Wednesday, April 7th, 2021
Disregard for human rights
USA advise on Olympic boycott
In February, an alliance of international human rights groups called for a boycott of the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing in 2022. The US government has now confirmed that it is already discussing this possibility with several other countries.
The US State Department has confirmed talks with allies about a possible boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Spokesman Ned Price said Tuesday that the administration of US President Joe Biden was in consultations with like-minded countries around the world to decide how to proceed. “The games are still some time away. I wouldn’t want to set a schedule, but these discussions are ongoing,” said Price. “This is something we certainly want to discuss, and it is certainly something where we understand that coordinated action is not only in our interests, but also in the interests of our allies and partners.”
The US accuses China of human rights violations. In February, an alliance of 180 international human rights groups and representatives of minorities in China asked the international community not to participate in the February 2022 Games. “Anything else is seen as support for authoritarian rule and the undisguised disregard for civil and human rights by the Chinese Communist Party,” the alliance said in an open letter.
The International Olympic Committee with the German President Thomas Bach has recently rejected all boycott demands. In March, Bach said that a boycott was the “wrong answer to such questions”. The President of the German Olympic Sports Confederation, Alfons Hörmann, categorically ruled out a boycott in February.
Seven US Republican senators called for Beijing to withdraw the Games in February. They referred to the persecution of Uyghurs and Tibetans as well as China’s threats against Taiwan. Senator Rick Scott introduced a resolution in the Senate.
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