[Infowarrior] - UK Olympians forced to sign no-criticism of China paper

[Richard Forno]

Britain kow tows to China as athletes are forced to sign no criticism
contracts
By ROB DRAPER and DANIEL KING - More by this author » Last updated at
13:07pm on 10th February 2008


British Olympic chiefs are to force athletes to sign a contract promising
not to speak out about China's appalling human rights record ­ or face being
banned from travelling to Beijing.

The move ­ which raises the spectre of the order given to the England
football team to give a Nazi salute in Berlin in 1938 ­ immediately provoked
a storm of protest.

The controversial clause has been inserted into athletes' contracts for the
first time and forbids them from making any political comment about
countries staging the Olympic Games.

It is contained in a 32-page document that will be presented to all those
who reach the qualifying standard and are chosen for the team.

>From the moment they sign up, the competitors ­ likely to include the
Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips and world record holder Paula Radcliffe
­ will be effectively gagged from commenting on China's politics, human
rights abuses or illegal occupation of Tibet.

Prince Charles has already let it be known that he will not be going to
China, even if he is invited by Games organisers.

His views on the Communist dictatorship are well known, after this newspaper
revealed how he described China's leaders as ³appalling old waxworks² in a
journal written after he attended the handover of Hong Kong. The Prince is
also a long-time supporter of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan leader.

Yesterday the British Olympic Association (BOA) confirmed to The Mail on
Sunday that any athlete who refuses to sign the agreements will not be
allowed to travel to Beijing.

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=
513362&in_page_id=1770&ct=5