III 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 633 

Expressing the sense of the Senate on the deterioration of respect for privacy 

and human rights in the People’s Republic of China before the 2008 

Olympic Games in Beijing. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 30, 2008 

Mr. BROWNBACK (for himself and Mr. BUNNING) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate on the deterioration of 

respect for privacy and human rights in the People’s 

Republic of China before the 2008 Olympic Games in 

Beijing. 

Whereas, on July 13, 2001, the International Olympic Committee announced the awarding of the 2008 Olympic 

Games to Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 

Whereas, prior to that announcement, the bidding documents 

submitted by the Government of the People’s Republic of 

China to the International Olympic Committee stated, 

‘‘We are confident that the Games coming to China not 

only promotes our economy, but also enhances . . . 

human rights.’’; 


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•SRES 633 IS 

Whereas those documents also stated, ‘‘There will be no restrictions on journalists in reporting on the Olympic 

Games. . . . There will be no restriction concerning the 

use of media material produced in China and intended 

principally for broadcast outside.’’; 

Whereas Beijing’s Action Plan for the Olympics states, ‘‘In 

the preparation for the Games, we will be open in every 

aspect to the rest of the country and the whole world.’’; 

Whereas, on April 23, 2002, after the Olympic Games had 

been awarded to Beijing, the President of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, said, ‘‘We 

are convinced that the Olympic Games will improve the 

human rights record [in China].’’; 

Whereas, on March 13, 2008, the United States Department 

of State released the annual Country Reports on Human 

Rights Practices; 

Whereas the report on the People’s Republic of China states 

that in 2007 the Government of the People’s Republic of 

China ‘‘tightened restrictions on freedom of speech and 

the press, particularly in anticipation of and during sensitive events, including increased efforts to control and 

censor the Internet’’; 

Whereas that report also states that in 2007 authorities of 

the People’s Republic of China ‘‘monitored telephone conversations, facsimile transmissions, e-mail, text messaging, and Internet communications’’; 

Whereas, on July 29, 2008, Amnesty International released 

a report entitled ‘‘People’s Republic of China: The Olympics Countdown—Broken Promises’’, which finds, regarding the promises of the Government of the People’s Republic of China to the International Olympic Committee 


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•SRES 633 IS 

in 2001, ‘‘[T]here has been no progress towards fulfilling 

these promises, only continued deterioration. . . . In fact, 

the crackdown on human rights defenders, journalists 

and lawyers has intensified because Beijing is hosting the 

Olympics.’’; 

Whereas, that report also states, ‘‘Chinese journalists continue to operate in a climate of official censorship and 

control, with many still languishing in jail for reporting 

on issues deemed politically sensitive. Internet controls 

have been increasingly tightened as the Olympics approach with control, regulation and censorship extending 

to various categories of internet users, including Internet 

Service Providers, bloggers and website owners. Numerous websites have been closed down for providing information deemed sensitive by the authorities. Internet 

users who post such information risk detention, prosecution and imprisonment.’’; 

Whereas, in April 2008, the Government of the People’s Republic of China issued an order requiring hotels to allow 

the Public Security Bureau to install hardware devices 

and new software programs on the hotel networks that 

are designed to send sensitive information about users, 

including foreign visitors and journalists, to the Public 

Security Bureau; 

Whereas, on July 29, 2008, Agence France-Presse reported 

that ‘‘China will censor the Internet used by foreign 

media during the Olympics . . . reversing a pledge to 

offer complete media freedom at the games’’, citing confirmation by Sun Weide, spokesman for the Beijing 

Olympic Organizing Committee; 

Whereas the Olympic Charter states that the mission of the 

International Olympic Committee is ‘‘to promote a posiVerDate Aug 31 2005 04:00 Jul 31, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR633.IS SR633

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•SRES 633 IS 

tive legacy from the Olympic Games to the host cities 

and host countries’’; 

Whereas, on December 25, 2007, the Vice-President of the 

International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, stated, 

‘‘The Games can act as a catalyst and contribute to the 

opening of a society.’’; and 

Whereas, on March 23, 2008, the President of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, stated that 

the Olympic Games are a ‘‘force for good’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) calls upon the Government of the People’s 

3 Republic of China— 

4 (A) to rescind the order requiring hotels to 

5 allow the Public Security Bureau to install 

6 hardware and software on the hotel networks; 

7 and 

8 (B) to refrain from targeting, on the basis 

9 of information collected from Internet moni10 toring, any individual who visits websites re11 lated to politics or human rights or who ex12 presses opinions related to politics or human 

13 rights in electronic communication; 

14 (2) expresses grave concern regarding the dete15 rioration of respect for human rights in the People’s 

16 Republic of China leading up to the Beijing Olym17 pics; 


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•SRES 633 IS 

1 (3) notes that the behavior of the Government 

2 of the People’s Republic of China violates several 

3 international conventions to which the country is a 

4 signatory, violates the Government’s commitments to 

5 the International Olympic Committee, and is con6 trary to longstanding Olympic tradition and spirit; 

7 and 

8 (4) remains concerned for the safety and pri9 vacy of international visitors and journalists trav10 eling to the People’s Republic of China for the Bei11 jing Olympics, in particular visitors and journalists 

12 involved in documenting human rights abuses and 

13 promoting human rights improvements. 

Æ 


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