[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 495 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 495
Urging the International Olympic Committee to relocate the 2022 Beijing
Winter Olympic Games in response to the refusal of the People's
Republic of China to end its egregious human rights abuses, including
genocide, forced labor, and crimes against humanity.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 20, 2022
Mr. Lankford (for himself and Mr. Rubio) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Urging the International Olympic Committee to relocate the 2022 Beijing
Winter Olympic Games in response to the refusal of the People's
Republic of China to end its egregious human rights abuses, including
genocide, forced labor, and crimes against humanity.
Whereas the Olympic Games should never be held in a country whose government is
actively committing genocide, forced labor, and crimes against humanity;
Whereas the ongoing crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Chinese Communist
Party in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region include--
(1) the arbitrary imprisonment and other types of severe deprivation of
physical liberty of more than 1,800,000 civilians;
(2) forced sterilization;
(3) forced abortion;
(4) infanticide;
(5) torture;
(6) forced labor; and
(7) restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, freedom of
expression, and freedom of movement;
Whereas the Chinese Communist Party is committing ongoing genocide as a direct
attempt to forcibly ``assimilate'', or eventually eliminate, vulnerable
ethnic and religious groups;
Whereas, on December 9, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously
adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of
Genocide, done at Paris December 9, 1948 (referred to in this preamble
as the ``Genocide Convention''), as a commitment of ``never again'' in
response to the Holocaust and other crimes against humanity committed in
the first half of the 20th century;
Whereas, on November 5, 1988, the United States ratified the Genocide Convention
with the understanding that the Genocide Convention declares that all
state parties ``confirm that genocide, whether committed in time of
peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law which they
undertake to prevent and to punish'';
Whereas, on January 19, 2021, former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo
determined that the Chinese Communist Party has committed genocide and
crimes against humanity, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken has
expressed agreement with that determination;
Whereas, as of January 2022, 152 countries, including the People's Republic of
China, have ratified or acceded to the Genocide Convention, and each
such country has its own national Olympic committee and is recognized by
the International Olympic Committee;
Whereas the International Olympic Committee should always take human rights into
account in making decisions, especially in choosing a host country for
the Olympic Games;
Whereas in March 2020, human rights expert Rachel Davis and former United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights HRH Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al
Hussein submitted to the International Olympic Committee a report
containing human rights recommendations;
Whereas, on December 2, 2020, the International Olympic Committee announced that
it would incorporate ``human rights standards into the `Operational
Requirements' of the Host City Contract for the Olympic Games 2024 and
beyond'', which does not apply to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games;
Whereas in their report, Rachel Davis and Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein--
(1) note that ``the human rights impacts that could be connected to the
[2022 Beijing Winter Olympic] Games are severe--as our consultations with
expert civil society stakeholders also confirmed--and addressing them
remains challenging''; and
(2) urge the International Olympic Committee to consider
``strengthening [human rights] due diligence across its operations [before
2024] and advancing the agreed strategic approach to engaging with Beijing
2022 on human rights, with support from the top levels of the organization
and informed by the [International Olympic Committee's] own consultations
with expert stakeholders'';
Whereas there are no human rights conditions set forth in the host city contract
between the International Olympic Committee and the Government of the
People's Republic of China;
Whereas there is no evidence that the International Olympic Committee has taken
any steps to pressure the Government of the People's Republic of China
to change its behavior;
Whereas the code of ethics of the International Olympic Committee sets forth
universal fundamental ethical principles that are the foundation of
Olympism, including--
(1) ``respect of the principle of the universality and political
neutrality of the Olympic Movement''; and
(2) ``maintaining harmonious relations with state authorities, while
respecting the principle of autonomy as set out in the Olympic Charter'';
Whereas, historically, the International Olympic Committee has not maintained
political neutrality, including by--
(1) requiring the Government of Germany to accept qualified Jewish
athletes on German Olympic team during the 1936 Olympic Games;
(2) revoking South Africa's invitation in opposition to the Government
of South Africa's policy of apartheid during 1964 Olympic Games; and
(3) in 1948, banning Germany and Japan from participating in the first
Olympic Games after World War II;
Whereas taking action against genocide and crimes against humanity is a matter
of morality, not politics;
Whereas the absence of rule of law and due process in the People's Republic of
China inhibits the ability of the International Olympic Committee and
the respective national Olympic committees of participate countries to
ensure the safety of all athletes, staff, and spectators throughout the
duration of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games;
Whereas, on November 2, 2021, 3-time Olympian Peng Shuai disappeared after
stating that she had been sexually assaulted and forced into a sexual
relationship with Zhang Gaoli, a former Vice Premier and member of the
Chinese Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee;
Whereas the International Olympic Committee's acceptance of the Chinese
Communist Party cover-up of sexual assault allegations and dismissal of
safety concerns for Peng Shuai call into question the International
Olympic Committee's willingness to protect athletes participating in the
2022 Olympic Games in Beijing;
Whereas the International Olympic Committee should not force athletes to choose
between their conscience and their pursuit of the highest goals in
athletics;
Whereas Olympic athletes should not have to worry about--
(1) wearing clothing or consuming food that is a product of forced
labor; or
(2) being penalized or detained by the host government for exercising
their right to speak out against genocide, crimes against humanity, and any
other human rights abuse;
Whereas it is in the best interest of the athletes to move the Olympic Games in
fulfillment of the International Olympic Committee's mission ``to
promote safe sport and the protection of athletes from all forms of
harassment and abuse'' and ``oppose any political or commercial abuse of
sport and athletes'';
Whereas during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Government of the People's
Republic of China broke its commitment to the International Olympic
Committee when it--
(1) displaced Chinese residents in order to construct Olympic venues;
(2) detained demonstrators;
(3) censored the internet; and
(4) restricted media access and the freedom of speech;
Whereas the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games provided the Government of the People's
Republic of China the ability to perpetuate propaganda and distract from
ongoing human rights abuses;
Whereas the International Olympic Committee should consider the individuals who
will not be able to celebrate the Olympic spirit because they have been
unjustly detained, imprisoned, beaten, or worse by the government the
International Olympic Committee selected to host the 2022 Winter Olympic
Games;
Whereas it reflects poorly on the entire Olympic movement, and therefore the
international community in general, to proceed with holding the Olympic
Games in a country whose government is committing genocide and crimes
against humanity;
Whereas, on March 24, 2020, 4 months before the start of the 2020 Summer
Olympics, the International Olympic Committee and the Government of
Japan announced the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, an action that demonstrates the ability to postpone
the Olympic Games on short notice;
Whereas the International Olympic Committee has the right to terminate the host
city contract with the People's Republic of China if, at any time, ``the
IOC has reasonable grounds to believe, in its sole discretion, that the
safety of participants in the Games would be seriously threatened or
jeopardized for any reason whatsoever'';
Whereas relocating the 2022 Winter Olympic Games due to ongoing genocide and
crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Government of the People's
Republic of China is consistent with the vision of the International
Olympic Committee to build a better world through sport; and
Whereas the International Olympic Committee failed to adhere to its own human
rights commitments by extending the honor of hosting the 2022 Olympic
Games to Beijing, particularly after Chinese authorities violated
commitments to the International Olympic Committee in 2008: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate urges--
(1) the International Olympic Committee to relocate the
2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games to another country in
response to the refusal of the People's Republic of China to
stop committing genocide and crimes against humanity;
(2) the International Olympic Committee to take human
rights into account in all decisions, especially in selecting
future host countries for the Olympic Games; and
(3) the Chinese Communist Party to immediately cease
harassment of tennis star Peng Shuai and ensure her safety and
freedom.
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