Colin McDonald
Staff Reporter
The Olympics has never been a stranger to controversy, but as large countries such as the US, Australia and India pull diplomatic boycotts, the 2022 Winter Olympics may be one of the most controversial in recent years.
Even before Beijing was selected to host there were concerns. As many other host cities drop out due to the crushing economic costs that come with hosting the Olympics, the only two cities that would be left were Almaty, Kazakhstan and Beijing, China. Norway’s bid, Oslo, was seen as a near-perfect candidate for the winter games but ultimately dropped out due to ridiculous demands from the IOC (International Olympic Committee). When Beijing was chosen, concerns arose whether China could afford to host the games, and how some of the proposed outdoor venues would not have reliable snowfall.
Those are the most lax concerns, however. China has been accused of using the technique called “sportswashing,” in which a country uses sporting events as a distraction from the government’s human rights abuses and other political issues. China’s mistreatment of its people has led to countries launching diplomatic boycotts–where no diplomatic representation is sent to the games.
The most prevalent reason to the boycotts is the Chinese government’s oppression of Uyghurs–a muslim minority that has historically inhabited northwest China, or the Xinjiang province. Since 2014, the Chinese government has issued state-sponsored internment camps detaining over 1 million Uyghurs. Subjecting them to forced labor, forced abortion and sterilization, beatings, political indoctrinations, suppression of their religious practices and many other repulsive crimes. To this day, China denies any abuses, calls the camps “re-education camps,” and claims their purpose is to stop terrorism. Due to China’s suppression of free speech and meticulous crafting of its public image, the genocide would not come to light until 2019.
In response to the mistreatment of Uyghurs, White House press secretary Jen Psaki gave a briefing on the US’ stance on the Beijing Olympics. “The Biden administration will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games given the PRC’s ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses.” Soon after, Australia would launch a diplomatic boycott.
India would pull out its diplomats as well, after finding out Qi Fabao–a regimental commander who led Chinese skirmishes against Indian troops in the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, would be a torchbearer during the opening ceremony. Other countries that have chosen not to send official representatives such as Taiwan, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, and many others.
China is not the only country to undergo scandals. Recently, Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has been allowed to compete after testing positive for trimetazidine–a medicine typically used for the heart but is also used by athletes to improve their performance. Whether or not the drug affected her performance is in discussion.
Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, stated in at a news conference, “[i]t is indeed regrettable that the Chinese side has chosen to politicize an event like the Olympics[.]”
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