Leading Plaid Cymru politicians are backing calls for a boycott of the Olympic Games opening ceremony in protest at the Chinese Government's activities in Tibet and its attacks on press freedom. Party president Dafydd Iwan addressed the issue in his keynote speech at the party's Spring conference.

Plaid president Dafydd Iwan said:

"Human rights in China are at a low ebb, and the Chinese government's decision to severely restrict foreign media access to Tibet is an outrage.

"It's reported that around one hundred journalists, internet users and cyber dissidents are currently in prison in China for doing nothing more than expressing their views peacefully.

"The recent protests in Tibet, followed by the severe crackdown, are proof of the Chinese government's indifference to the democratic will of the Tibetan people. The Olympics provide a rare opportunity to send a strong signal to the Chinese regime that enough is enough."

Plaid MEP and International Affairs spokesperson Jill Evans said:

"There is worldwide concern not only about the Chinese regime's handling of recent protests in Tibet, but also of their failure to allow independent and free reporting of events.

"The eyes of the world are on China, and its human rights record has never been in sharper focus. The Olympic Games will be an opportunity for the world to let China know how it feels, but it is important that any action is measured and does not make a bad situation worse.

"A boycott of the opening ceremony by politicians and others would send a powerful message to the Chinese Government that they will find hard to ignore."