« The time for talking with the IOC is over, » Lhadon Tethong of the Tibet Action Institute told the Associated Press. « This cannot be games as usual or business as usual; not for the IOC and not for
A coalition representing Uyghurs, Tibetans, residents of Hong Kong and others are campaigning for a complete boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics in response to allegations of human rights violations against minorities in China. Activist Lhadon Tethong of the Tibet Action Institute told the Associated Press that the time for discussion with the IOC is over, as she has previously led a campaign for Tibet to boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Tethong’s campaign in 2007 led to her being arrested and deported from China. « People have worked to engage with the IOC in good faith to have them understand the issues directly from the mouths of those most impacted — the Uyghurs at the top of that list and the Tibetans and others, » Tethong said. « It’s clear the IOC is completely uninterested in what the real impacts on the ground for people are. » In response to demands for a boycott, the IOC has said it must remain « neutral » and stay out of politics. Similarly, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee said boycotts would only hurt athletes. For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below. Groups alleging human-rights abuses against minorities in China are calling for a full-blown boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, a move likely to ratchet up pressure on the International Olympic Committee, athletes, sponsors and sports federations. A coalition representing Uyghurs, Tibetans, residents of Hong Kong and others issued a statement Monday calling for the boycott, eschewing lesser measures that had been floated like « diplomatic boycotts » and further negotiations with the IOC or China. « The time for talking with the IOC is over, » Tethong said. « This cannot be games as usual or business as usual; not for the IOC and not for the international community. » The Beijing Games are set to open on Feb.4,2022, just six months after the postponed Summer Olympics in Tokyo are to end.
