Yang Shu

Feb 3, 2022

Loma 17 mins ago Human rights groups and US officials are concerned about the safety of Olympic athletes in China if they speak out on political issues at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing following a a warning from a Chinese official about the “punishment” of competitors if they do. Yang Shu, deputy director of international relations for the Beijing organizing committee, said any speech against the Olympic spirit or Chinese laws would be “subject to certain sanctions” at a press conference on January 18. Shu did nothing to assuage concerns during a press conference on Tuesday, saying the International Olympic Committee’s Rule 50 includes some rules relating to speaking. “During medal ceremonies, they cannot give their opinion but during press conferences or interviews, athletes are free to express their opinions,” Shu said on Tuesday. “But athletes have to be responsible for what they say.” Shu’s comments prompted human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch and US officials to warn athletes not to speak up and to call on the IOC to guarantee free speech at the Games. ZHANGJIAKOU, CHINA – FEB. 02: The Olympic flags and the flag of China are seen at the Medal Plaza on February 02, 2022 in Zhangjiakou, China. “Athletes are also obligated to compete in this environment by an International Olympic Committee, which … seems wholly unwilling or unable to meet these obligations,” Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch, said in an interview with ABC. News. In response to comments at Yang’s press conference, a group of House Foreign Affairs Committee officials, led by Chairman Gregory Meeks, D.N.Y., released a statement calling on the IOC to “immediately clarify that athletes’ freedom of expression is absolutely guaranteed at the Olympics.” When reached for comment on free speech at the Olympics, the IOC told ABC News on Thursday that “the Games are governed by the IOC rules. They will be applied to the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games as any other edition of the Games before”. Despite concerns expressed by some about the possible repercussions if athletes speak out, Carl Minzner, a senior fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations, doesn’t see much chance of the Chinese government taking strong action. “It’s hard for me to imagine Beijing doing anything really extreme, like detaining or imprisoning a foreign athlete… It would probably just generate more unwanted attention,” Minzner said in an interview with ABC News. . Some U.S. lawmakers aren’t counting on the Chinese to stay behind. The Congressional Executive Commission on China held a hearing Thursday on the Beijing Olympics with panelists working to address human rights issues in China and protect those affected. An athlete skis past the Olympic rings logo during the cross-country skiing training session ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on Feb. 1, 2022, in Beijing. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass., members of the Congressional Executive Commission on China, released a letter Jan. 31 asking the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee what their plans were. to protect athletes, highlight free speech and data privacy concerns. “We write with urgency about the safety and protection of American athletes traveling to Beijing, China, especially in light of a Chinese official’s recent statement about the ‘punishment’ of athletes who exercise freedom of expression,” reads their letter. “We share with you our concerns about risks to free speech, data privacy and exposure to products made by forced labor.” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., held a press conference Jan. 24 to discuss human rights abuses in China and the need for stronger security measures for American athletes. “I can’t tell you how worried I am for the athletes competing in Beijing. Look what Communist China has done to silence and fade, silence and fade, Peng Shuai,” Scott said. Enes (Kanter) Freedom, the NBA player who has called on athletes to boycott the Olympics in recent weeks, reached the senator by phone. Peng Shuai, a Chinese tennis player, went out of public last November after accusing former Deputy Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli of forcing her to have sex in a since-deleted post on the Chinese app. of social media, Weibo. Peng Shuai of China celebrates winning against Daria Kasatkina of Russia in their women’s singles first round match on day one of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, January 16 2017. Two weeks later, Peng appeared in a video where she denied being sexually assaulted, a move the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) called “insufficient” to verify Peng’s safety. Following the incident, the WTA announced a suspension of all events in China, citing “serious doubts that it [Peng] is free, safe and free from censorship, coercion and intimidation.” At a press conference on February 3, IOC President Thomas Bach indicated that a meeting with Peng would take place when COVID protocols permitted. “I am very happy and very grateful to Peng Shuai. She will enter the closed circuit to have the reunion she also wants,” he said. While there were no known incidents of athletes suffering repercussions from the Chinese government when the Olympics were held in the same host city 14 years ago, the role athletes play in the Broader political discussion and the way they use their platform have changed significantly since 2008, according to Richardson. “We didn’t have Colin Kaepernick, we didn’t have, you know, [tennis star] Andy Murray says he’s not going to compete in Saudi Arabia, it’s a different ball game,” Richardson said. Freedom of speech has been a subject of controversy in China in recent years, with freedom of speech and the press being questioned. Article 35 of the Chinese Constitution states that “citizens of the People’s Republic of China enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration”. Regardless, political comments deemed inappropriate were handled inconsistently, experts said. “If people say or post opinions or otherwise express opinions that authorities don’t like, they are subject to prosecution under various general laws that are often arbitrarily interpreted,” Richardson said. The Biden administration announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Olympics in December over China’s human rights record, particularly its treatment of ethnic Uighurs, whom the United States has previously declared genocide. The decision will prevent US government officials from attending events in Beijing, but will not affect the participation of US athletes. The 2022 Winter Olympics will take place from February 4 to 20. The US Olympic team did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment. ABC News