With all eyes on China for the Olympics, do not overlook what the Chinese Communist Party would rather keep in the shadows: the genocide and slavery of the Uyghur Muslims.
China’s Communist government has detained more than 1 million Uyghur Muslims in “re-education” camps to be exploited for their forced labor. During a recent press conference, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged U.S. Olympic athletes not to speak out against the Chinese Communist Party’s blatant human rights abuses, stating the party is “ruthless” and that she worries what they might do to “their reputations or their families.”
<mediadc-video-embed data-state="{"cms.site.owner":{"_ref":"00000161-3486-d333-a9e9-76c6fbf30000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b93390000"},"cms.content.publishDate":1645026815197,"cms.content.publishUser":{"_ref":"00000162-07b6-de22-a173-2ffe05de0001","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"cms.content.updateDate":1645026815197,"cms.content.updateUser":{"_ref":"00000162-07b6-de22-a173-2ffe05de0001","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"rawHtml":"
var _bp = _bp||[]; _bp.push({ "div": "Brid_45025092", "obj": {"id":"27789","width":"16","height":"9","video":"956896"} }); rn","_id":"0000017f-033d-d524-a77f-abbf1eb00000","_type":"2f5a8339-a89a-3738-9cd2-3ddf0c8da574"}”>Video EmbedPelosi’s warning to silence our athletes is exactly what enables Communist China to continue its torture and religious persecution of the Uyghurs. According to the State Department’s 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in China:
“Genocide and crimes against humanity occurred during the year against the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang. These crimes were continuing and include: the arbitrary imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty of more than one million civilians; forced sterilization, coerced abortions, and more restrictive application of China’s birth control policies; rape; torture of a large number of those arbitrarily detained; forced labor; and the imposition of draconian restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, and freedom of movement.”Our great nation was founded on religious freedom, and to gloss over the severe persecution and abuse of the Uyghur Muslims is immoral and un-American. It is the First Amendment right of these athletes to say whatever they would like — and we should encourage our athletes to speak out against slavery and genocide. America is the land of the free, and our Olympic champions carry our principles of freedom with them abroad. Although they are not competing on U.S. soil, our Olympians are citizens of the home of the brave, and it is our ethical duty to speak out against China’s egregious crimes against humanity.
Unfortunately, Pelosi’s remarks are part of a long and disturbing trend in displaying weakness toward China. Just last week, the speaker brought the COMPETES Act to the floor, an utterly unserious attempt to combat China despite its 3,000-page length. This legislation creates a new immigration program with unlimited green cards for high-skilled foreign nationals, a documented Chinese espionage source, and no national security safeguards. It also mentions “coral reefs” more than China and allocates over $8 billion for a “Green Climate Fund” for environmental projects abroad. This disastrous legislation also includes $3 billion for a solar manufacturing program that could subsidize Chinese solar panels produced through slave labor.
For a party that claims to ensure “equity” is a priority, Democrats give far too much political grace to China’s ruling communists. In addition to their persecution of the Uyghurs, their government openly spies on their citizens using invasive surveillance mechanisms. Privacy is not an option in China, and if the Communist government does not like what it sees, you pay a price. The State Department noted that in China, “There were numerous reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings,” and “there were multiple reports authorities disappeared individuals and held them at undisclosed locations for extended periods.”
While Democrats continue to make excuses for Communist China’s persecution of its people, Republicans have created the China Task Force, of which I am a member. The China Task Force recognizes the Communist Chinese Party is this generation’s greatest national and economic security challenge. For our nation to remain superior to China, we must lead by example and hold them accountable for their human rights abuses. Rather than working to silence our athletes competing in Beijing, perhaps Pelosi should focus her efforts on seriously competing with the corrupt Chinese government.
Austin Scott represents Georgia’s 8th District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
