Headed for Olympics? Beware of Big Brother
Olympic Attendees Will Be Bugged and Searched, U.S. State Department Says
By KIRIT RADIA
March 20, 2008 —
If you're planning on attending this summer's
Olympic Games in Beijing, expect your hotel room
to be bugged and searched while you're not there.
That's one of the warnings in a new fact sheet on
the 2008 Olympics issued today by the U.S. State
Department to Americans who intend to go to the
games that are being hosted by the Chinese government.
"All visitors should be aware that they have no
reasonable expectation of privacy in public or
private locations," the fact sheet says. "All
hotel rooms and offices are considered to be
subject to on-site or remote technical monitoring
at all times. Hotel rooms, residences and offices
may be accessed at any time without the occupant's consent or knowledge."
This is similar to advice that U.S. officials
visiting China follow. The U.S. military has been
increasingly worried about Chinese electronic surveillance capabilities.
ABC News was granted exclusive access to the head
of the U.S. Pacific Command, Adm. Timothy
Keating, as he met with top Chinese military
leaders in January. Keating told ABC News'
Jonathan Karl that even his staff members leave
their electronic devices behind for fear that the Chinese could hack into them.
"It's our assessment that the Chinese have the
capability to penetrate our electronic systems.
We would rather they not do that," Keating said.
The State Department's fact sheet also warns that
Americans may not be able to access certain
portions of the U.S. Embassy's Web site while
within China, a sign of China's growing ability
to restrict Internet access to sites it sees as challenges to its rule.
Americans traveling in China are encouraged to
register first with the U.S. embassy through its
Web site. However, according to the fact sheet,
"Since this registration system site is not
always available from within China, registering
before you leave home is highly recommended."
The State Department says that the terror threat
for the Games is low but cites recent violence in
Tibet and a purported attempt to blow up a
passenger plane in China earlier this month as
"good examples of how potentially dangerous
events can occur in the run-up to the Olympics."
The State Department says that there is no
evidence to suggest that Americans will be
targets of violence during the games.
Some activists have sought to tie the Beijing
Olympics to the genocide in Darfur because of
China's cozy trade relationship with the Sudanese
government. Some groups hope to use the global
spotlight cast by the games to highlight these
and other human rights issues in China.
If any Americans are planning on protesting,
however, the State Department's fact sheet has
some advice as well. Though other warnings in the
fact sheet do not mince words, the State
Department refers diplomatically to China's
heavy-handed police control of political dissent.
"The threat level for political violence also
remains low. In most major metropolitan areas,
the Chinese authorities employ an overwhelming
police/security presence to ensure that
demonstrations remain peaceful. Protestors must
receive an official permit from municipal
authorities before being allowed to gather," the
fact sheet says, without referring to any specific issues.
The fact sheet also contains a warning for dual
U.S.-Chinese citizens who use their Chinese passports to enter the country.
"If you are a dual American-Chinese citizen and
are arrested or detained in China, the choice you
made on which passport to use in entering China
will be very important," the fact sheet says.
"U.S. Embassy and Consulate officials are often
denied access to arrested or detained Americans
who do not enter China using their U.S. passport."
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Received on Sat Mar 02 2024 - 00:57:23 CST