Amnesty International says China is using the Beijing Olympics as a pretext to pursue a crackdown on human rights.
In a report, Amnesty said that despite some minor reforms, the Beijing authorities had stepped up repression of activists and lawyers to present a picture of stability and harmony.
Amnesty urged the International Olympic Committee and political leaders to do far more to challenge China, warning of even more repressive measures once the spotlight on the Games has faded away.
Amnesty's report, citing specific cases, said activists who had tied their cause to the Games had been singled out for a pre-Olympics 'clean-up,' while many others were being detained, imprisoned or placed under house arrest.
It listed a series of recommendations urging China to release all prisoners of conscience; stop police arbitrarily detaining activists and dissenters; impose a moratorium on the death penalty; allow complete media freedom; and account for those killed or detained in Tibet.
Officials were also extending the use of punitive administrative detention, notably of activists and petitioners as well as beggars and peddlers, Amnesty said.
In January, Beijing police launched a campaign against 'illegal activities that tarnish the city's image and affect the social order'.
In May, authorities adopted a 're-education through labour' law to control various types of 'offending behaviour'.
While in June, activists and petitioners in Shanghai were sent notices ordering them to report to the police every week and barring them from leaving without permission or visiting Beijing until after the Games.
