The most divided Olympic Games to happen in decades began in Beijing today. Despite tensions and boycotts surrounding the Olympics over allegations against China for committing human rights abuses, as well as growing restrictions over Covid, China has pressed ahead with the Games.
These Olympics have been marred by vast controversy. China’s human rights record has been called into question for months running up to the Olympics, with senior government officials from the U.S., United Kingdom, and more than a dozen other countries boycotting the Olympics completely.
There are multiple human rights issues that led to the international boycott, including years of gross human rights abuses against the Uyghur people, as well as continued concern for the safety and wellbeing of tennis star Peng Shuai, and furthermore, the broader techniques used by the Chinese government to silence and intimidate its people.
The human rights abuses by the Chinese government in Xinjiang against the Uyghur minority have long been an issue of concern for the international community. For years, Chinese authorities have reportedly committed abuses against the ethnic minority, including a long campaign of forced assimilation.
At least one million people have been detained in both mass detention sites and reeducation sites. People have been subjected to mass suppression of both religious and cultural beliefs and activities and placed under intense policing and surveillance. Forced labor programs and enforced birth control have also been reported.
The ongoing abuses against Uyghurs have been declared by many governments, human rights groups, and legal groups as genocide, even amounting to crimes against humanity.
The silencing and surveillance of Peng also led to the international boycott. In November, Peng accused former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault. She posted the accusation on Weibo, and while it was almost instantaneously removed by Chinese authorities — renown for their vast censorship capabilities — the post went viral.
After that, Peng vanished from the public eye for a full 18 days, leading to international demands that her safety and wellbeing be proved by the Chinese government.
While Peng has made a couple of public appearances, mainly to retract her allegations and claim that she is safe and well, she has still practically been removed from public life for months. Governments as well as the Women’s Tennis Association have been calling for an investigation into her wellbeing for months.
Concern for Peng’s safety and for China’s treatment of people when they speak out has led to protests against the location of the Olympics and caused many countries to boycott them.
China is less than pleased with this reality, claiming that this is a politicization of sports. But experts and activists have said there’s no way to separate the two, and supporting China in hosting the Olympics sends signals that their human rights abuses are not of concern.
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