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The International Olympic Committee has rejected a report by London-based human rights group Amnesty International that argues the Olympics have failed to bring human rights improvements to China.
Speaking with reporters Thursday in Beijing, the head of an IOC inspection team for the 2008 Beijing Games, Hein Verbruggen, said Amnesty's recent claim that the Olympic Games contribute to a worsening situation in China's human rights, is blatantly untrue. He did not elaborate.
In its report, which was released on Tuesday, Amnesty highlighted China's recent crackdown on protesters in Tibet and other parts of China. The group also accused China of silencing and imprisoning rights activists in and around Beijing in what the group calls a pre-Olympics "clean-up" of dissenters.
The IOC has said that awarding the Olympic Games to China will be good for the country and that it will help promote human rights.
Commenting on politicians who are talking about not attending the opening ceremony for the Games, Verbruggen said he has very little admiration for politicians who sign business contracts in China and then later say they do not plan to come to the opening ceremony.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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