The list is endless. If you want more, visit hrichina.org.

Every human rights lawyer and activist in the country has been either arrested or threatened or been physically assaulted (including a police car crashing into the car of a lawyer who was driving his son to school) in the last few months. Even privation levels in prisons have been pumped up. Political prisoners are no longer allowed to leave their cells, so they cannot speak to anyone or breathe fresh air. The quality of food and medical facilities has been lowered. Prisoners with high blood pressure are no longer allowed a BP instrument in the cell. Even a thermometer is off limits now.

And a second type of state terror victims will appear (or, perhaps more appropriately, disappear) after the Games. These will be the unfortunate Chinese athletes who, the State will suspect, could have done better. For four years, the State has spent gigantic sums of money on training its athletes, with the singular aim that China wins more gold medals than the US at Beijing. If that is not achieved, scapegoats will be needed. Any athlete, who, on that given day, performs at less than what the State believes is his or her peak, will be a target. Midnight knock. Re-education through labour.

The Games are a blessing for the Chinese State. They are a curse for the Chinese people.

Sandipan Deb, former Editor of The Financial Express, heads the RPG Group’s forthcoming magazine venture. sandipandeb@yahoo.co.uk