Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) on Monday urged the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to boycott the upcoming 2022 Beijing Olympics.
In the letter to USOPC chair Susanne Lyons, the two lawmakers cited numerous human rights abuses as motivation for U.S. athletes to avoid the games.
“With the Olympics being three months away, it is imperative that the USOPC take action and boycott the Beijing Olympics. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is a country plagued with violent suppression of free speech, state-sponsored oppression, and other human rights abuses,” the two wrote in the letter.
Furthermore, the two eluded to the disappearance of tennis star Peng Shuai, after she made allegations of sexual assault against former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli. He was a member of China’s Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.
Because of the disappearance, Blackburn and Cotton argued that the safety and security of Team USA athletes cannot be guaranteed at the event.
“As Communist Chinese Party (CCP) authorities enjoy unchecked power and zero accountability, American athletes could face severe endangerment.1 Moreover, China’s controversial national security law creates harsher sentences against Hong Kong residents who support secession or coordinate with foreign powers,” the duo added.
Recently, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide released a 60-page report, detailing the mass incarceration of between 1 million and 3 million Uyghur people.
The group detailed that “the Chinese government may be committing genocide against the Uyghurs.”
Blackburn and Cotton cited this violation as further reason to boycott the event.
“The CCP has a vile history of violating human rights and religious freedom. These concerns are especially pronounced given the use of new and emerging technologies to suppress groups including Uyghurs, Tibetans, Inner Mongolians, and Hongkongers.”
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Marsha Blackburn” by US Senate Photography. Background Photo “Beijing Olympics 2022” by Beijing 2022.
