WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) joined a letter with several colleagues to NBC calling on the network to air all footage of human rights protests during the 2022 Winter Olympics. Dictatorial governments have historically used the Olympics to legitimize their regimes and soften criticism of human rights abuses; there is no reason to believe that the 2022 Winter Olympics will be different.
“As the 2022 Winter Olympics approach, we urge you to air all footage of human rights protests captured during your coverage of the Winter Olympic Games, notwithstanding pressure from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to silence dissidents. We remain gravely concerned that the PRC will use the event as a platform to disseminate propaganda and distract from its egregious human rights abuses, including its ongoing genocide against Uyghur Muslims,” the Members said. “While we still believe that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should revoke the PRC’s hosting privileges, in the event that the Olympics proceed as planned, honest and transparent coverage will help the international community defend persecuted groups like Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hong Kong residents, Falun Gong practitioners, Christians, and human rights advocates.”
The full letter is available here.
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