Lausanne, Switzerland — “The IOC has betrayed Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hongkongers, Southern Mongolians, and Chinese dissidents through its inaction, corruption, and willingness to side with the Chinese Communist Party despite clear evidence that the Olympics are being used to sports wash the Chinese leadership’s human rights atrocities,” said Tibetan activists.
Tibetan activists and supporters of Tibet gathered outside the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, on November 26, 2021, to hold a mock funeral for the IOC. The activists expressing their complete dismay at the IOC’s blatant disregard of China’s human rights abuses and went on to announce the ‘death of the Olympic Committee’ and offering hope that they will one day be reborn as something better. The protest is part of the No Beijing 2022 campaign, a coalition of over 180 rights groups that are calling for a boycott of Beijing 2022.
The protest organised by UK-based Free Tibet, Tibetan Youth Association in Europe, and local Canton de Vaud Swiss Tibetan Friendship Association. Tibetan activists including Chemi Lhamo, Golog Jigme, and other activists.
“The IOC has betrayed Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hongkongers, Southern Mongolians, and Chinese dissidents through its inaction, corruption and willingness to side with the Chinese Communist Party despite clear evidence that the Olympics are being used to sports wash the Chinese leadership’s human rights atrocities,” said Tibetan activists.
“The decision to award the 2022 Winter Games to Beijing is particularly painful to Tibetans, as it echoes the 2008 Olympics, a decision that directly led to Tibet being closed off from the world and becoming the least free place on Earth, as well as over 159 Tibetans carrying out self-immolation protests, many of them fatal,” they said.
“The IOC continues time and time again to solidify their relationship with the Chinese government putting money over morals. With their involvement in Peng Shaui’s situation, the IOC has reached a new low. We call upon the international community of athletes, governments, and humans of conscience in our campaign to boycott Beijing 2022,” said Chemi Lhamo, Tibetan activist.
“When I watched the news of IOC’s video call with Peng Shuai I felt that she was deprived of her freedom by looking at her face. If the IOC’s efforts for verifying Peng Shuai’s wellbeing are genuine, then why don‘t they do the same with all Tibetans?,” said Golog Jigme, former Tibetan political prisoner.
“The IOC has proved itself incapable of upholding the Olympic principles represented by thousands of athletes around the world. We hope that governments, sports bodies, and athletes themselves will reconsider taking part in Beijing 2022 given the impossible situation the IOC’s greed has placed them in,” said John Jones, Free Tibet.
