Australian independent senator Rex Patrick has called for countries to boycott the #Beijing2022 Winter #Olympics because of China’s human rights record. Will his campaign gain traction?
World Uyghur Congress program manager Zumretay Arkin is not optimistic that the IOC’s coordination commission for the Beijing 2022 games, will put pressure on the Chinese government to address human rights abuses. “They did not move from their general position which is ‘we’re not a political entity or body so we don’t have any say on these issues’,” Ms Arkin said.
This lack of interest in addressing human rights abuses flies in the face of the rationale of Olympism, which is “to build a world where athletes and international actors can come together to celebrate this one movement which is the Olympic movement,” she explained..
Another Australian politician to weigh in on this issue is Zali Steggall, who was Australia’s first individual medallist at a winter games, winning bronze in the slalom at the 1998 Nagano Olympics in Japan. She opposed a boycott “because they are using the athletes as political footballs on this one.”
