I.O.C. Rules Will Limit Protests By Athletes

Athletes who compete in the Beijing Olympics will not be allowed to wave flags, make gestures or alter their external appearance to make a political statement, according to guidelines issued in April by the International Olympic Committee.

But the one-page memo did not specify what punishments athletes would face if they violated a rule. The committee released the document after several national Olympic committees asked for a clarification of Rule 51, a section of the Olympic charter that bans any “demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda” in Olympic areas.

The existence of the guidelines was first reported by The Associated Press on Monday and a copy of the memo was provided to The New York Times by the I.O.C. on Tuesday.

The issue of whether athletes should be allowed to make political statements has attracted heightened attention this year as several groups have sought to link China’s policies on issues such as Tibet and Darfur to its role as the host of the Summer Olympics. A handful of athletes have said they intend to speak out at the Games. Others have said politics have no place at the Olympics.

Some said the new rules would only add to the confusion. Nikki Dryden, an Olympic swimmer for Canada in 1992 and 1996, is a member of Team Darfur, a coalition of athletes seeking to raise awareness about that crisis. “It really makes me more confused than I was before,” said Dryden, now a human rights lawyer in New York. “If I were an athlete, these are not good guidelines for me.”

The memo said athletes were permitted to express their opinions in conversations with the news media, other athletes and officials. But it specified that athletes would be responsible for their conduct, which is defined as “all actions, reactions, attitudes or manifestations of any kind.” This includes “their look, external appearance, clothing, gestures and written or oral statements.” Athletes must also abide by the laws of the host country.

Dryden said she was concerned that Chinese laws may impinge the rights of athletes to express themselves freely. “We’re talking about a Communist regime which throws people in jail for things they don’t agree with,” she said.

Officials with the I.O.C. and the United States Olympic Committee discouraged athletes from focusing too narrowly on the memo’s wording, saying that “common sense” would prevail on decisions about sanctions.

Darryl Seibel, a spokesman for the U.S.O.C., said American athletes would be briefed on the guidelines during the team processing that occurs before every Olympics.

“For us, this is really business as usual,” Seibel said. “We greatly value and respect the right of free expression and as with previous games, our athletes will be perfectly free to express themselves, so long as they do so in a manner consistent with Rule 51.”

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