The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia announced a “diplomatic boycott” of the event due to complaints of alleged human rights violations by the Chinese Executive against the Muslim minority of the Uyghurs.
The measure only implies not sending government delegates and will not prevent athletes from traveling to the sporting event that will be held from February 4 to 20. Despite this, China today threatened retaliation against the countries that boycotted the games.
Several human rights organizations have supported this diplomatic boycott, and Human Right Watch China Director Sophie Richardson called it “a crucial step in challenging the Chinese government’s crimes against humanity against Uighurs and other communities.”
Activists say that at least one million Uighurs and other people from Muslim minorities have been imprisoned in camps in Xinjiang, where forced labor and sterilizations of women have been committed.
China argues that these camps are vocational centers to combat the appeal of Islamic extremist groups.
Earlier, the Asian giant called the boycott a “farce”, the AFP news agency reported.
China promised this week that it would respond to the US boycott, the first to be announced, with “strong countermeasures,” but without specifying which ones.
The Games will be affected by the restrictions imposed on the entry of foreigners by the coronavirus, which means that few dignitaries will travel to the event, with the notable exception of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who accepted the invitation of his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.
The president of the IOC, Thomas Bach, indicated yesterday that he will maintain a neutral position but stressed that the important thing is “the participation of the athletes.”
Source From: Ambito
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