A correspondent for Dutch public broadcaster NOS was removed by Chinese officials while reporting live at the Beijing Olympics, the station said Friday.
Sjoerd den Daas, the Greater China/East Asia correspondent for NOS, was pulled off the air briefly at noon but was "fine and able to finish his story a few minutes later," NOS tweeted Friday.
"Unfortunately, this is increasingly becoming a daily reality for journalists in China," NOS added.
In the video, den Daas is standing outside reporting to the in-studio anchor when a Chinese official grabs him and tries to pull him off camera. The camera then goes dark. A few minutes later, the anchor was able to check back in with den Daas and see how he was.
China has been widely criticized for its human rights violations, such as the reported genocide of Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities, and its censorship of dissenting ideas and media.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed concern recently that Americans may find themselves in trouble with Chinese authorities for speaking out against the communist regime and implored U.S. Olympic athletes not to "risk" their personal safety with any public political criticism, the Washington Examiner reported.
"Make no mistake — our athletes should participate," Pelosi said before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. "They’ve trained, they’re disciplined, they’ve dreamed, they’ve aspired, they’ve worked hard. But this year we must celebrate them from home as they compete in China."
"I would say to our athletes: You’re there to compete. Do not risk incurring the anger of the Chinese government because they are ruthless," she added.
First to announce a diplomatic boycott of the Games in December, the United States has since been joined by Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Japan, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Slovenia, Sweden and the U.K., the Independent reported.
According to CNN, India announced a last-minute diplomatic boycott Thursday after a commander involved in 2020 border clashes between the two countries appeared as an Olympic torchbearer in the customary torch relay leading up to the Games.
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