Olympic Games 2008

Bush criticises Beijing rights record, leaves for Games

Article published on the 2008-08-07 Latest update 2008-08-07 08:26 TU

US President George Bush in Bangkok.
(Photo : Reuters)

US President George Bush has expressed his "concern" over China's human rights record as China declares it is ready to stage one of the greatest Olympics ever. The Beijing Games is set to open tomorrow and the world's best athletes are pouring into the city and the Olympic flame has passed over the Great Wall.

"We have prepared for the Beijing Olympics for seven years and now we are ready...we are very confident indeed that we will stage a successful Olympics," organising committee spokesman Sun Weide told the French news agency AFP.

Meanwhile the US leader praised China's economy but said only respect for human rights would let it realise its full potential.

"The US believes the people of China deserve the fundamental liberty that is the natural right of all human beings," he said in the Thai capital Bangkok before he prepared to fly to Beijing.

"America stands in firm opposition to China's detention of political dissidents, human rights advocates and religious activists," he said.

When it was awarded the Olympics China promised to improve its human rights and media freedoms record, but groups such as Amnesty International have said Chinese activists have since been jailed, people made homelss, journalists detained and websites blocked.

In March China suppressed violent anti-government protests in Tibet with Beijing saying rioters killed at least 19 people. Tibetan exiles say security forces killed dozens of demonstrators.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, at least 1,500 Buddhists were holding a protest in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu against what they called China's violation of religious freedom in Tibet.

In Beijing, police dragged away three US Christians who tried to demonstrate on Tiananmen Square in support of religious freedom and arrested four pro-Tibet activists from Britain and the US after a protest close to the Olympic stadium.