By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, July 9: A UK parliamentary committee issued a report calling for a “diplomatic boycott” of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on Wednesday, urging PM Boris Johnson to condemn human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Tibet. The bipartisan Foreign Affairs committee said that five of its members have been sanctioned for their views on China, and Britain “should ensure that the Chinese government faces consequences.”
“President Xi cheerily threatened that any foreigners attempting to influence China will have their ‘heads bashed against the Great Wall of Steel’, and of course, he’s still in denial about human rights violations and the genocides in Xinjiang and Tibet as recognized by this House, and a result, five of us remain sanctioned,” MP Tim Loughton urged PM to engage in a collective diplomatic boycott. The motion titled ‘Beijing Winter Olympics and Chinese government sanctions’ will be debated in the House on July 15 led by the Tory lawmaker who is also the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet.
The proposals by the committee given to the cabinet on Thursday marked the “irrefutable” proof of genocides in regions under the Chinese Community Party. It said that the government should avoid attendance in both the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2022 Games, encourage fans and tourists to “stay away”, and discourage businesses to sponsor or advertise at the international event. It also recommended that athletes should be discouraged to support or accept Chinese propaganda efforts while in the country.
However, PM Johnson responded to Loughton’s remarks by saying that he was “instinctively” against sporting boycotts but that he would “certainly consider” the proposal. “This country has led the world in condemning human rights abuses in Xinjiang and putting sanctions on those responsible . . . I am instinctively, and always have been, against sporting boycotts,” he told the parliament in session.
The growing calls of a ‘diplomatic boycott’ of the Games was initiated by US Speaker Nancy Pelosi in May, “Let’s have a diplomatic boycott if in fact this Olympics takes place. Let’s not honor the Chinese government by having heads of state go to China to show their support for their athletes. When they come home, let’s show them even more […] respect, adulation.” Both the strong political messaging from the proposals in the UK and US sets out to boycott the controversial Beijing Olympics without jeopardizing the opportunities of athletes who choose to take part in this elite international competition.
