China's Long Awaited "Year of the Olympics" Brings New Suprise --
Olympic Tide Turns Toward Free Speech and Human Rights

Olympic Tide Turns Toward Free Speech and Human Rights

By Cindy Drukier and Charlotte Cuthbertson

Epoch Times Staff
Feb 21, 2008

http://en.epochtimes.com/news_images/highres/2008-2-21-olympics_79722894.jpg
(Teh Eng Koon/AFP/Getty Images)

Mention "Beijing 2008" and for many groups the phrase is as synonymous
with "human rights abuses" as it is with "Olympic Games." The two are
now inextricably linked, in a way that wasn't the case six months ago.

This is one victory human rights groups can claim in their Olympic
campaigns.

Tide Turning

Earlier this month, Hollywood icon Stephen Spielberg caused waves in
Beijing by quitting as artistic advisor to the Olympics in protest over
the Chinese regime's support of Sudan's genocide in Darfur.