Amnesty International: 2008 Annual Report (excerpts)

Growing numbers of human rights activists were imprisoned, put under house arrest or surveillance, or harassed.[…] Falun Gong practitioners were at particularly high risk of torture and other ill-treatment in detention. […] Women and girls continued to suffer violence and discrimination. Preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing were marked by repression of human rights activists. Censorship of the internet and other media intensified.

Repression of spiritual and religious groups

illions of people were impeded from freely practising their religion. Thousands remained in detention or serving prison sentences, at high risk of torture, for practising their religion outside of state-sanctioned channels. Falun Gong practitioners, Uighur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists and underground Christian groups were among those most harshly persecuted.

During the year over 100 Falun Gong practitioners were reported to have died in detention or shortly after release as a result of torture, denial of food or medical treatment, and other forms of ill-treatment.

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated for political and human rights reforms on the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty in July. Hundreds of overseas Falun Gong practitioners were denied entry to Hong Kong in the run-up to the anniversary.

For the full text of the report, see: http://www.amnestyusa.org/annualreport.php?id=ar&yr=2008&c=CHN