For Immediate Release

UYGHUR, TIBETAN, HONGKONGER ACTIVISTS ISSUE PERSONAL PLEA TO OLYMPIC ATHLETES TO BOYCOTT BEIJING 2022 – CHINA’S ‘GENOCIDE GAMES’

Today, in a strong open letter, three young prominent female activists have called on Olympic athletes to boycott the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

The letter, a heartfelt plea, stresses they understand this is an “extremely difficult ask”, but in light of the severity of the Chinese government’s severe and worsening human rights abuses, including the mass removal of Tibetan children from their parents, widespread imprisonment, surveillance, torture, sexual abuse, systematic rape, and LGBT repression, the trio say “it is not an exaggeration to say that life under Chinese government rule is literally death for our people.”

Zumretay Arkin from World Uyghur Congress said: “I’m acutely aware of the difficult situation athletes face, having to choose between competing in Beijing and standing up for what’s right. But, I believe athletes are people of conscience and they will make the right choice. This is their last chance before the genocide games take place in Beijing in February.”

Chemi Lhamo, a young Tibetan-Canadian activist, said: “I’m hopeful that athletes will join us in condemning the Genocide Games because first and foremost, we are all human. I am sure that athletes just want to do their job, but the reality is that they will be used by Beijing as pawns in their propaganda game. There’s no doubt that Beijing 2022 will be remembered as the Genocide Games hence, here lies an opportunity for athletes to show up and be counted – to stand up for fellow beings.”

Frances Hui from We The Hongkongers said: “Athletes should never have been put in a situation where they need to choose between legitimizing genocide or human rights! But this is the reality – Beijing 2022 is not the opportunity Olympic athletes were promised and Thomas Bach and the International Olympic Committee have failed the athletes by putting them in this situation.”

The letter appeals to athletes to use their position “ to make history, change the world and stand up something bigger….to stand on the rights side of history and say no to the Genocide Games.”

The activists also launched a new webpage, AthletesWanted.net, today to share information with Olympic athletes about the human rights situation

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CONTACTS:
Chemi Lhamo, Tibetan-Canadian activist: +1 647-804-1821
Zumretay Arkin, World Uyghur Congress:+49 176 61619262
Frances Hui, We The Hongkongers: +1 425-245-4818