New York, Toronto, Stockholm, July 8, 2008—In a distressing report released today, three International PEN centres give China a failing grade on free expression one month before the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing on August 8, 2008.

The report, Failing to Deliver: One Month To Go, finds that the climate for freedom of expression in China has measurably deteriorated over the past year, in full view of the international community.

In December, 2007, American PEN, PEN Canada, and the Independent Chinese PEN Center were following the cases of 40 writers and journalists imprisoned in China. Today, after numerous additional detentions and a few releases, PEN is following the cases of 51 writers, 44 of whom are in prison.

"In bidding for the Games and offering assurances of its intentions to protect and expand basic human rights, China invited just this kind of scrutiny," said Larry Siems of American PEN. "Instead of improvements, we have witnessed a grinding, relentless campaign to jail or silence prominent dissident voices and new and brazen efforts to restrict or control domestic and international press."

With time running out, the three PEN centres are asking the international community to join with them in holding the Chinese government accountable for its assurances. "It is not too late for China to make good on the commitments it offered its own citizens and the international community when it announced its desire to host the Olympics," said Marian Botsford Fraser of PEN Canada.

According to the report (available tk as link? Or link at bottom):

there are more writers and journalists in Chinese prisons than there were seven months ago;

dissident writers and journalists not in prison face serious restrictions on their movements and on their ability to speak and publish freely;

Internet censorship and other laws such as subversion and inciting separatism or splittism are used to deny the universally-guaranteed right to freedom of expression;

China’s promises to allow media to report freely throughout China have been undermined by its attempts to manage international coverage from Tibet and earthquake-affected areas and by its refusal to extend any new protections or freedoms whatsoever to Chinese journalists.

The report recommends that the Chinese government:

release all writers and journalists currently imprisoned and stop detaining, harassing, and censoring writers and journalists in China;

end Internet censorship, and reform laws used to imprison writers and journalists and suppress freedom of expression; and

abide by its pledge that "there will be no restrictions on media reporting and movement of journalists up to and including the Olympic Games."

In addition, the report urges that all nations participating in the Olympic Games press the Chinese government to act on these recommendations and secure clear assurances that no Chinese citizens, Chinese or foreign journalists, athletes or spectators will be detained or otherwise prevented from expressing their views peacefully during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

"When all is said and done, it is not by staging a successful Olympic Games, but by honoring these commitments that China will get its slogan of 'One World, One Dream' become true," said Yu Zhang of the Independent Chinese PEN Center.

PEN American Center, PEN Canada, and the Independent Chinese PEN Center are among the 145 worldwide centers of International PEN, an organization that works to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere, to fight for freedom of expression, and represent the conscience of world literature. For the One Month Report and the complete list of writers, please visit www.pen.org/china2008, www.pencanada.ca, and www.chinesepen.org.