A senior International Olympic Committee official apologised yesterday for misleading foreign journalists about press freedom during the Beijing Games - after it emerged the Olympic movement had cut a deal with the central government to censor the internet.
'I have [recently] been advised that some of the IOC officials had negotiated with the Chinese that some sensitive sites would be blocked,' Kevan Gosper, chairman of the IOC's press commission, said.
'If you have been misled by what I have told you [over the months and years] about there being free internet access during the Games, then I apologise.'
But he added: 'I'm not backing off what I said. There will be full, open and free internet access during Games time to allow journalists to report on the Olympics.'
His admission, in an interview with the South China Morning Post, came as Games organiser Bocog admitted it had blocked sites referring to the Falun Gong spiritual group because it was regarded as an 'evil cult' and was banned by the government.
Since Beijing was awarded the Games seven years ago, IOC leaders, including Mr Gosper and president Jacques Rogge, as well as Chinese officials have insisted time and again that journalists working for international media at Olympic venues during Games time - which officially began on Sunday - would enjoy uncensored media access.
Mr Gosper said he believed Bocog and the IOC should have made the restrictions known earlier.