China's organizers of the Summer Olympic Games defended Wednesday their move to block access to some websites for foreign journalists, saying the internet access provided at the Games main press center was "sufficient."
Sun Weide, spokesman for the Beijing organizing committee, rejected criticism by journalists, who had been assured of uncensored internet access by the International Olympic Committee for the August 8-24 Games. "The coverage of the Games is not affected," he said, reported dpa.
"You have comprehensive access," Sun told journalists, brushing aside the blockage of websites critical of China. The censored sites include those of human rights groups, Tibetan exile organizations and several foreign media outlets.
Sun justified blocking access to the website of the Falun Gong meditation movement by saying the organization was "an evil cult which was banned in China."
When asked about the blockage of the websites of Amnesty International and the Tibetan government in exile, Sun said he was not informed in detail about the individual sites.