlos were kicked out of the 1968 Olympics for protesting by the racist IOC President Avery Brundage.

The Olympics have always been political - how else could Taiwan be called China.

Truthfully very few countries in the West are in a position to condemn China's human rights record given after the genocide they've aided and abetted in Iraq and Afghanistan. Have no fear though, GENBC will be the major propaganda agents as usual.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Not only that, Britain never has a football team in the Olympics

because it only plays internationally as the separate English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish nations. The Scottish association refuses to contemplate a combined British team for the Olympics, because it fears that UEFA and/or FIFA will get the idea of making Britain play as one country in other tournaments. So it looks likely there will be no home team in the 2012 Olympic football.

[malaise]

4. Good point n/t