China’s Olympic Games website hacked

This press release and the screenshots of the OG website at: http://www.TheColorOrange.net/uk/page211

Press release, 6 August 2008

China’s OG website hacked

On Wednesday TheColorOrange.net received an anonymous telephone call that hackers have changed the headlines of the official Chinese Olympic website into orange, the signal color of the human rights abuses in China.

In this connection the initiator of TheColorOrange campaign, Danish artist Jens Galschiot, declares:

“In fact I was rather sceptical about the message, but I’ve checked the website at stated that actually the headlines are orange. But I dare not say whether hackers or a humanitarian minded web designer are the originators.

If hackers critical to China have changed the color, we have to do with a highly sophisticated action, that will make a fool of China all over he world. It will also boost the focus on the use of Orange as a cunning way of criticising China during the OG in Beijing. Anyway we are not unequivocally enthusiastic about the support as we do not defend unlawful hacking of websites. In this case, however, we have to do wit a rather harmless hacking supportive of the human rights. These hackers must be exceptionally skilful if they have managed to make this small but very powerful change of the official OG websites.

We hold no sway whatsoever over the development of TheColorOrange project. The idea has spread on the Web like wildfire. Our homepage has had about 250,000 visitors and thousands will hang up orange cloth strips in their cities or wear something orange.

We expect that also in China many will use orange as a signal color. Athletes, politicians, journalists and others will display something orange during the games. Doing so, they will send a signal that something is going wrong in China. It may be an orange hat, camera bag, tie, pen, paper, dress, suit, bag etc. Even pealing an orange may be considered a poignant statement. In most cases the motive cannot be uttered, as neither the OIC nor the Chinese authorities will tolerate display of any symbols expressing criticism of China. The Orange supporters will have to say, with a wry smile, that they are fond of orange. The use of orange is the artifice that will allow everybody to participate in the Olympics and at the same time express their disapproval of the human rights violations in the country.”

ENDS

The official Chinese OG website: http://en.beijing2008.cn

Further information, photos, and videos of the Orange activities: http://www.TheColorOrange.net

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