On December 6th, 2021, The Biden Administration announced their decision not to send government officials to attend the Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022. This decision, deemed as a “diplomatic boycott” (John Rutwich, NPR), aims to serve as a form of protest against the violation of human rights and genocide occurring in Xinjiang.
What is Happening in Xinjiang?
As stated by BBC News, “China has been accused of committing crimes against humanity and possibly genocide against the Uyghur population and other mostly-Muslim ethnic groups in the north-western region of Xinjiang.” These abuses include the detainment of over one million Uyghur people; the largest of the minority groups in the province of Xinjiang. Evidence has been presented that has led human rights groups to believe that the Uyghur people have been sentenced to prison terms, forced into labor, and condemned to sterilization by the Chinese government. China has ceased to take responsibility for these alleged violations and has justified the so-called, “re-education” camps as an attempt to mitigate Islamist military presence in Xinjiang. This is not China’s first instance of discrimination made against the Islamic religion- the country’s largest region has additionally engaged in the destruction of mosques and decreased tolerance of religious practices.
The U.S. Decides to Engage in Symbolic Boycott
Due to the recent events occurring in Xinjiang, the U.S. has announced that they will not be sending a government official to the Winter Olympics, set to take place in Beijing 2022. In the past, diplomatic figures such as First Lady Michelle Obama (2012) and Ronald and Nancy Reagan (1992) have attended to represent the U.S.
While Beijing is not located in the Xinjiang province, the decision is more directed towards China as a whole. John Rutwich (NPR), stated that after a discussion with California State Fullerton’s associate professor Toby Rider, Rider believes that the U.S’s decision “probably won’t have much effect on China’s human rights, and it’s relatively low stakes for the Biden administration.” While the decision may not have a direct impact on the situation in Xinjiang, it not only reinstates the U.S’s commitment to human rights, but also the International Olympics Committee’s role in upholding a “peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.” (statement made by the Olympic Charter). The decision was one made after careful consideration of the Chinese government and evaluation by the U.S. Government officials of the abusive actions taken against the Uyghur Muslims.
What Does This Mean for the U.S. Athletes?
The U.S’s decision to diplomatically boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics immediately raised the question of whether or not this would affect the athletes who have trained tirelessly for the last 4+ years towards competing in 2022. Per the U.S. statement, athletes will be permitted to participate in the games. In previous years, countries have protested the political actions of other competing countries. These decisions to protest had little effect on the country in question and only led to the penalization of the athletes.
To Conclude
In a recent article published by The New York Times, Senator Bob Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey and the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee stated that “This boycott is a necessary step to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to human rights in the face of the Chinese government’s unconscionable abuses.” With this fact in mind, the United States urges other countries to follow suit in their decision to press forward in holding China accountable for their abusive actions.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-22278037