Uyghur, Tibet and Hong Kong activists call for athletes to boycott Beijing Olympics

Uyghur, Tibet and Hong Kong activists are calling on international athletes to boycott the 2022 winter Olympics set to be held in Beijing, citing "the severity of worsening" human rights abuses being carried out by the Chinese Communist Party.

In an open letter published Wednesday, activists representing these groups appeal to athletes to reject going to the games, in support of communities that are documented to be under severe repression by the Chinese government.

"We know it is an extremely difficult ask for Olympic athletes who have dedicated so much time and energy to becoming champions in their sport. But it is not an exaggeration to say that life under Chinese government rule is literally death for our people," the letter reads.

The letter further calls out the International Olympic Committee for complicity in China's human rights abuses and implicating athletes pursuing the highest competition for their sport.

"Beijing 2022 is not the opportunity you were promised. Thomas Bach and the International Olympic Committee have failed you by putting you in a situation where you have to choose between human rights or competing against the backdrop of a genocide," the letter read.

"We appeal to you to use your position, to stand on the rights side of history, and say no to the Genocide Games. Your support will bring so much hope to us, our family members, and our communities. It will set a precedent for other athletes to speak up."

It was signed by activists Zumretay Arkin from World Uyghur Congress; Frances Hui from We The Hongkongers; and Chemi Lhamo, a Tibetan-Canadian activist.

China was awarded the 2022 winter Olympics in 2015. In 2017, the International Olympic Committee adopted new procedures that are said to include strengthened human rights requirements for "Future Host Questionnaires", although they will only be put in place beginning with the Paris 2024 games and onwards.

The call for an athletic boycott follows moves by the U.S., United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Japan to impose a diplomatic boycott in opposition to China's human rights record - but are supporting their athletes attending the games.

The U.S. and other countries have imposed sanctions on Chinese officials and entities for what it says is a campaign of genocide being carried out by Beijing against the Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang province. The U.S. and allies have also imposed sanctions on Chinese officials and entities for restricting democratic freedoms in Hong Kong.

Further, human rights advocates are raising alarm that Chinese repression in Tibet is worsening, with a report published in early December citing that three out of four Tibetan children and youth are forcibly removed from their families and placed in Chinese schools where they are barred from speaking their language and observing their culture and religion, raising concerns of a cultural genocide.

China rejects such accusations, citing that all issues are a matter of internal Chinese concern. It further has condemned countries for instituting a boycott of the Olympics.

The international community is far from unified on the issue of a diplomatic boycott, with Lithuanian officials boycotting the games in opposition to Chinese policies; while diplomats from New Zealand are staying home amid the risk of the COVID-19 pandemic.

France has rejected a diplomatic boycott and the European Union is debating whether to come out with a unified response. Norway, one of the most prolific competitors at the winter Olympics, plans to fully participate in the game with athletic and diplomatic representation, saying it doesn't believe boycotts contribute to advancing human rights causes.

Few athletes are outspoken on the issue of whether to attend the games.

The rise in COVID-19 cases because of the Omicron variant is sidelining U.S. National Hockey League players, with the league announcing Wednesday they are not sending athletes to Beijing because of the pandemic.

A two-time Olympian Canadian snowboarder, who is not attending the Beijing games, has called for athletes to boycott. Although a former Canadian Olympic team swimmer expressed regret of boycotting the Moscow games in 1980, in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.