US House passes resolution slamming IOC over human rights violations in China: Report

On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for failing to adhere to its own human rights obligations in China. The resolution, which received a 428-0 majority, calls on the Olympic Committee to ask the Chinese government to undertake an independent and transparent investigation into charges made by a Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai against a senior Chinese Communist Party official, reported The Hill. "Athletes from all across the world will be in attendance. So this body owes it to not only Peng, but all Olympic competitors to show that their safety and freedom are not taken for granted," Gregory Meeks, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman, was quoted by the American newspaper as saying.

The resolution also urged the IOC to persuade China to allow Peng to leave the country if she so desires, without retaliating against her family members who stay behind. The resolution stated that the committee's conduct raises issues about its competence and desire to guarantee protection to athletes competing in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Apart from this, another resolution was passed urging the United States to investigate the Chinese government's continued genocide and crimes against Uyghur Muslims and other religious minorities.

US asked China not to limit access, mobility of Journalists at Beijing Winter Olympics

Last month, the United States had urged China not to limit the access and mobility of journalists covering the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. State Department spokesman Ned Price urged People's Republic of China (PRC) officials not to restrict journalists' freedom of movement and access, and to ensure that they are secure and able to report freely, particularly at the Olympics and Paralympic Games, reported Voice of America (VOA). The statement had come after Beijing-based journalists had expressed worries about "the lack of transparency and clarity" of Olympics-related reportage in China.

It is worth mentioning here that in October, activists in Greece unfurled Tibetan flags and a banner at the flame-lighting ceremony for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The banner read, "No Genocide Games." The activists raised flags and a banner during an event in Olympia which was attended by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and many other dignitaries, including Chinese officials.

Image: Twitter/@RepGregoryMeeks/AP