Dissension wracks the IOC's senior ranks over 'broken promise' on censorship
International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge arrived in Beijing yesterday to dissension in his ranks and an intensifying storm over internet censorship at the main Olympic press centre.
After revelations by IOC press commission chairman Kevan Gosper that backroom deals had seen IOC leaders acquiesce to mainland censorship of foreign journalists' internet access, IOC communications director Giselle Davies said Dr Rogge would seek answers from the mainland authorities about why some websites had been blocked.
'We will continue to push for more internet freedom and will work with the Chinese authorities to find out why sites such as the BBC [Chinese version] and Amnesty International are blocked,' Ms Davies said.
Mr Gosper said some senior officials had cut deals with the mainland authorities over internet censorship, leaving other influential members, including him, in the dark. This meant he and others had misled the international media, Mr Gosper said, and he apologised.
Yesterday he described himself the 'fall guy', saying he had learned of the new measures only when the South China Morning Post informed him of them on Tuesday.
