“We are not a world government”: IOC Vice Coates resolutely on the Uyghur issue

“We are not a world government”
IOC Vice Coates resolved on Uyghur issue

The 2022 Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing. There are increasing calls for boycotts due to the dubious human rights situation in China. It’s about the Uighur question. The IOC is now positioning itself in this. That wants to respect the “sovereignty” of China and not exert any pressure.

Vice President John Coates has ruled out that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will put pressure on the host of the upcoming Winter Games because of the human rights situation in China. “We are not a world government. We have to respect the sovereignty of the countries that host the Games,” Coates said at an event in his native Australia.

The IOC is “not able to go to a country and tell it what to do. That is not our job,” said the 71-year-old. The task of the IOC, however, is “to ensure that the national Olympic committees or the Olympic movement do not commit any human rights violations in the implementation of the Games”.

Human rights organizations believe that at least one million Uyghurs and members of other, mostly Muslim minorities, are imprisoned in the northwest region of Xinjiang. Beijing continues to be accused of curtailing human rights in Hong Kong.

USA versus China

The Beijing Winter Olympics will open on February 4th. Recently there have been increasing calls to boycott them or at least find a way to protest against the human rights situation in China.

The United States Congress has put pressure on five major IOC sponsors, including Visa and Airbnb, on charges of indirect support for the alleged genocide of Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. Beijing then accused US politicians of “politicizing” the sport and slandering China.

The upcoming games, the second in China after Beijing in 2008, will not allow foreign viewers due to coronavirus restrictions.

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