British Olympic chiefs are to force athletes to sign a contract promising not to speak out about China's appalling human rights record -- or face being banned from travelling to Beijing.

The move -- which raises the spectre of the order given to the England football team to give a Nazi salute in Berlin in 1938 -- immediately provoked a storm of protest.

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From the moment they sign up, the competitors ... will be effectively gagged from commenting on China's politics, human rights abuses or illegal occupation of Tibet.