(Jan. 20) A Jan. 20 vote by the French Parliament should give rise to a broader and more effective movement against the Chinese Communist Party: The entire free world should boycott the Winter Olympics.
To its great credit, the French Parliament voted 169-1 that France “officially recognizes the violence perpetrated by the People’s Republic of China against the Uyghurs as constituting crimes against humanity and genocide.” Moreover, it says the French government should help protect the Uyghur minority by taking “the necessary measures within the international community and in its foreign policy towards the People’s Republic of China.”
The British, Dutch, Canadian, and U.S. governments have also labeled the Chinese treatment of Uyghurs as “genocide.” On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron specified that China is guilty of “massacres, massive deportations, and forced labor.” The Chinese government has refused requests from the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights to investigate its practices.
Formal resolutions are better than nothing, but it’s time to hit China harder. Despite how unfair it will be to athletes who have worked so hard for the chance at Olympic glory, the free world should massively embarrass China with an economically harmful boycott — not just because of China’s genocide, although that alone should suffice, but for multiple reasons that together should make the Chinese government an absolute pariah.
The Chinese government clearly sees the Olympics, which begin Feb. 4, as a prestige event. The free world should destroy its prestige.
A joint proclamation of boycott should include the following elements augmented, of course, by the appropriate “whereas” and “be it resolved” clauses.
First, it should say no nation that practices genocide should host an international gathering that carries even the slightest connotation of honor.
Second, it should castigate the Red Chinese for unleashing the coronavirus pandemic on the whole world…. [The full column is at this link.]
