[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 13 (Thursday, January 20, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S383-S384]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 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

  Mr. LANKFORD (for himself and Mr. Rubio) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation:

                              S. Res. 495

       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

[[Page S384]]

     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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