Today the International Olympics Committee decided upon Beijing as the host for the 2022 winter Olympics.
The International Campaign for Tibet believes that in 2008, China had a historic opportunity to show the world that it is a worthy host of the Olympics. Both the International Olympics Committee and the Beijing Olympics Committee highlighted the potential positive impacts the 2008 Olympics would have on Chinese society, but today we know that there has only been increased trampling of human rights in China generally and in Tibet specifically in the post-2008 period.
Once again, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a video message relating to the 2022 Olympics that it would be “another opportunity to help advance the Olympic Movement and promote the Olympic Spirit“. He added, “We will honor all the commitments.”
The Olympic Code of Ethics says, ‘Safeguarding the dignity of the individual is a fundamental requirement of Olympism’ while the Charter aims to put ‘sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to encouraging the establishment of a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.’”
Serious human rights violations continue to take place in Tibet through repressive political campaigns, institutional racism, and long-term policies that marginalize Tibetans economically, threaten the survival of the Tibetan identity, and cause tension and ill-will between the Chinese and Tibetans peoples.
The International Olympics Committee, having awarded the 2022 Olympics to Beijing, now has the added obligation to see that China abides by its code of ethics and commitments. It should also make public the commitments that the Chinese Government has made in order to secure the Olympics.