Olympic committee intervenes as media protest internet censorship

The International Olympic Committee interceded Tuesday after journalists complained of Chinese censorship and low internet speeds at the main Olympic press centre.

Gilbert Felli, the committee's Olympic Games executive director, met with the organizers of the Beijing Olympic Games to discuss the issue, said Kevin Gosper, chairman of the committee's media commission, reported dpa.

Journalists have complained that despite earlier Chinese promises, they do not have free access to the internet at the press centre. Instead, the websites of international human rights organizations, China critics and the Chinese programmes by such international media outlets as Radio Free Asia and Deutsche Welle are blocked, just as they are in other parts of China.

Organizers for the August 8-24 Games promised Gosper in April that the internet would not be censored for the more than 20,000 foreign journalists expected to cover the competition.

In question at that time was only whether the members of the international media would also have free internet access in their hotel rooms.

Users at the press centre also complained this week of slow internet speeds.