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