D.he United States wants to discuss a possible boycott of the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing with its allies. “That is something we definitely want to talk about,” said American State Department spokesman Ned Price on Tuesday.
Recently, calls from activists and the Republican opposition to boycott the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing because of human rights violations in the Chinese province of Xinjiang, among other things.
Price stressed on Tuesday on the online service Twitter that Washington had “no announcement regarding the Olympics in Beijing” to make. The government will, however, “continue to consult closely with our allies and partners in order to define our common concerns and to find a common approach” to the Olympic Games in Beijing. “The games are still some time away. I wouldn’t want to set a schedule, but these discussions are ongoing. “
Response to “Genocide in Xinjiang”
An American response to “egregious human rights violations in Beijing, including the genocide in the case of Xinjiang” is “significant,” Price said. A reaction that “takes our allies and partners with it”, however, has “the greater impact on Beijing”. A “coordinated approach” is not only in the US interest, but also in the interest of allied states.
Supporters of an Olympic boycott include former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other Republicans. They point to serious human rights violations by the Chinese authorities in Xinjiang. According to human rights organizations, at least one million Uyghurs and members of other Muslim minorities are detained in detention camps in northwest China’s province. There they are reportedly being forced to give up their religion, culture and language, and in some cases also mistreated.
Historical role models for the Olympic boycott
Beijing rejects the allegations and speaks of training and work programs aimed at combating extremism in the region.
In 1980 the United States had already led an international boycott of the Olympics: with its boycott of the Olympic Games in Moscow, the American government and its allies protested against the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union. Four years later, the Soviet Union boycotted the Los Angeles Summer Games.
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source https://pledgetimes.com/because-of-human-rights-violations-washington-wants-to-consult-with-partners-on-a-possible-boycott-of-the-olympics-in-beijing/
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