GOP senator supports ‘diplomatic boycott’ of 2022 Olympics in Beijing

GOP Sen. Todd Young (Ind.) told The Washington Post on Tuesday that he supports a “diplomatic boycott” of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing over human rights abuses regarding the country’s Uyghur Muslim population.

The Indiana senator said that the move would require government officials like himself not to attend the games over human rights abuses, including forced internment of Uyghur Muslims, who live in the northwest region of China.

“But that would just mean government officials like myself and members of the administration should agree not to attend the Games, signaling that we highly disapprove, we abhor and condemn the slavery conditions in which they require Uyghur Muslims to work; we condemn the executions and forced abortions that they are involved in; we condemn the snatching of territory and occupation of disputed lands on and on and on,” Young said, according to the Post.

The comments from the senator come as the Asian country is poised to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games after several governments, including the U.K. and the U.S., declared China’s actions against the Uyghur population genocide.

During the last days of the Trump administration, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that China was carrying out a genocide against Uyghurs. In March, the Biden administration sanctioned Chinese officials over continued human rights abuses of the population.

The sanctions were imposed in coordination with other U.S. allies including Canada. 

At least 1 million Muslims have been put into what the country has termed “reeducation” camps in China where members of the Muslim community in the country say they have been beaten and tortured. 

However, China has denied these allegations. 

“I think that would be an appropriate response, and then I think we need to go and defeat the communist Chinese in every conceivable area we can, knowing that they dope their athletes and they’ll be cheating every step of the way just as they cheat in matters of economics,” Young said.

GOP Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah) was the first to suggest the idea of an economic and diplomatic boycott of the games in March.

The White House and State Department both said they are not considering boycotting the Beijing Olympics.

China said there would be a “robust” response if the U.S. boycotted the games.

Sponsors for the Beijing Olympics such as Airbnb are already being pressured by human rights groups to drop their sponsorship for the games.