"those chinese sons of a bitches"

So China's really messed up. They made all these promises that they'd like fix human rights in time for the 2008 Olympics, but for now, things are mostly just getting worse.

But last week China did take a step forward. The Christian Science Monitor reports:

In a sweeping liberalization of its reporting rules, China Friday suspended decades-old restrictions on foreign journalists in the run-up to the 2008 Olympic Games.

The new regulations, allowing foreign reporters to travel throughout the country and to interview people without prior official permission, are clearly aimed at keeping the government's promise to the International Olympic Committee that it would allow free reporting during and before the 2008 games.

We'll see how this actually plays out.

But the best part of the CSM's coverage was where they printed a dialog, "How to Stop Illegal News Coverage", that appears in a training manual distributed to Beijing policemen learning English in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games:

P(oliceman): Excuse me, sir. Stop, please.

F(oreign journalist): Why?

P: Are you gathering news here?

F: Yes.

P: About what?

F: About Falun Gong.

P: Show me your press card and your reporter's permit.

F: Here you are.

P: What news are you permitted to cover?

F: The Olympic Games.

P: Falun Gong has nothing to do with the Games.... You should only cover the Games.

F: But I'm interested in Falun Gong.

P: It's beyond the limit of your coverage and illegal. As a foreign reporter in China you should obey China law and do nothing against your status.

F: Oh, I see. May I go now?

P: No. Come with us.

F: What for?

P: To clear up this matter.