Background info
As Beijing organizes the 2008 Olympic Games, the Chinese government continues to violate the human rights of many Chinese citizens, including numerous Tibetan and Uyghur people. Countless people - journalists, lawyers, bloggers, activists - are in prison, detention, or "re-education camps" in China for merely exercising their freedom of expression or other human rights that are universally accepted and even formally guaranteed by the Chinese constitution. Some of them, actually, have been arrested in connection with their peaceful criticism of the organization of the Olympics in China and the context in which the Games are taking place.
When the Communist Party of China bid for the organization of the Olympics, it publicly pledged that there would be significant improvements to human rights in China by the time of the Olympics, including complete media freedom. The Olympic Charter places such great values as "human dignity" and "respect for the individual" at the core of the Olympic movement.
As the Olympics are beginning, it is imperative for the world to make sure Olympic ideals are not tarnished by human rights abuses and to speak out on behalf of those unfairly imprisoned.
This campaign aims to offer ways for people from around the world to express solidarity with the Chinese people whose human rights are violated by their government. We call on national Olympic teams, and on the political leaders who will accompany them to Beijing, to each adopt a prisoner of conscience and speak out on their behalf in Beijing. They can inquire with their Chinese guests about the prisoner's condition, ask to visit them in detention, publicly dedicate their medals or take other steps they deem appropriate.
We invite the international public to lobby their athletes, Olympic officials and political leaders to take action along these lines.