Just some links for research, for those who are interested.

Please remember: although most of the organisations I used have high standards and give factual reports, they cannot refrain from entering their opinion. Just sort through it, and form your own. Be open minded!!

So to say: “China suppresses criticism of the Government”(attribute) is correct. To say “China is foul-mouthed bully”(attribute) is incorrect — if the ‘foul-mouthed bully’ comment is too good to refuse, say “Random Human Rights Organisation said China is ‘blah blah blah’.”

*Please note: nowhere in any of my research did I find the line “China is a foul-mouthed bully”. Just trying to give an extreme example to avoid confusion.

Amnesty International:
What Human Rights Legacy for the Beijing Olympics? -> Article. Names sources. Brief case studies, and figures — most mentioned studies I have linked to later.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/what-human-rights-legacy-beijing-olympics-20080401

China: Olympics Countdown – Time Running Out for Improvement in Human Rights ->Media Statement regarding an Amnesty report. Report is next link. This statement gives facts at-a-glance.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/china-olympics-countdown-time-running-out-improvement-human-rights-20080

People’s Republic of China: The Olympics countdown – crackdown on activists threatens Olympics Legacy -> Report. Includes tonnes of sources. Case studies of persecuted human rights activists. Good stuff.
http://asiapacific.amnesty.org/apro/aproweb.nsf/pages/Olympics/$File/ASA170502008.pdf

 

Internet censorshiip in China – Beijing Olympics 2008: China’s promises -> Article. The IOC link in it is defunct; {{I should note that when I went to the IOC and finally found the link to the report that announced China’s Olympic bid as successful, I was redirected to some page in German by some (reversed expletive warning) sgabehcuod… saying the site had been hacked! Of all the sites to hack…}} Some named sources. Good brief info.
http://action.amnesty.org.au/china/comments/beijing_olympics_2008_the_promises_made_by_china/

 

Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC):
The CECC is a US government body set up after China was awarded the Games. Set up to investigate and report on China’s human rights situation – basically to keep tabs. All primary documents and media statements, all full of good quotes, good sources, and in general a good read. Also focuses on some other issues in China such as pollution and infrastructure, not solely human rights. All I’ll give you here is the link to the 2007 hearing, and the homepage – all their annual reports are available under ‘publications’ on the left column toolbar. Easy to search.

CECC 2007 Hearing: The Impact of the 2008 Olympic Games on Human Rights and the Rule of Law in China
http://www.cecc.gov/pages/hearings/2008/20080227/index.php?PHPSESSID=2c1fc2b040585e5fff59c1d497dbd43e

 

Reporters Without Borders (RWB) — originated France – also known as Reporters sans Frontiers:
A human rights organisation focused on the situation for journalists globally. Waay more than just China. Great source of statistics for media deaths, persecution, instances of repression. Each year it publishes a World Press Freedom Ranking – last one included 169 countries – have a look, you’ll be surprised!

RWB Annual Report 2008 -> actually of 2007 though… odd naming system…
http://www.rsf.org/IMG/pdf/rapport_en-2.pdf

 

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ):
Great site. Lots of links. This organisation also produces quality reports. Can be some heavy reading volume-wise, but put in plain English. I used the Falling Short report consistently in my article.

Falling Short – As the 2008 Olympics Approach, China Falters on Press Freedom -> report. Brilliant. Statistics, sources, numerous case studies, broad coverage.
http://www.cpj.org/Briefings/2007/Falling_Short/China/china.pdf

 

Human Rights in China (HRiC):
Great source of media statements and articles. Lots of links, publications.

State Secrets: China’s Legal Labarynth -> Looks at China’s censorship and human rights violations at more of a Government level. Includes numerous case studies, and explains how the Government makes the legal illegal.
http://hrichina.org/public/PDFs/State-Secrets-Report/HRIC_StateSecrets-Report.pdf

Media Control in China -> Case studies and much explanation of how the Government targets journalists.
http://www.hrichina.org/fs/downloadables/reports/a1_MediaControl1.2004.pdf?revision_id=8992

 

Library of Congress:
Just good sources for everything you can imagine here. Of course, American based, it being the Library of Congress.

Internet Development and Information Control in the People’s Republic of China -> put out by the Congressional Research Service. Has some good links, which I used. Explains China’s internet surveillence and what happens to ‘cyber-dissidents’. Notes that China leads the world in internet censorship, but simply cannot control it completely.
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rl33167.pdf

 

Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Australia:
Good source of media statements, and spokesperson’s remarks. The remarks are great. Know about a report issued on some negative aspect of China? Think it’ll get a reaction? Just look for statements from the date or close after it and you’re  bound to get some good quotes.

This is the Embassy in the United States. Same basic stuff. Different statements, different colours. (Nicer colours.)

 

OpenNet Initiative (ONI):
Country studies on internet systems – statistics, technology, ISPs, censorship, monitoring etc. Everything technical and ethical – factually. Really interesting.

Country Study: China -> This is the overview of the report. Click the pdf report option at the top of the page and you’ll get the whole thing. Great source. At the bottom of this page there is a list of country profiles — there are 40 all up.
http://opennet.net/research/profiles/china

 

That’s all I can think of. Get on to Google if the links stop working and search for the titles – that’s why I provided them. Also check out the United Nations (choose your language…), they’ve got some good stuff.

I spent days collaborating all this, and at least half-an-hour typing this post!! I want to make it easier for the next poor person who’s interested. Help me out!!

If you have some links you think are relevant in any way, put them in a comment – give a brief description and the full title – I’ll check them out and if they work I’ll post them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May we be able to say “This sucks!” to our governments and get away with it for the rest of our lives!!