The US announced its diplomatic boycott of Winter Olympics in Beijing to be held in February 2022, on Monday 6 December, because of China’s human rights record specially its brutal oppression amounting to genocide of the Muslim Uyghurs minority in the Xinjiang region. Many more countries are expected to follow suit.
The UN and rights groups believe at least one million Uyghurs and members of other mostly Muslim minorities have been detained by Chinese authorities.
Diplomatic boycott means that no ministers, diplomats and government officials will be attending the Olympic events while the teams may be taking part in the competitions.
The Australian Olympic Committee said the boycott would have no impact on athletes’ preparations for the Games, which run from 4 to 20 February 2022, adding that “diplomatic options” were a matter for governments.
Earlier this year, the Canadian Parliament also passed a non-binding resolution describing China’s treatment of Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang as “genocide”.
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