A UNITED States rights monitor raised the alarm over athletes’ safety at the upcoming Winter Olympics in China, after host authorities threatened “punishment” for anti-Beijing comments.

The Congressional-Executive Commission on China – a group of Washington lawmakers and White House officials – asked US Olympics authorities for an “urgent effort” to protect their sports stars’ free speech rights at the tournament from February 4 to 20.

The commission spoke out after Yang Shu, an organising committee senior official, told an online briefing on January 18 that “any behaviour or speech that is against the Olympic spirit, especially against the Chinese laws and regulations, are subject to certain punishment”.

“While we hope no Olympians face punishment for exercising their freedom of speech, given Yang Shu’s statement and the Chinese government’s documented behaviour, we urge the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee to be vigilant and prepared to defend any Olympians who speak out,” said the commission.

Australia, Britain, Canada and the US last month announced that they will not be sending any official representative to Beijing, citing the alleged genocide and crimes against humanity against the Uighur population – a minority Muslim group in Xinjiang.

The countries said their athletes will still participate, but China nevertheless responded angrily, warning Western nations that they will “pay the price” for the protest.

Advocacy groups have backed the boycott, with Human Rights Watch (HRW) China director Sophie Richardson calling it a “crucial step toward challenging the Chinese government’s crimes against humanity targeting Uighurs and other Turkic communities”.

Campaigners said at least one million Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking, mostly Muslim minorities have been incarcerated in “re-education camps” in Xinjiang, where China is accused of forcibly sterilising women and imposing forced labour.

Beijing has defended the camps as vocational training centres aimed at reducing the appeal of Islamic extremism.

The commission, led by Oregan senator Jeff Merkley and Massachusetts congressman James McGovern, also voiced concerns over Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, who went missing after making sexual assault allegations against a top Communist Party official.

She was seen later on state media for appearances that the international community suspected may have been staged.

New York-based HRW awarded China a “gold medal for censorship” last week, in a statement accusing the Asian giant of trying to “sportswash” its “abysmal human rights record”.

“Athletes participating in the games will be surveilled, and their rights to free speech and protest severely curtailed,” said Global Initiatives director Minky Worden. – AFP, January 31, 2022.