Athletes want guidance on freedom to speak on Beijing

By Nick Mulvenney

BEIJING (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was asked on Monday to give clear guidance to athletes on how much freedom they would have to discuss Tibet and other issues before, during and after the Beijing Olympics.

Athletes, who are coming under increasing pressure to speak out on human rights issues, are banned from making any political statements or gestures at Olympic ceremonies or venues under the terms of the Olympic Charter.

"It is very important that athletes can prepare quietly and peacefully for the Games," German fencer Claudia Bokel told the general assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC).

"But the athletes are also concerned about what is going on in Tibet and they want to comply with the Olympic Charter.

"So we would be very grateful for some guidance about what they can do to express those concerns."

ANOC president Mario Vazquez Rana said freedom of expression was a "fundamental right of athletes" but they should also be given "some guidance on where their freedom ends".

At Bokel's suggestion, a fifth clause was added to a declaration ANOC will propose to the IOC's executive board when it meets in Beijing later this week.

"We are committed to the principle of the responsible athlete, who, within the context of the Olympic Charter, can express his or her opinion freely before during and after the Olympic Games," it read.

European Olympic Committees chief Patrick Hickey said it was his understanding the IOC would make a comprehensive statement on the issue at the start of the executive board meeting on Thursday.

Deadly riots in Tibet have dominated the run-up to the Beijing Games over recent weeks and violent protests by Tibetan activists disrupted the Olympic torch relay when it passed through London on Sunday and Paris on Monday.

IOC President Jacques Rogge earlier told the assembly he was "concerned" with what had happened in Tibet and called for a "rapid, peaceful resolution" to the unrest in the Himalayan region.

Clause four of the ANOC declaration expressed confidence the Chinese government would "strive to find, through dialogue or understanding, a fair and reasonable solution to the internal conflict that affects the Tibet region".

The other three clauses expressed full support for the Beijing Olympic organizers, said that all 205 NOCs would take part in the Games and rejected all attempts to use the Games for political means.

Rogge also said in his short speech he detected no momentum for a boycott of the August 8-24 Games and that was reflected in the assembly.

"I told our athletes that even if the President of France asked us to boycott the Olympic Games, we would still go," said French Olympic Committee President Henri Serandour.

(Editing by Jerry Norton)