Tibet advocacy group calls on Beijing games broadcaster NBC to 'go beyond business'
Jan 29, 2022
Lhasa [Tibet], January 29 : A group working to promote democratic freedoms for Tibetans urged the NBC, the broadcaster of the Beijing Winter Olympics, to "go beyond the business" as they also have an ethical responsibility as a defender of freedom especially that of expression.
The International Campaign for Tibet called on NBC to take in China's coercion in Tibet in their coverage of the games, reported Tibet Press.
"With just weeks to go before the 2022 Winter Olympics, we trust you plan to roll out the usual coverage. But these will be no ordinary Games. The severe oppression, including of freedom of expression, that the Chinese government inflicts on Tibetans and others under its rule demands equal attention," said the letter by the International Campaign for Tibet.
In the letter, the democratic and freedom group added that by airing these Olympics, NBC is giving the Chinese authoritarian regime a podium to spread its propaganda. That's why, it is only they who can provide the victims of Chinese oppression the equal time more than to be side-lined for the sake of profit and their interest, reported Tibet Press.
The advocacy group called the Chinese government as one of the most brutal human rights abusers the world has seen in decades, reported Tibet Press.
They also said that China has promised to improve the situation of human rights in the last Beijing Olympics 2008, but it has cracked down ruthlessly on Tibet, which is why Tibet is considered to be the second least free nation in the world after Syria as per freedom House.
In 2020, US government has chosen China's oppression of the Uyghurs as genocide. Including US, a lot of other government has called on diplomatic boycott of the Olympic in response to China not abiding by the international norms.
After considering all these, the group called the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to have the ethical fibre to claim the Chinese government to follow to internationally maintained values of freedom and human rights to deserve the games, reported Tibet Press.
With regards to Beijing Winter Olympic next month, over 250 right groups have called out UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for accepting the official invitation for the opening of the ceremony.
The appeal letter condemned Secretary General's decision as highly inappropriate and said that it grossly undermined the UN'S Commitment to human rights. The coalition includes global civil society groups representing Tibetan, Uyghur, Hong Konger, Chinese, Southern Mongolian, and Taiwanese communities, reported Tibet Press.
In the letter, it was mentioned that the Secretary-General's participation would challenge the United Nation's efforts to hold China responsible and go in contradiction of the core principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
They also added that his acceptance of the invitation would give confidence to China's disregard for international human rights laws and will serve as an encouragement for the actions of the Chinese authorities.
The groups requested the UN chief to reconsider his choice to attend the Genocide Games since major nations have announced the diplomatic boycott in the last few months. China is now the subject of an Olympic boycott movement, said Tibet Press.