By Ouyang Fei

(Clearwisdom.net) Note: The Olympic Games are based on mutual understanding, unity, friendship and fairness. As such, the Games should not become a stage upon which the brutal Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can show itself off. The 2008 Olympics have drawn the world's attention to China, providing an opportunity for people to speak out against the human rights atrocities committed by the CCP. For example, tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners are still being illegally detained, and tragically, worst of all, the widespread illicit organ harvests from living Falun Gong practitioners continue. The "Human Rights Torch Relay" organized by the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) is gaining wide recognition and support in the international community. More and more people recognize that stopping the persecution and eradicating CCP poison from the Olympics will restore the Games' peaceful spirit and give the Beijing Olympics new and profound meaning for the people of China and the world.

A new phrase has become fashionable with the CCP in its attempt to create the illusion that the CCP is getting in line with the international community. The phrase is "international practice."

"International practice" is used as an excuse when Chinese banks overcharge their clients, when doctors accept cash tips, when road authorities refuse to buy domestic products when inviting bids, when airlines overbook seats, and even when universities overcharge students. The phrase is even used when government monopolies exploit others to benefit themselves. They say that their corrupt practice of offering material benefits is "international practice."

If these are "international practices," then why is it that there are so many complaints from people who criticize these practices as the result of "tyrannical rule?" The reason is that in other countries there are clear regulations and corresponding services accompanying the "international practice." In China, there are a lot of practices that are entirely uncommon by international standards, and yet once they are labeled as "international practice," they are expected to be accepted without question.

For example, when a foreign airline practices reasonable overbooking, it provides good service after the sale and mandatory compensation for anyone bumped from a flight. It generally does so with an amiable attitude to resolve any conflict between the parties concerned. In China, the airlines are far behind in their quality of service, yet they follow so-called "international practices" closely in charging people and grabbing the money. Here is another example. Internationally, most debit cards and a number of credit cards do not charge annual fees, so there is no such a thing as an "international practice" to charge annual fees for such cards. However, in China, most bank cards are debit cards. To truly follow international practices, Chinese banks should not charge annual fees for debit cards. Yet the banks in China do charge people, and call it "international practice." This is why the Chinese people are really fed up with a bureaucracy that constantly enriches itself with false "international practices" as "justification" for corruption and immorality.

Now the 2008 Olympics is approaching, and "international practice" has once again become a stage prop for the CCP to fool people. In mid-May 2007, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Beijing Olympic Committee, Zhang Shuyuan, made an announcement. The announcement stated that when the intelligence center engages in intelligence work, it would adopt the "non-explanation principle" commonly adopted in the international community. This means that all those who register to participate in the Beijing Olympics, including athletes and government officials, must go through the intelligence center's strict qualification checks, and if there is anything "unusual" about them, they may be denied visas and denied entry without any specific explanation. Zhang Shuyuan especially emphasized that this was an "internationally adopted non-explanation principle." This is to say that this was another "international practice."

Speaking of visas, under normal circumstances, most countries will not issue visas to the following categories of people: patients with infectious diseases, mental patients, convicted criminals, those with deportation records, those who pose a threat to national security and social order, terrorists, those who obtain visas by deception, those who have no financial guarantee to live in another country, etc. These specifications are all justifiable and reasonable, and there is no need to cover them up. Even though a visa officer may not have the "obligation" to explain the reason for a visa refusal, the visa officer often offers some explanation.

In early April 2007, one month before Zhang Shuyuan announced this specific "international practice," the CCP's Ministry of Public Security issued a secret directive to the public security departments (in various provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities) directly under the central government. The directive was titled, "Notice on Strict Background Checks of Applicants for the Olympic Games and Test Events." In the notice, 43 types kinds of "unwanted" within 11 categories are listed. People who are identified as these types will be denied entry to the Olympics.

This secret document was leaked by insiders who are not happy with what the CCP is doing. The notice is not an open document available publicly at visa offices (or anywhere else). This fact shows the guilty conscience of the CCP. If another country's visa officer is not obliged to "explain," at least their refusal regulations are open to the public, such as insufficient paper work, no financial guarantee, showing a migration tendency, or in more serious cases, a visa is denied to those earlier-mentioned categories (such as patients with infectious diseases or terrorists). Such regulations are usually made very clear in details on the embassy's website, so that people have a general understanding about them. However, the CCP's reason for entry denial is the secret and hidden "43 kinds of unwanted" document. It tries to bolster its courage to carry out the "non-explanation" by "international practice." All this is to absolve itself from blame for human rights violations.

There are indeed some relevant articles on the use of the "non-explanation principle" for professional diplomats. In Article 9 of the "Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations" (1961) and in Article 12 of the "Convention of Special Missions" (1969), there are regulations such that if a member of the diplomatic staff is declared "persona non grata" by the receiving state, then this member cannot re-enter the country, or must terminate his functions and depart the country. The receiving state does not have to "explain" its decision when notifying the sending state. This "non-explanation principle" is binding internationally, but it is solely applicable to diplomats and special missions. The purpose of the CCP's background checks on the participants of Olympics is to find excuses for visa denial; thus it is a matter concerning ordinary visas, and therefore does not quality under the Vienna Convention.

Since it is a matter concerning ordinary visas, then the CCP's "non-explanation principle" is in essence a "dare-not-explain principle." This is because, among the 43 types of people listed in the 11 categories to be denied entry, terrorists are only a very small portion of three types of people in one category. So if the CCP explains or publicizes this, then the whole world would know that the majority of people who are denied visas and entry are denied based on their beliefs or for ideological reasons. This is what the CCP dares not disclose.

Someone sighed that there is a type of deception called "international practice," and the CCP is using this to deceive the Chinese people. It is simply another attempt to cover up its evil conduct. The CCP's hoodlum nature has not changed since its inception.

August 11, 2007