A resolution urging the International Olympic Committee to relocate the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games in response to the refusal of the People's Republic of China to end its egregious human rights abuses, including genocide, forced labor, and crimes against humanity.

Bill: 117-sres-495
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK]
Introduced: 2022-01-20
Policy area: Sports and Recreation
Subjects: Asia

Athletes

China

Human rights

Olympic games

Political parties and affiliation

War crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity
Latest action: action_date: 2022-01-20
text: Referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text: S383-384)

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-01-20
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>This resolution urges (1) the International Olympic Committee to relocate the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games to another country in response to China's refusal to stop committing genocide and crimes against humanity and to take human rights into account in all decisions, especially in selecting future host countries; and (2) the Chinese Communist Party to immediately cease harassment of tennis star Peng Shuai and ensure her safety and freedom.</p>

tv_txt: III 117th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 495 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 20, 2022 Mr. Lankford (for himself and Mr. Rubio ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation RESOLUTION Urging the International Olympic Committee to relocate the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games in response to the refusal of the People’s Republic of China to end its egregious human rights abuses, including genocide, forced labor, and crimes against humanity.

Whereas the Olympic Games should never be held in a country whose government is actively committing genocide, forced labor, and crimes against humanity; Whereas the ongoing crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Chinese Communist Party in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region include— (1) the arbitrary imprisonment and other types of severe deprivation of physical liberty of more than 1,800,000 civilians; (2) forced sterilization; (3) forced abortion; (4) infanticide; (5) torture; (6) forced labor; and (7) restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, and freedom of movement; Whereas the Chinese Communist Party is committing ongoing genocide as a direct attempt to forcibly assimilate , or eventually eliminate, vulnerable ethnic and religious groups; Whereas, on December 9, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, done at Paris December 9, 1948 (referred to in this preamble as the Genocide Convention ), as a commitment of never again in response to the Holocaust and other crimes against humanity committed in the first half of the 20th century; Whereas, on November 5, 1988, the United States ratified the Genocide Convention with the understanding that the Genocide Convention declares that all state parties confirm that genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law which they undertake to prevent and to punish ; Whereas, on January 19, 2021, former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo determined that the Chinese Communist Party has committed genocide and crimes against humanity, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed agreement with that determination; Whereas, as of January 2022, 152 countries, including the People’s Republic of China, have ratified or acceded to the Genocide Convention, and each such country has its own national Olympic committee and is recognized by the International Olympic Committee; Whereas the International Olympic Committee should always take human rights into account in making decisions, especially in choosing a host country for the Olympic Games; Whereas in March 2020, human rights expert Rachel Davis and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights HRH Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein submitted to the International Olympic Committee a report containing human rights recommendations; Whereas, on December 2, 2020, the International Olympic Committee announced that it would incorporate human rights standards into the Operational Requirements of the Host City Contract for the Olympic Games 2024 and beyond , which does not apply to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games; Whereas in their report, Rachel Davis and Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein— (1) note that the human rights impacts that could be connected to the [2022 Beijing Winter Olympic] Games are severe—as our consultations with expert civil society stakeholders also confirmed—and addressing them remains challenging ; and (2) urge the International Olympic Committee to consider strengthening [human rights] due diligence across its operations [before 2024] and advancing the agreed strategic approach to engaging with Beijing 2022 on human rights, with support from the top levels of the organization and informed by the [International Olympic Committee's] own consultations with expert stakeholders ; Whereas there are no human rights conditions set forth in the host city contract between the International Olympic Committee and the Government of the People's Republic of China; Whereas there is no evidence that the International Olympic Committee has taken any steps to pressure the Government of the People's Republic of China to change its behavior; Whereas the code of ethics of the International Olympic Committee sets forth universal fundamental ethical principles that are the foundation of Olympism, including— (1) respect of the principle of the universality and political neutrality of the Olympic Movement ; and (2) maintaining harmonious relations with state authorities, while respecting the principle of autonomy as set out in the Olympic Charter ; Whereas, historically, the International Olympic Committee has not maintained political neutrality, including by— (1) requiring the Government of Germany to accept qualified Jewish athletes on German Olympic team during the 1936 Olympic Games; (2) revoking South Africa’s invitation in opposition to the Government of South Africa's policy of apartheid during 1964 Olympic Games; and (3) in 1948, banning Germany and Japan from participating in the first Olympic Games after World War II; Whereas taking action against genocide and crimes against humanity is a matter of morality, not politics; Whereas the absence of rule of law and due process in the People’s Republic of China inhibits the ability of the International Olympic Committee and the respective national Olympic committees of participate countries to ensure the safety of all athletes, staff, and spectators throughout the duration of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games; Whereas, on November 2, 2021, 3-time Olympian Peng Shuai disappeared after stating that she had been sexually assaulted and forced into a sexual relationship with Zhang Gaoli, a former Vice Premier and member of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee; Whereas the International Olympic Committee’s acceptance of the Chinese Communist Party cover-up of sexual assault allegations and dismissal of safety concerns for Peng Shuai call into question the International Olympic Committee’s willingness to protect athletes participating in the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing; Whereas the International Olympic Committee should not force athletes to choose between their conscience and their pursuit of the highest goals in athletics; Whereas Olympic athletes should not have to worry about— (1) wearing clothing or consuming food that is a product of forced labor; or (2) being penalized or detained by the host government for exercising their right to speak out against genocide, crimes against humanity, and any other human rights abuse; Whereas it is in the best interest of the athletes to move the Olympic Games in fulfillment of the International Olympic Committee’s mission to promote safe sport and the protection of athletes from all forms of harassment and abuse and oppose any political or commercial abuse of sport and athletes ; Whereas during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Government of the People's Republic of China broke its commitment to the International Olympic Committee when it— (1) displaced Chinese residents in order to construct Olympic venues; (2) detained demonstrators; (3) censored the internet; and (4) restricted media access and the freedom of speech; Whereas the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games provided the Government of the People's Republic of China the ability to perpetuate propaganda and distract from ongoing human rights abuses; Whereas the International Olympic Committee should consider the individuals who will not be able to celebrate the Olympic spirit because they have been unjustly detained, imprisoned, beaten, or worse by the government the International Olympic Committee selected to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games; Whereas it reflects poorly on the entire Olympic movement, and therefore the international community in general, to proceed with holding the Olympic Games in a country whose government is committing genocide and crimes against humanity; Whereas, on March 24, 2020, 4 months before the start of the 2020 Summer Olympics, the International Olympic Committee and the Government of Japan announced the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games due to the COVID–19 pandemic, an action that demonstrates the ability to postpone the Olympic Games on short notice; Whereas the International Olympic Committee has the right to terminate the host city contract with the People's Republic of China if, at any time, the IOC has reasonable grounds to believe, in its sole discretion, that the safety of participants in the Games would be seriously threatened or jeopardized for any reason whatsoever ; Whereas relocating the 2022 Winter Olympic Games due to ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Government of the People's Republic of China is consistent with the vision of the International Olympic Committee to build a better world through sport; and Whereas the International Olympic Committee failed to adhere to its own human rights commitments by extending the honor of hosting the 2022 Olympic Games to Beijing, particularly after Chinese authorities violated commitments to the International Olympic Committee in 2008: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate urges— (1) the International Olympic Committee to relocate the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games to another country in response to the refusal of the People’s Republic of China to stop committing genocide and crimes against humanity; (2) the International Olympic Committee to take human rights into account in all decisions, especially in selecting future host countries for the Olympic Games; and (3) the Chinese Communist Party to immediately cease harassment of tennis star Peng Shuai and ensure her safety and freedom.