LONDON, England (CNN) -- British athletes selected for this year's Olympic Games in Beijing will be asked to sign a contract that forbids them from criticizing China's human rights record.

Graham Nathan, spokesman for the British Olympics Association (BOA), told CNN that "British athletes will have to sign a contract promising not to comment on any politically sensitive issues."

He added that they won't go further than what is required by the International Olympic Committee charter which restricts demonstrations of political propaganda at an Olympic Games.

Athletes who refuse to sign the agreement will not be allowed to travel to compete in the Games from August 8-24, according to a sunday newspaper report.

He added: "Our athletes when they go there must be allowed to say what they want. I think they have over-reacted and I think they have been perhaps a bit over-legalistic."

"In the spirit of human dignity, British athletes should be allowed to freely express their opinions without the risk or threat that they will be expelled from the Beijing 2008 Olympics team."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SPORT/02/10/olympics.britain/index.html