Pelosi Warns Olympic Athletes against Protesting China at Beijing Games
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned U.S. Olympic athletes on Thursday against protesting China’s human rights abuses while at the Beijing games, noting the high risk of retaliation from the regime.
“Make no mistake — our athletes should participate,” Pelosi said before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. “They’ve trained, they’re disciplined, they’ve dreamed, they’ve aspired, they’ve worked hard. But this year we must celebrate them from home as they compete in China.”
Her comments were first reported by the Washington Examiner.
“I would say to our athletes: You’re there to compete. Do not risk incurring the anger of the Chinese government because they are ruthless,” she added. “I know there is a temptation on the part of some to speak out while they are there. I respect that, but I also worry about what the Chinese government might do to their reputations and to their families.”
In her statement, she slammed the Chinese government and its practices and the International Olympic Committee for choosing Beijing as the venue given the Chinese Communist Party’s egregious record of violating international norms. She reiterated the Biden administration’s diplomatic boycott of the tournament, but urged athletes to consider the ugly repercussions they could face in the foreign country for speaking out against the CCP while there.
“So, again, participate, let us celebrate from abroad, and don’t risk thinking that there are any good intentions on the part of the People’s Republic of China’s government — because there are none,” Pelosi said.
With the collaboration of Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), an international coalition of Olympic athletes is planning on boycotting the opening ceremony of the event in a symbolic gesture of solidarity with the CCP’s victims, including the Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Hong Kong dissidents. The United States believes that the Chinese regime is perpetrating a genocide against Uyghur Muslims and other minorities in the Xinjiang region.
But some of these participants have expressed apprehension about demonstrating while in Beijing, as it could mean arrest by Chinese officials or disciplinary action from their home country’s Olympics organization, the SFT told the Washington Post.
Pelosi’s remarks seemed to be centered on protecting the Olympic athletes from Chinese retribution, as she said the U.S. has an obligation to expose and condemn Beijing’s crimes.
“Over the next two weeks, it is our moral duty to shine a bright light on the many human rights violations being perpetrated by the host nation,” she said.
“Now the IOC, aided by corporate sponsors, once again turns a blind eye with the 2022 Winter Olympics, just to bolster their bottom line,” Pelosi added. “If we do not speak out against human rights violations in China because of commercial interest, we lose all moral authority to speak out against human rights violations anywhere.”
“We wish all of the athletes well. We wish them safety — and that safety includes: Don’t for one moment believe what the Chinese government might tell you about freedom of expression. You take a risk. Be safe,” she said.
