Amnesty site timed for Olympics

Amnesty International NZ has launched its new-look campaigning website created specifically for student activists.

The website allows students to take action as part of the Freedom Challenge, Amnesty’s annual team challenge for NZ youth. It has been designed pro-bono by creative technology company Chrometoaster.

“Freedom Challenge is a chance for Amnesty’s 100 student groups to take action on the burning human rights issues of the day,” explains Freedom Challenge co-ordinator Jay Crangle.

“This year Freedom Challenge is focusing on human rights in China.”

By visiting www.freedom challenge.org.nz students have the opportunity to sign an on-line wall to show their support for an improvement in human rights in China.

“One of Amnesty’s key concerns in China is internet and media censorship. Journalists and bloggers alike have been imprisoned for expressing their views on the internet. Our students can help counter that repression by taking action on-line,” says Jay Crangle.

All signatures on the on-line wall will be forwarded to Chinese President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.

Internet freedom is particularly pertinent with recent news that the Beijing Olympic’s Press Centre has denied journalists access to the Amnesty website www.amnesty.org amongst a number of websites, including the Chinese version of the BBC and Taiwan newspaper Liberty Times.

“Such censorship is a complete breach of the Chinese Government’s promise of media and internet freedom around the Olympics,” says AIANZ spokesperson Margaret Taylor.

“It raises concerns that the pattern of serious human rights abuses Amnesty International has documented in the build-up to the Olympics will continue or intensify when the eyes of the world cease to be on China.”