Boycotting the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics

February 7, 2022

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics are set to take place from February 4th till February 20th  amid the ongoing Chinese Government's crimes against humanity targeting Uyghur Muslims, and other Turkic Muslims, while also imposing serious crackdowns within Tibet, Hong Kong, and the mainland.

 

In 2008 China was awarded the chance to host the Olympic Games by the International Olympic Games Committee (IOC) on the claim the human rights situation had improved. However, 2008 was marked by repression against Tibetans who sought accountability for the death of children who died in the Sichuan earthquake, censorship of the media and internet, while also arbitrarily arresting journalists and other human rights workers. Instead of punishing Chinese leaders for breaking their Olympic pledges of improvement, the IOC in 2015 granted Beijing the 2022 Winter Games. Fourteen years later, the situation has not improved, only worsened.

According to the 53-page report “‘Break Their Lineage, Break Their Roots’: China’s Crimes against Humanity Targeting Uyghurs and Other Turkic Muslims,” widespread and systematic attacks committed against the Turkic Muslim population was identified. They included: mass arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances, mass surveillance, cultural and religious erasure, separation of families, forced returns to China, forced labor, sexual violence, and violations of reproductive rights. On the 1st of October, the National Day of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) protested throughout various cities in Europe in order to demand the end of the erosion of rights and freedoms of their people.

“Every year, the 1st of October is not a celebratory day for Uyghurs, but rather an occasion to reflect on all that we have lost at the hands of PRC governments – from our rights and freedoms to the lives of our loved ones”, WUC President, Dolkun Isa, said. “At the same time, this day has become symbolic for oppressed communities from China to join in solidarity and once more call for an end to the Uyghur genocide and China’s other human rights crimes”.

In addition, in the case of three-time Chinese Olypian Peng Shuai, the conflict between the rights of citizens, including world-class athletes, and the privileges of autocratic governments means to escape accountability was shown. The tennis player was silenced after she accused a former top official of sexual abuse. The Women’s Tennis Association called off its tournaments in China, while the IOC’s investigation into matters undermined the committee’s commitment to human rights. Those participating in the 2022 Winter Olympics will also be placed at risk if they express their views publicly on human rights within China.

As observed in the Chinese officials making it clear that athletes that express any form of political behavior or speech that goes against the Chinese laws and regulations will be subject to certian punishment. Although, last July the IOC had lifted the Charter’s Rule 50 which barred political, religious, and racial propaganda at Olympic sites and venues. Allowing various athletes to protest against racism and other issues during the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. At the same time athletes, coaches, and other support staff are more likely to be subjected to mass state surveillance, particularly monitoring of digital communications. America advised athletes to use disposable burner phones when in China and leave their own at home, as they must install the My2022 health-monitoring application making their data accessible to China. Proving, the games are Beijing’s hope to sports wash its human rights record clean.

Prosecution against the right to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association were also held against vulnerable populations including, lawyers Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi, the citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, the Tibetan monk, and writer Go Sherab Gyatso, and public health activists known as the Changsha Funeng group; and Arbitrary detention, torture, and forcible disappearance of human rights defenders, including Gao Zhisheng and Guo Feixiong. 

In addition to this tightening of repression in China, the mass surveillance of Tibetans, and the deprivation of South Mongolians of the right to speak in their mother tongue as China intensifies its crackdown on any cultural differences throughout the country.

The IOC has shown no inclination that it will challenge the Chinese Government’s crimes nor stop the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. On the contrary, the IOC seems hell-bent on towing the Chinese government line on any question raised towards their acts, even intervening in favour of the Chinese government during the Peng Shuai disappearance. This suggests that the IOC has lost its legitimacy as a governing body for the Olympics.

The failure to condemn the actions of the Chinese Government by the IOC has allowed continued violations of human rights of people throughout China. Therefore, while the UNPO recognizes the ethos of the 2022 Winter Games it calls upon all actors involved to recognize the current genocide of the Uyghur Muslims and the serious violations of human rights within China, in order to hold China accountable for its actions. UNPO calls for a full, not merely diplomatic boycott of these games, by broadcasters, athletes and officials.

In addition, questions must be asked of all sports governing bodies given the advent of sportswashing and the now endemic cases of bribery, corruption, and quasi-state capture of these supposedly neutral bodies that have no legitimacy with ordinary sports fans. While sport and politics inevitably go hand in hand in some cases, the growing appetite for using sports events as a facade when a legally recognized genocide or human rights abuses are taking place in the same country shows that great change is needed at this level.

Related news

Stay updated with the latest news

February 11, 2025

Celebrating 34 Years of the UNPO!

December 23, 2024

Reflecting on 2024

December 5, 2024

UNPO Side-Event in the UN Minority Rights Forum: Re-thinking Representation: Minorities and the Right to Diplomacy in a shifting geopolitical landscape

Scroll to Top
Subscribe to our Newsletter

By joining you accept receiving commercial communications from UNPO. You can retire your consent whenever you want in our privacy policy.

Dr Liam Saddington

Dr. Liam Saddington is a political and environmental geographer focused on the geopolitical impacts of climate change, particularly for small island states and the rising sea levels. His research on the UK’s evolving role in the South Pacific offers key insights into environmental degradation and displacement. He co-developed the Model UNPO, bringing conflict resolution and debates on human rights and environmental justice to UK schools. He serves as the academic advisor for the UNPO Youth Network and contributes to study sessions in partnership with the Council of Europe, contributing his expertise to global advocacy efforts.

Alexandra Gavilano

Alexandra Gavilano is an environmental scientist and climate justice decolonisation and democracy activist. With a focus on environmental protection, democratic decision-making, and personal and collective adaptation, Gavilano brings a wealth of experience in grassroots activism and advocacy to UNPO. As a climate and food justice activist, Gavilano has co-launched initiatives and associations that address social and ecological challenges. Her focus lies on system change for environmental protection, strengthening of democratic decision-making, and personal and collective deep adaptation. She serves as UNPO’s Sustainable Empowerment Campaign advisor.

Prof Francesco Palermo

Francesco Palermo is a professor of comparative constitutional law at the University of Verona and Director of the Institute for Comparative Federalism at Eurac Research in Bolzano/Bozen. He worked for the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and was member and president of the Council of Europe’s Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. From 2013 to 2018 he served as a non-party member of the Italian Senate, Member of the Scientific Committee of the Fundamental Rights Agency of the EU for the term 2018-2023 and Constitutional Adviser to the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Autonomies since 2019. He has authored over 300 publications, including 11 monographs and 36 edited volumes. He serves as UNPO’s Democratic Pluralism advisor.

Dr Tenzin Dorjee

Tenzin Dorjee, also known as Tendor, is a Tibetan writer, activist, and scholar based in New York, specializing in nonviolent resistance and the intersection of religion, politics, and conflict. His work, including the book ‘The Tibetan Nonviolent Struggle’, reflects his deep commitment to human rights and political change. He combines academia and activism, with a strong academic background from Brown and Columbia, he has also led organizations like Students for a Free Tibet and the Tibet Action Institute.

Prof Fiona McConnell

Fiona McConnell is a Professor of Political Geography at the University of Oxford and a Tutorial Fellow in Geography at St Catherine’s College, Oxford. Her research, which began with a focus on the exiled Tibetan government, now explores governance beyond the state and the articulation of political legitimacy by marginalized communities. Since joining the UNPO in 2012, she has been instrumental in developing the Unrepresented Diplomats Training Program and the Model UNPO, and co-authored influential reports on compromised spaces. As a political geographer, Fiona’s research aims to develop new areas of thinking regarding governance beyond the state, and has been Awarded the Philip Leverhulme Prize and the Back Award. Fiona’s work continues to shape the discourse on self-determination and diplomacy.

Dr Michael van Walt van Praag

Dr. Michael van Walt van Praag is a distinguished international lawyer and expert in intra-state conflict resolution, known for his foundational role as the first General Secretary of the UNPO. In addition to his involvement with our organization, Dr. van Walt possesses extensive experience in facilitating peace processes and mediation, having facilitated peace talks throughout the world and lent his expertise as an advisor and consultant to governmental and non-governmental organizations engaged in such processes. He currently serves as executive president of Kreddha and is a Senior Fellow at the Sompong Sucharitkul Center. In 2020, he was awarded a knighthood by the King and the Dutch government for his exceptional global contributions to conflict resolution and the rights of oppressed peoples.

Putheany Kim

Putheany Kim, mostly known as Kim, is a dedicated young activist passionate about human rights and environmental justice. Inspired by her father and driven by her aspiration to become a human rights ambassador, Kim has committed herself to promote a more equitable and sustainable future. Her work emphasizes collaboration, as she has built strong alliances with organizations and fellow activists recognising the power of unity in effecting meaningful change.

Senator Paul Strauss

Paul Strauss, is an American politician and attorney serving as the senior United States shadow senator for the District of Columbia since 1997. As a member of the Democratic Party, he advocated for D.C. statehood and federal representation. Strauss, also a former chairperson of the District’s Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals and a union organizer, is the principal of the Law Offices of Paul Strauss & Associates, P.C. He has been involved in various local and national political roles, including a significant role in the “51 Stars” campaign for D.C. statehood and international advocacy efforts. He has testified before the U.S. Senate, engaged with international bodies, and is an honorary member of the Global Committee for the Rule of Law.

Tammy Breedt

Tammy, born in Johannesburg, South Africa, is a dedicated politician and activist. She studied at the University of the Free State, where she was a student activist and served on the Student Representative Council. Tammy has been an active member of the Freedom Front Plus since 2006 and served in the Free State Legislature until 2019. After the 2019 General Elections, she became one of the first female Members of Parliament for the party, serving as the National Spokesperson on Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Social Development, Women, and Youth. Currently the Deputy Chairperson of the party in the Free State, Tammy also leads the foreign relations and internationalization committee.

Elisenda Paluzie

Professor Elisenda Paluzie is a prominent economist at the University of Barcelona, where she served as Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business from 2009 to 2017. She holds an MA in in International and Development Economics from Yale University and a PhD in Economics from the University of Barcelona. With research experience from the London School of Economics, CERAS-ENPC in Paris, and Kyoto University, her work focuses on regional and urban economics and international trade. She served as President of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) from 2018 to 2022.

Rubina Greenwood

Dr. Rubina Greenwood is a prominent Sindh human rights advocate with more than 20 years of experience raising awareness on the human rights issues affecting the Sindh community in Pakistan. She is the President and founder of the International Sindhi Women’s Origination (ISWO) and President of the World Sindhi Congress (WSC). She has a Phd in Architecture from University of Glasgow and she is currently Director of Network Integration for the Network Rail Consulting.

Mercè Monje Cano

Mercè Monje Cano is a socio-cultural project manager and accomplished human rights advocate with over fifteen years of experience in advocacy, project management and strategic planning. Before her appointment as UNPO Secretary General, she had been serving as the Executive Director and Head of Programmes at the UNPO, where she also acted as the UN Representative. She has managed programmes, led numerous UN advocacy efforts, coordinate various human rights initiatives, and led trainings on advocacy techniques, showcasing her expertise in advancing the rights of minorities, indigenous peoples, and unrepresented groups.