Amid the numerous stories of the Chinese authorities “faking” parts of the Olympic ceremony, we must remember that another, more serious kind of deception is playing out in Beijing.

On 23 July this year the Chinese authorities announced that they would set up protest zones in three parks around Beijing where individuals would be allowed to express their grievances during the course of the Olympic Games. Everyone is of course still required to obtain advance permission from the police to protest in the zones but the point was, the Chinese authorities were promoting these parks as a tangible example of them meeting promises to improve human rights in China.

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