China in a human rights pickle as Olympics near, criticism mounts
Planning to spend time on the slopes of Mt. Everest this spring? Mountain climbers can forget about scaling the Tibetan face.
The prohibition was ordered by Beijing over fears that Tibet activists may try to disrupt plans to carry the Olympic torch up the world's tallest peak.
As the Aug. 8-24 Olympics near, the U.S. government, human rights groups and celebrities like George Clooney have criticized China on a variety of human rights fronts that include religion, working conditions of foreigners, Darfur in Sudan and Tibet.
Also In This Edition
The Everest restrictions were contained in a letter the government's mountaineering association sent this week to expedition companies, AP reported.
It comes as China's rule of Tibet, once presided over by Communist Party leader Ju Jintao, now China's president, is again attracting international attention following the Dalai Lama's reception by top U.S. government officials including President George W. Bush.
Chinese police fired tear gas to break up a protest by Buddhist monks in Lhasa, Radio Free Asia reported. In a sign of growing concerns over Olympic security, Beijing said on March 12 that the ruling Communist Party's law enforcement czar was named to a three-man committee overseeing Olympic preparations.
