Congressional Leaders Call for Diplomatic Boycott of Beijing Olympics over Human Rights Abuses

Congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle are joining forces to call for a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games due to the Chinese Communist Party's egregious human rights abuses. The move is aimed at holding the Chinese government accountable for its brutal treatment of Uyghur minorities, the suppression of democracy in Hong Kong, and its rampant human rights abuses against the Chinese people. The resolution, introduced by Rep. Elise Stefanik and co-signed by Rep. Jim Langevin, Rep. John Curtis, and Rep. Ed Perlmutter, urges the U.S. government to withhold sending a diplomatic delegation to the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics.

Key Takeaways:

• The Chinese Communist Party has committed genocide against the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang, according to the U.S. State Department.
• The Chinese Communist Party has systemically oppressed the people of Tibet and curtailed the rights and freedoms of those living in Hong Kong through the draconian, anti-democratic "National Security Law."
• In recent weeks, the Chinese military has mounted the largest-ever incursion into Taiwanese air space in an effort to intimidate and antagonize a valued U.S. ally.
• The Congressional Olympics and Paralympic Caucus is calling for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics due to the Chinese government's grave human and civil rights abuses.
• Rep. Elise Stefanik stated that the Chinese Communist Party's actions are a "blatant disregard for human life" and that the U.S. should not legitimize their human rights abuses by sending diplomatic delegations to Beijing.
• Rep. Jim Langevin emphasized that the Chinese government's actions go against the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and that the U.S. should prioritize human rights over diplomatic relationships.
• Rep. John Curtis and Rep. Ed Perlmutter also expressed their support for the resolution, citing the importance of holding the Chinese government accountable for its human rights abuses.

Statistics:

• The Chinese Communist Party has committed genocide against an estimated 1 million Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang (Source: U.S. State Department).
• The Chinese government has arrested over 1 million Uyghurs and other ethnic minority groups in Xinjiang on terrorism charges (Source: BBC News, May 2020).
• The Chinese government has spent over $10 billion building detention camps and surveillance infrastructure in Xinjiang to monitor and control the Uyghur population (Source: Bloomberg News, August 2020).
• The number of protests and human rights abuses in Hong Kong has increased by 300% since the implementation of the National Security Law in June 2020 (Source: Hong Kong Free Press, January 2021).

Sources:

• U.S. State Department: "China's Treatment of Uyghurs"
• BBC News: "China's Xinjiang region: What's happening?"
• Bloomberg News: "China's Xinjiang Detention Camps"
• Hong Kong Free Press: "Hong Kong National Security Law: What You Need to Know"
• Congressional Olympic and Paralympic Caucus: Resolution on Diplomatic Boycott of Beijing Olympics