WASHINGTON – United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday called for a “diplomatic boycott” of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics because of China’s human rights violations.
“We cannot proceed as if nothing is wrong about the Olympics going to China,” Pelosi told a joint hearing of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and Congressional-Executive Commission on China.
“Sadly we are here because China continues to crush all political dissent,” said the Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives, adding that the US has an obligation to “speak out against human rights violations in China”.
“Let’s have a diplomatic boycott if, in fact, this Olympics takes place.
“I don’t know if it’s possible because we have not succeeded in the past.”
But, she added, “let’s not honour the Chinese government by having heads of state go to China”.
“For heads of state to go to China in light of a genocide that is ongoing while you're sitting there in your seats really begs the question, ‘What moral authority do you have to speak about human rights anywhere in the world?’”
The joint hearing also heard from activists who condemned China’s treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority and political crackdown in Hong Kong.
“Hosting the Olympics has become the go-to, proven solution for authoritarian regimes to whitewash their crimes, boost their image internationally and strengthen alliances,” said US-based group HK Democracy Council managing director Samuel Chu.
“The (International Olympic Committee) must do what they didn’t and refused to do before – ban China from playing and hosting all major sporting events indefinitely.”
Rayhan Asat, a human rights lawyer of Uighur origin, said her brother, Ekpar Asat, is being held in a prison camp.
“How could we cheer for our beloved athletes knowing that millions of people are held in the concentration camps?
“Endorsement of China hosting the Olympics suggests that we deny the suffering of the Uighur people.”
Plea for athletes to compete
In a letter to members of Congress, US Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland argued against a boycott, saying the Games are particularly important after the pandemic.
“The world spent more than a year afraid, isolated and quarantined.
“Thousands of competitors from around the world standing before the Olympic and Paralympic flame will mark the world’s emergence from the past year’s troubles.”
Hirshland said “valid concerns” have been raised about “China’s conduct, including the oppression of the Uighur population”.
“We too are troubled by the situation in China.
“However, an athlete boycott of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is not the solution to geopolitical issues.
“Both the 1980 and 1984 Games (boycotts) tainted Olympic history and showed the error of using the Olympic Games as a political tool.”
China has condemned boycott calls as politicising sport, and the White House has stopped short of backing a boycott, which is also strongly opposed by US athletes. – AFP, May 19, 2021
