[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 495 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






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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