Major countries around the world are condemning China’s record of human rights abuses by diplomatically boycotting the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing. A diplomatic boycott means that there will be no official delegation to the Games, but athletes from those countries will participate as planned.
The issue has hit the international press with regular updates on the countries joining the boycott. The BBC, under the headline How much does the diplomatic boycott of Beijing 2022 matter? says “ few hosts of major events have provoked quite as much controversy as Beijing” and gives a full analysis of the situation, mentioning the No Beijing 2022 campaign and saying, “While the coalition of Tibetan, Uyghur, Southern Mongolian, Hong Kong, and Taiwanese rights groups that make up the #NoBeijing2022 campaign welcomed the diplomatic boycotts, many campaigners feel they do not go far enough, and that athletes themselves, corporate sponsors and major broadcasters also need to act if pressure really is to be brought to bear on China.” Their article is illustrated with protestors displaying Free Tibet banners and the Tibetan flag.
Countries that have announced diplomatic boycotts include the United States, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Lithuania, Scotland and Japan. Other countries, including Italy and France, say that they are not planning to join the diplomatic boycott. New Zealand has announced that they will not send officials to the Games due to their pandemic travel restrictions.
French President Macron says that diplomatic boycott is “insignificant and merely symbolic” and prefers “useful effect”. He continued, “To be clear: You either have a complete boycott, and don’t send athletes, or you try to change things with useful actions”.
“Canada remains deeply disturbed by reports of human rights violations in China. As a result, we won’t be sending diplomatic representatives to Beijing for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games,” tweeted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that UK ministers will not attend the Olympics, saying it is “effectively” a diplomatic boycott.
US White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that while their athletes “have full support,” the US will not send their official representatives to the Games, citing China’s ongoing crime against humanity. Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced their diplomatic boycott, calling it the “right thing to do”.
Those countries which are boycotting the Games say that China has failed for decades to uphold the universal and fundamental ethical values of the Olympics. Rights groups have been calling for a halt to the ongoing genocide of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in East Turkestan – the Muslim minority in China’s north west known as Xinjiang, and for a halt to China’s repressive policies in Tibet where Tibetans have been deprived of basic human rights, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of movement, along with other minorities in China.
Dhondup Wangchen is a former Tibetan political prisoner and well known activist who served a six year prison sentence for making a documentary publicising life under Chinese rule prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He currently lives in the United States and is on a campaign tour in Europe, sharing his first hand experiences and calling on the international community to put a stop to the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
In India, a motorbike rally is underway to publicise the issue, they are travelling from Leh to Kardongla, the highest motorable pass in the world. They are also joining Tibet supporters worldwide thanking the National Basketball Association player Enes Kanter Freedom for speaking out against China over their human rights abuses and for supporting the Tibetan cause.
The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile applauded the proposed diplomatic boycotts and called on other countries to do the same, saying in a press release, “Diplomatically boycotting the Beijing Olympics sends a strong message that human value is held above all. We appeal the other world leaders to consider the diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics to express their solidarity with humanity, ethical values, and truth”.
Two Tibetan students chained themselves in Olympic rings outside the Swiss headquarters of the International Olympic Committee on December 11, were members of the Tibetan Youth Association in Europe and Students for a Free Tibet; they continued with a sit-in protest displaying banners which read “No Beijing 2022”.
China has responded to the boycotts of the Olympics saying the countries will “pay the price” for killing the Olympic spirit and accusing them of using the Olympic platform for “political manipulation”.
The Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games is scheduled to start on February 4.
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