Olympic athletes could face penalties if they act in a way that is against the spirit of the Olympic Games, according to Chinese officials.
These breaches could include speaking out on the human rights violations occurring in China. Chinese officials made the comments after nonprofit organization Human Rights Watch recommended athletes “stay silent” while competing in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
“Any expression that is in line with the Olympic spirit I’m sure will be protected and anything and any behavior or speeches that are against the Olympic spirit, especially against Chinese laws and regulations, are also subject to certain punishment,” said Yang Shu, deputy director-general of Beijing 2022’s International Relations Department, in a statement.
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Punishments could include the cancellation of an athlete’s accreditation, prematurely ending the player’s ability to compete, according to Yang.
When asked for a response, the International Olympic Committee referred to its guidelines protecting the neutrality of sport and the Games.
“The Games are governed by the IOC Rules, they will be applied at Beijing 2022 like at any other edition of the Games before,” the committee told the BBC.
The IOC reversed its rules on political protests in 2020, stating athletes could participate in protests outside of the games but not while competing. However, Human Rights Watch advocated for athletes to stay silent on human rights violations.
“There’s really not much protection that we believe is going to be afforded to athletes,” said Rob Koehler, the director-general of the Global Athlete group, in a seminar hosted on Tuesday. “Silence is complicity, and that’s why we have concerns.”
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“So we’re advising athletes not to speak up. We want them to compete and use their voice when they get home,” Koehler added.
The United States, the United Kingdom, and several other nations announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics in December, noting China’s treatment of the Uyghur Muslim population, among other concerns. The Biden administration said it would not send officials to the Games, but athletes could compete if they desired.
China announced on Monday it would not sell tickets to the Beijing Winter Olympics due to the risk of spreading COVID-19.
The 2022 Olympic games will begin Feb. 4 and end Feb. 20.
