Melanie Goldberg
The second Chinese Olympics and Paralympics in less than two decades are fast approaching and as with the previous 2008 events, this year’s proceedings have proven controversial to human rights groups. For decades, the autocratic Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have been heavily criticised for their attempts to cover up human rights abuses under the guise of international events. They pride themselves in falsifying representations of China as a bastion of freedom and prosperity, but the reality is much more nefarious.
Calls For A Boycott
Many have already called for a boycott, alongside many top politicians refusing to attend the event. Boycotting sports events is no new phenomena, and a condemnation of what is now referred to as ‘sport washing’ should be welcomed in sporting communities.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is one of the world’s most powerful international institutions and they waste their ability to influence government legislation, leaving a boycott as the only viable option.
Opposition, Control and Consent
The CCP’s current leader, Xi Jinping, has proven to be one of the most formidable leaders in the history of contemporary China.
Xi has made an even more concerted effort to suppress opposition from both political figures and civilians through extreme levels of censorship and mandating the government’s constitution to criminalise any attempts to usurp power.
“China prides itself on superficial displays of freedom and prosperity.”
Under his leadership, the ‘Great Firewall’ has intensified, and efforts to critique the government have resorted to word play and the use of cartoons. According to Freedom House, China ranks a measly 10/100 in their rating index, with a rise in censorship during the pandemic noted.
Mainstream media is government-controlled, along with academic and political institutions, meaning that there is no meaningful opposition within China, leaving those beyond its borders responsible for change.
Superficial Freedoms
China prides itself on superficial displays of freedom and prosperity. In reality, censorship is rife and, despite being a global power, there is an ever-increasing starkness between the rich and poor.
No country is perfect by a long shot, but there is a difference when it comes to flagrant human rights abuses systematically sanctioned by a government. The CCP silences any and every critic within its borders, and adamantly refutes any outside critics.
They consistently utilise displays of soft power through government run institutions, such as Glasgow University’s very own Confucius Institute, which I have previously argued in support of a boycott.
Prominent examples of unlawful detainment and censorship include Liu Xiaobo and Peng Shuai, along with numerous journalists and government critics.
Crackdowns
The plight of the Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region has begun to appear more and more on the radar of human rights groups. The crackdown on religious and cultural practices have culminated in mass surveillance and an estimated 1 million forcibly detained in so-called ‘re-education camps’, of which satellite images have been obtained. Late last year, a series of documents were leaked, revealing the CCP’s attempts at the “cultural genocide” of the Uyghurs.
Historically, other groups such as the Falun Gong and Kaifeng Jews have been persecuted by the CCP, so it is arguably in the nature of the party to be intolerant of ethnic minorities.
China’s occupation of Tibetan and Kashmiri land has also been long-lasting, with dissidents facing unlawful imprisonment and state-sanctioned violence.
Politics And Involving The IOC
The 2008 Beijing Olympics were fundamental to the CCP’s image on the global stage and the opening ceremony was presented as a celebration of China’s minority groups in order to deflect criticism from their actual policies. It is safe to assume next month’s event will walk a similar path, along with this year’s FIFA Club World Cup.
Despite the effort, the 2008 games faced its own protests for corruption and for China’s role in the Darfur. After this year’s Olympics ends, this boycott should extend to the IOC and subsequent events. They consistently flout concerns over human rights abuses and, having learnt nothing from past mistakes, deserve reprimand.
The International Olympic Committee is no stranger to controversy, having faced intense criticism for their choice of host countries in the past, more recently with Russia and Brazil.
When the race for the 2022 Olympics was narrowed down to just China and Kazakhstan, the winner didn’t exactly come as a surprise. The normalisation of sporting events held in autocracies paves the way for other events, such as the FIFA Men’s World Cups, that were also held in Russia and Brazil, with the upcoming 2022 event hosted by Qatar.
“By encouraging a political, social and economic embargo of the world’s biggest sporting event, a precedent could be set for other sporting events. This also applies to democracies.”
Despite their best efforts, the Olympics and Paralympics are inherently political. There is a time and a place for protest, and this is one of them.
Upholding Olympic Values
The Olympics are intended to represent fairness and equality, which cannot happen whilst capital and power supersedes human rights.
By encouraging a political, social and economic embargo of the world’s biggest sporting event, a precedent could be set for other sporting events. This also applies to democracies.
The recent Australia-Djokovic-tennis scandal exposed the horrendous conditions of detention in which refugees are effectively treated like criminals.
Is it appropriate that a country that detains innocent people for any other reason that they can is suitable to hold an international sporting event? I don’t think so either.
Featured image courtesy of Bryan Turner on Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. The image license can be found here.
