Human Rights Watch Groups Bemoan IOC, U.S., Partners Presence At Beijing Olympics

By Barry Janoff

November 16, 2021: The first virtual summit meeting between President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping this week raised numerous questions and red flags regarding the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing.

The situation has also been exacerbated due to the unresolved status of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai.

Human Rights Watch, a New York-based advocate group with offices worldwide, said it has contacted major corporate sponsors associated with the International Olympic Committee “to explain publicly how they are using their leverage to address human rights abuses in China ahead of the 2022 Beijing Games."

According to Human Rights Watch, “Sponsors should also press the International Olympic Committee to adopt a human rights policy to identify, prevent, mitigate, and account for any adverse human rights impacts across all Olympic operations and events, including for the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.”

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics are scheduled for Feb. 4-20, to air in the U.S. across NBCUniversal platforms.

IOC top tier partners include Airbnb, Alibaba Group, Allianz, Atos, Bridgestone, Coca-Cola, Dow, GE, Intel, Omega, Panasonic, Procter & Gamble, Samsung, Toyota and Visa.

Human Rights Watch said it contacted NBCUniversal and IOC top tier companies in May 2021, and Allianz in October 2021, asking them “how they are managing the human rights risks of their involvement with the 2022 Beijing Olympics."

The organization said the only response it received was from Allianz.

“We stand behind the Olympic Movement and our longstanding support for its ideals will not waver,” Allianz said via Human Rights Watch.

“There are just three months until the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, but corporate sponsors remain silent over how they are using their influence to address China’s appalling human rights record,” Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch, said via the organization.

“They are squandering the opportunity to show their commitment to human rights standards and risk instead being associated with an Olympics tainted by censorship and repression.”

Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai this month shared via social media that she had been sexually assaulted three years by a high ranking member of the nation’s ruling political party.

Her posts have since been deleted and she has not been seen for two weeks, although the WTA said it has “received assurances that she is safe and accounted for,” but has not directly seen her or heard from her.

According to The Heritage Foundation, a research and educational institution based in Washington, D.C., “It is time for the administration, working in partnership with allies and friends, to undertake a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

“A diplomatic boycott has several key advantages. If all representatives of the U.S. government (beyond what his necessary for the participation and safety of U.S. athletes) refuse to attend the games, they ensure that they do not tacitly condone Beijing’s deplorable human rights abuses.

“Unlike a full boycott, a diplomatic boycott would not deny American athletes, who have trained their whole lives for the games, the opportunity to participate,” wrote The Heritage Foundation.

According to Human Rights Watch, Bloomberg said it heard from two IOC partners in response to questions about involvement in the 2022 Olympics, Omega and Airbnb.

Omega responded, “As a global brand, we are certainly aware of international tensions and monitor them carefully . . . We sincerely believe that the Olympic Games is a perfect opportunity to meet on common ground in the spirit of unity.”

Airbnb told Bloomberg, “We believe China is an important part of our mission to connect people from around the world and from different backgrounds, now more than ever.”

According to the IOC’s “Protection and Respect Of Human Rights,” the IOC is "committed to improving the promotion and respect of human rights within the scope of its responsibility across its three spheres of influence — as an organization, as the owner of the Olympic Games and as the leader of the Olympic Movement.

"The objective is to ensure that people’s rights are put at the core of our operations and are respected in line with international agreements and standards — within the remit of the IOC.”

According to Reuters, IOC vp John Coates said during a media conference last month, “"The IOC does place a very high emphasis on human rights. It’s a very important part of the fundamental principles of Olympism, the fundamental principles set out in the Olympic charter.

"But the IOC's remit is to ensure that there is no human rights abuses in respect of the conduct of the Games within the National Olympic Committees or within the Olympic movement.

"We have no ability to go into a country and tell them what to do. All we can do is to award the Olympics to a country, under conditions set out in a host contract . . . and then ensure they are followed."

Peng Shuai Accusations, Disappearance Having Major Impact Beyond Tennis World

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