Wednesday November 10, 2021
“Gold Medal for Oppression”
IGB hands out against Bach and China ahead of the Olympics
The Olympic Winter Games will take place in Beijing in February 2022. There is massive criticism in advance. It is directed against China and also against the International Olympic Committee. The International Trade Union Confederation comes up with a report and increases the pressure.
The International Trade Union Confederation (IGB) has sharply criticized the upcoming host of the Winter Olympics and made demands on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its partners. In a report titled “China: A Gold Medal for Oppression,” the organization wrote of “five repressive measures by the ruling party that are making China and the world unsafe” and “curtailing the freedom and rights of millions of people.”
The ITUC sees “repression and imprisonment” in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, intimidation of the LGBT + community, “violations of fundamental rights at work, supply chains and society”, the oppression and exploitation of the Chinese Communist Party as the greatest repression measures ethnic minorities and the spread of COVID-19. The IGB accuses the Chinese rulers of systematically withholding information that could explain the origin of the virus. That “cost many lives and made the world more insecure.”
The IGB makes a total of four demands. First of all, the IOC should ensure the “safety and security” of all athletes and people participating in the Games in Beijing (February 4 to 20, 2022), and international governments should ensure the safety of athletes and supporters of the Games.
The organization also called on the sponsors to reconsider their cooperation “under the impression of the repressive policies of the Chinese Communist Party”. As a final demand, the ITUC called on China to “end the policy of oppression and introduce fundamental rights and freedoms according to international rules.”
International criticism of China and the blatant human rights violations continues to grow. The IOC around President Thomas Bach wants to keep politics outside, so the IGB. “The Olympic Games cannot tackle all challenges,” Bach said in a speech in mid-October.