U.S. Observers Called to Protect the Rights of U.S. Olympians in China

A U.S. human rights monitoring organization is wary about the safety of athletes at the upcoming Winter Olympics in China, after event organizers threatened “punishments” for anti-Peking comments.

A joint congressional commission and White House staffers have asked the U.S. Olympic Committee to make “urgent efforts” to protect athletes’ free speech rights at the competition, which runs Feb. 4-20.

The commission’s statement came after Yang Shu, a senior Beijing Games organizing committee official, said in a Jan. 31 briefing that “any behavior or speech contrary to the Olympic spirit, especially contrary to Chinese laws and regulations, is also subject to certain penalties.”