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The human rights campaigners said they must speak out or risk giving "tacit endorsement" to Beijing's stance.

An Amnesty report claims Tibetan human rights are getting worse in the run-up to the Olympics.

Its UK Campaigns Director, Tim Hancock, said "the muzzle" on protestors in Tibet and Beijing was getting tighter.

Riots broke out in Tibet during March, prompting a crackdown on the protestors by the Chinese authorities.

Amnesty's report is called China: The Olympics countdown - crackdown on activists threatens Olympics legacy.

'Honour promises'

The charity is calling on the Chinese authorities to end what it calls repressive measures against Chinese human rights protestors in Beijing and other parts of China, as well as against protesters in Tibet and surrounding regions.

Mr Hancock said: "With so many internal critics silenced, responsibility lies with the international community and the Olympics movement to pressure the Chinese authorities to honour promises of human rights reform.

"Unless world leaders and the IOC speak out strongly and in public, they risk giving tacit endorsement to China's repressive policies.

"The human rights situation is deteriorating and there are only four months until the games. We are urging the IOC to express human rights concerns publicly, especially over the plight of individual activists in China."

Amnesty also fears that Tibetan detainees are likely to face beatings or other abuses, and says that some risk being sentenced to death after unfair trials.

(BBC)

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