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OPEN LETTER TO THE EUROPEAN UNION LEADERS: BOYCOTT BEIJING 2022

Posted on December 14, 2021


Dear High Representative and European Union Foreign Ministers,


RE: Joint diplomatic boycott action of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics


We are a coalition of over 250 global campaign groups representing Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hongkongers, Chinese, Southern Mongolians, Taiwanese, and other affected and concerned communities. Ahead of the European Council Summit, we urge EU leaders to take strong multilateral action by committing to a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.


On 9 December an independent tribunal found China was carrying out “a deliberate, systematic and concerted policy” to bring about “long-term reduction of Uyghur and other Turkic people “, and such constituted genocide and crimes against humanity under the 1948 Genocide Convention.


For EU leaders or diplomats to attend the Beijing 2022 Winter Games in the knowledge that the host state is enacting a genocide would be an act of complicity and an enabling of China’s plan to ‘sport wash’ their human rights abuses.


Further to the active genocide against the Uyghur people, new evidence released this week shows that close to 1-million Tibetan children are being housed by Chinese authorities in colonial boarding schools, cut off from their parents, families, culture, and religion, and faced with intense political indoctrination. In Hong Kong, three more democracy activists have been found ‘guilty’ for taking part in a vigil to mark the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre and have been sentenced to up to 14-months in jail simply for taking part in a peaceful protest.


There is no prospect of the Beijing 2022 Winter Games playing a positive role for human rights or encouraging the Chinese government to halt the above human rights violations. As the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics showed, the Chinese government will instead interpret the lack of action by governments and the presence of leaders and dignitaries at the opening and closing ceremonies as a message that it risks no serious consequences for its actions.


Governments must now prove that there is the political will to stand up against China’s despicable human rights abuses and crimes against humanity. In this last week we have seen the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia all make commitments to boycott Beijing 2022, and it is now time for every government around to stand on the right side of history. The Chinese government is aware that the EU is in a uniquely powerful position due to its ability to act as a bloc to stand for human rights. A joint boycott by EU countries has the potential to be the strongest statement yet by governments who care about defending human rights.



We, therefore, call on EU leaders to urgently commit to a joint multilateral diplomatic boycott of Beijing 2022.


Yours sincerely,


Mandie McKeown, International Tibet Network Dolkun Isa, World Uyghur Congress Frances Hui, We The Hongkongers Bhuchung Tsering, International Campaign for Tibet Teng Biao, China Against the Death Penalty Dorjee Tseten, Students for a Free Tibet Rushan Abbas, Campaign for Uyghurs Jenny Wang, Keep Taiwan Free Lhadon Tethong, Tibet Action Institute Tashi Shitsetsang, Tibetan Youth Association Europe John Jones, Free Tibet Dr Zoe Bedford, Australia Tibet Council 周锋锁 Zhou Fengsuo, Humanitarian China Mattias Bjornerstedt, Swedish Tibet Committee Omer Kanat, Uyghur Human Rights Project Enghebatu Togochog, Southern Mongolian Human Rights Center

on behalf of the following organisations:

Action Free Hong Kong Montreal

Aide aux Refugies Tibetains

Alberta Uyghur Association

Amigos de Tibet, Colombia

Amigos del Tíbet, Chile

Amigos del Tíbet, El Salvador

Anterrashtriya Bharat – Tibbet Sahyog Samiti

AREF International Onlus

Asociación Cultural Peruano Tibetana

Asociación Cultural Tibetano Costarricense

Association Cognizance Tibet, North Carolina

Association Drôme Ardèche-Tibet

Associazione Italia-Tibet

Association of the New School for Democracy

Atlas Movement

Australia China Watch

Australian East Turkestan Association

Australian Uyghur Association

Australian Uyghur Tangritagh Women’s Association

Austria Uyghur Association

Bath District Tibet Support Group

Bay Area Friends of Tibet

Belgium Uyghur Association

Bharrat Tibbat Sahyog Manch, India

Birmingham Stands with Hong Kong

Boston Tibet Network

Boston Uyghur Association

Briancon05 Urgence Tibet

Bristol Tibet

Burst the Bubble UK

CADAL

Canada Tibet Committee

Canadian Coalition Against Communism

Captive Nations Coalition

Casa del Tibet – Spain

Casa Tibet México

Centro De Cultura Tibetana, Brazil

China Alarm

Circle of Friends (Philippines)

Citizen Power Initiatives for China

Comité de Apoyo al Tibet (CAT)

Comité pour la Liberté à Hong-Kong

Committee of 100 for Tibet

Core Group for Tibetan Cause, India

Cornell Society for the Promotion of East Asian Liberty

Covenants Watch

Czechs Support Tibet

DC Chapter of China Democracy Party

DC4HK – Washingtonians Supporting Hong Kong

Defend Democracy

Dream for Children, Japan

Dutch Uyghur Human Rights Foundation

East Turkistan Association in Finland

East Turkistan Association of Canada

East Turkistan Education Center in Europe

East Turkistan New Generation Movement

East Turkistan Nuzugum Culture and Family Organization

East Turkistan Press and Media Organization

East Turkistan Union in Europe

Eastern Turkistan Foundation

Eastern Turkistan Uyghur Association in Netherlands

EcoTibet Ireland

Étudiants Pour Un Tibet Libre

Euro-Asia Foundation: Teklimakan Publishing House

European Uyghur Institute

Federation for a Democratic China

Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong

Foundation for Universal Responsibility

France-Tibet

Free Indo-Pacific Alliance

Free Tibet Fukuoka

FREE TIBET ITALIA

Friends of Tibet in Costa Rica

Friends of Tibet in Finland

Friends of Tibet New Zealand

Friends4Tibet

Germany Stands with Hong Kong

Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities

Global Solidarity with Hong Kong – Chicago

Grupo de Apoio ao Tibete, Portugal

Hong Kong Committee in Norway

Hong Kong Democracy Council

Hong Kong Affairs Association of Berkeley (HKAAB)

Hong Kong Forum, Los Angeles

Hong Kong Liberty

Hongkongers At McGill

Hong Kong Outlanders

Hong Kong Social Action Movements in Boston

Hong Kongers in San Francisco Bay Area

Human Rights Solidarity

Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan

Ilham Tohti Initiative

India Tibet Friendship Society

International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China

Institute for China’s Democratic Transition

International Pen Uyghur Center

International Society for Human Rights- Sweden

International Society of Human Rights, Munich Chapter

International Support for Uyghurs

International Tibet Independence Movement

International Uyghur Human Right and Democracy Foundation

Isa Yusup Alptekin Foundation

Israeli Friends of the Tibetan People

Japan Association of Monks for Tibet (Super Sangha)

Japan Uyghur Association

Jewish movement for Uyghur freedom

Justice 4 Uyghurs

Justice For All Canada

Kazakhstan National Culture Center

Le Club Français, Paraguay

Les Amis du Tibet – Belgium

Les Amis du Tibet Luxembourg

Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine

Lions Des Neiges Mont Blanc, France

Lungta Association Belgium

Maison des HimalayasMaison du Tibet – Tibet Info

Mavi Hilal Humanitarian Organization

McGill Hong Kong Public Awareness and Social Service

National Campaign for Tibetan Support, India

National Democratic Party of Tibet

Netherlands for Hong Kong

Never Again Right Now

Northern California Hong Kong Club

Norwegian Uyghur Committee

NY4HK

Objectif TibetPasseport Tibetain

Ontario Hong Kong Youth Action (OHKYA)

Perth Anti-CCP Association

Phagma Drolma-Arya Tara

Power to Hongkongers

RangZen:Movimento Tibete Livre, Brazil

Regional Tibetan Association of Massachusetts

Roof of the World Foundation, Indonesia

Sakya Trinley Ling

Santa Barbara Friends of Tibet

Save the Mongolian Language

Save the Persecuted Christians

Save Tibet Foundation

Save Tibet, Austria

Shukr Foundation

Sierra Friends of Tibet

Society for Threatened Peoples International

Society Union of Uyghur National Association

STAND Canada

Stand With Hong Kong Vienna

Stop Uyghur Genocide Canada

Students for a Free Tibet – Canada

Students for a Free Tibet – UK

Students for a Free Tibet – Denmark

Students for a Free Tibet – India

Students for a Free Tibet – Japan

Students for a Free Tibet – Taiwan

Students For Hong Kong

Sweden Uyghur Education Union

Swedish Tibet Committee

Swiss Tibetan Friendship Association (GSTF)

Switzerland East Turkestan Association

台灣永社 Taiwan Forever Association

Taiwan Friends of Tibet

Taiwan East Turkistan Association

Taiwan New Constitution Foundation

Taiwan Association for Human Rights

Taiwanese Civil Aid to HKers

Taiwan Labour Front

Tashi Delek Bordeaux

The Norwegian Tibet Committee

The Youth Liberation Front of Tibet, Mongolia and Turkestan

The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan

Tibet Action Group of Western Australia

Tibet cesky (Tibet in Czech)

Tibet Committee of Fairbanks

Tibet Group, Panama

Tibet Initiative Deutschland

Tibet Justice Center

Tibet Lives, India

Tibet Mx

Tíbet Patria Libre, Uruguay

Tibet Rescue Initiative in Africa

Tibet Society of South Africa

Tibet Support Committee Denmark

Tibet Support Group Adelaide

Tibet Support Group Kenya=

Tibet Support Group Kiku, Japan

Tibet Support Group Netherlands

Tibet Support Group Slovenia

Tibetan Association of Germany

Tibetan Association of Ithaca

Tibetan Association of Northern California

Tibetan Association of Philadelphia

Tibetan Community Austria

Tibetan Community in Britain

Tibetan Community in Denmark

Tibetan Community in Ireland

Tibetan Community of Italy

Tibetan Community of Victoria

Tibetan Community Sweden

Tibetan Community, Queensland

Tibetan Cultural Association – Quebec

Tibetan Programme of The Other Space Foundation

Tibetan Women’s Association (Central)

Tibetans of Mixed Heritage

Tibetisches Zentrum Hamburg

TIBETmichigan

Toronto Association for Democracy in China

Torontonian HongKongers Action Group

U.S. Tibet Committee

Uigur Society of the Kyrgyz Republic

Umer Uyghur Trust

United Nations for a Free Tibet (UNFFT)

US Hongkongers Club

Uyghur Academy

Uyghur American Association

Uyghur Association of Victoria

Uyghur Association of France

Uyghur Center for Human Rights and Democracy

Uyghur Cultural and Education Union in Germany

Uyghur Education Union

Uyghur Projects Foundation

Uyghur Refugee Relief Fund

Uyghur Research Institute

Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project

Uyghur Support Group Netherlands

Uyghur Transitional Justice Database

Uyghur U.K. Association

Uyghur Youth Union in Kazakhstan

Uzbekistan Uyghur Culture Center

Vancouver Hong Kong Forum Society

Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement

Viktoria Uyghur Association

Voces Tibet

World Uyghur Congress Foundation



Source: uyghurcongress.org

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