Why are there growing calls to boycott the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics?

On May 17, a coalition of groups representing the Uyghurs, Tibetan rights groups and pro-democracy activists from Hong Kong issued a statement, condemning the decision to hold the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. On 18th May, Nancy Pelosi, the US House of Representatives speaker, called for a US diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, owing to heinous human right abuses by China. She said that global leaders attending the event would be losing their moral authority, as she joined the growing chorus of the boycott of the 2022 Olympics, started by various human rights organisations and activists.

How did Beijing win the bid and why was it initially questioned?  In October 2014, only Almaty in Kazakhstan and Beijing in China remained in the race to hosting the Winter Olympics, and by a narrow margin of 44 - 40, it was the Chinese city that won hosting rights in 2015. With this, Beijing became the only city to host both the Summer and the Winter Olympics. 

Initially, questions were raised over the decision, as many of the outdoor venues proposed did not have reliable snowfall for winter events, meaning that artificial snow would have to be generated. Or, it would have to be imported at great costs. Moreover, many questioned the environmental impact of it all too. However, these concerns were soon overshadowed and the Asian country began to prepare for the event in full swing. 

So, why are calls of boycott occurring in the past few months?  Nevertheless, a few years later, China's policies raised many eyebrows. This is majorly because, since 2014, the Chinese government has committed serious human rights abuses against the Uyghur people, along with other religious and ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region of China. More than one million Muslims - Most of them being Uyghurs - under directions of the Chinese Communist Party - have been held in secret internment camps with no legality. This has been referred to as the most systematic detention of ethnic and religious minorities since the Holocaust. There have been reports of rape, assault, forced sterilisation and forced Labour, a clear indication of the plight faced by this minority. 

In January 2021, the USA declared the Uyghur abuse as genocide. This was followed by the Canadian House of Commons, the Dutch Parliament and the UK Parliament passing non - binding motions to declare the actions as genocide. 

In addition to this, China has repeatedly crushed political and civil freedoms in Hong Kong, increased aggression in Taiwan, imposed crackdowns on freedom of speech, attempted to culturally cleanse Tibet, taken aggressive military action in the South China Sea, and reached a state of horrific human right abuse. Thus, even though China has issued warnings to those threatening boycott and referred to their allegations as lies, there is a possibility that a boycott may occur.  What are the possibilities if a boycott occurs? Undoubtedly, hosting a sporting event of the magnitude of the Olympics is a show of prestige and power for the host city and nation. Since a successful event would help the totalitarian regime gain significant publicity and assist their propaganda, the main reason for a boycott is a shock to China, so that it brings changes in its policies. Another major reason for the calls for the boycott is morality, as democracies should ideally not attend a sporting event knowing the situation IN China. 

There are three main scenarios in case of a boycott. The first is a diplomatic boycott - The most probable case here - which would be carried out by countries like the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. In this, the countries would refuse to send their government representatives to China for the event. The second, and less likely, is the athletic boycott. This includes no participation of the country's athletes in the event. The last one is the economic boycott, once again, the least probable, in which mild political statements about the Games would be made, with no formal boycott. 

Will a boycott achieve anything?  According to experts, history is a powerful indicator to show that boycotting the Olympics could lead to, in fact, no significant change in the country's policies. Most of them point out that it may make Western governments and organisations feel that they have done a good job, but the reality may not agree with them. 

Take the example of the 1936 Olympics. They were held in Berlin, Nazi Germany, and while many countries debated boycotting, they ended up participating, except the Soviets. This didn't achieve anything, as the persecution of Jews continued in Germany, and in 1939, Hitler invaded Poland. 

The more prominent example was the 1980 Moscow Olympics. In 1979, the Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan, and thus, 65 countries led by the US boycotted the event. However, it had no significant effect and led to retaliation by USSR in 1984, which boycotted the Los Angeles Olympics with 14 other countries. In the end, Soviet Forces stayed in Afghanistan for more than a decade. 

What will be China's response if a boycott occurs?  China has often resented "meddling" in its internal affairs and has warned countries that if they call for boycott, it would lead to political sanctions and a more severe diplomatic freeze. It may also retaliate by boycotting the 2024 Paris Games and the 2026 Milan Winter Olympic Games. It is also important to note that private firms will also be cautious in opposing China, as it could shut them out from a massive Chinese consumer market. Thus, the likelihood seems less, but it lingers, nonetheless.

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