“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers,” – Article 19 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

About 60 Amnesty International supporters travelled to Canberra for this morning’s Olympic Torch Relay where they peacefully demonstrated, exercising their right to the freedom of expression.

Amnesty International supports the right of all people – wherever they live in the world – to freely express their opinion. However, in China, the Olympic host country, freedom of expression is restricted and we believe this allows grave human rights abuses to continue under a cloak of secrecy.

The Internet and the media are heavily censored in China and we believe opening up these information sources will lead to greater transparency about life inside the country. We hope that creating a more transparent society will create an environment where human rights can be respected and enjoyed.

We are running a global campaign which is also focusing on the use of the death penalty in China, as well as torture and detention without trial, and the imprisonment human rights defenders.

In Australia, the main focus of our campaign is on Internet repression: because right now people in China risk jail, torture and even death for expressing their opinion online. The Olympics provide with a unique opportunity to help create a more transparent society.

Without transparency grave human rights abuses will continue unchecked and the Chinese Government can continue hiding information – like what happened at Tiananmen Square in 1989 and the number of people it executes each year – from the world and from its own people.

Check out our new uncensor campaign site for indepth information, blogs, news updates and details about things you can do to help.