Warning them of the serious risk of being complicit in China’s plan to ‘sport wash’ its worsening human rights abuses, a coalition of human rights groups has called on major broadcaster across the world, to cancel plans to cover the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.
The groups’ joint letter to NBC Chief Operating Officer Jeff Shell and executives at other networks is urging the outlets not to embolden the human rights abuses and other actions of the Chinese authorities, claiming that media outlets will legitimize these abuses and promote the ‘Genocide Games’ by broadcasting Beijing 2022.
NBC Universal that works closely as a partner with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and has inked a deal in 2014to pay $7.75 billion for the rights to the Olympics through 2032, did not immediately commented the letter claiming genocide must be a red line that cannot be crossed, no matter the cost.
Data shows that those payments account for up to 40% of the IOC’s total income.
The co-chair of the International Tibet Network, Lhadon Tethong, has called out broadcasters to cancel the coverage stressing some of them receive public money and should not help Chinese leaders project an ‘Olympic Games as usual’ rosy image while they are carrying out genocide against the Uyghurs and massive repression campaign against Tibetans and so many others.
China’s foreign ministry has repeatedly denied committing genocide against the Uyghur, the accusations of oppression of ethnic minorities and other human rights abuses, criticizing at the same time what it sees ad “politicization of sports” and stressing any Olympic boycott is doomed to failure.
The International Olympic Committee is also facing calls for a boycott and pressure on some of its 15 top sponsors after its president Thomas Bach has declined condemn the treatment of Uyghurs or other minorities in China repeating IOC is only a sports body.
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