Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), Vice Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, led a letter 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 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 can be found below and the full list of signers can be found HERE.
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Mr. Jeff Shell Mr. Gary Zenkel
Chief Executive Officer President
NBCUniversal NBC Olympics
30 Rockefeller Plaza 1 Blachley Road
New York, NY 10112 Stamford, CT 06902
Dear Mr. Shell,
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. 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.
Dictatorial governments have historically used the Olympics to legitimize their regimes and soften criticism of human rights abuses. We believe the 2022 Winter Olympics will be no different. The 2008 Olympics, also held in Beijing, were linked to a sharp upswing in human rights abuses, as the PRC engaged in mass evictions, severe violations of rights to free expression and association, labor abuses, arbitrary detentions, and harassment of journalists in order to present a positive image during the games. It is a tragedy that the Olympic Games, events intended to foster international peace and cooperation, can be repurposed as propaganda tools for authoritarian governments. All participating entities should take care to prevent subversion of the Olympic Games.
This must include full and transparent coverage of the PRC’s serious violations of human rights. Under the direction of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the PRC is systematically destroying autonomy, rule of law, and respect for human rights in Hong Kong, which enjoyed democratic freedoms until the PRC’s legislature enacted a draconian “national security” law that abrogated Hong Kong’s historic autonomy. It has cracked down on internal dissent—including by disappearing Peng Shuai, a top-ranked tennis player who accused a former vice premier of sexual assault, until she retracted her accusations. Only pressure from the international community, especially coverage of Shuai’s disappearance by international media, convinced the PRC to show proof of her safety. In the PRC’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), an estimated 1.8 million Uyghur Muslims have been arbitrarily detained by the CCP, forced into internment camps, and subjected to horrifying conditions aimed at eliminating the Uyghurs as a distinct culture. These include forced labor, forced abortions and sterilizations, and reeducation programs. The CCP’s persecution of Uyghur Muslims constitutes genocide, and it is critical that Americans understand the urgency of the situation in XUAR.
Many in Congress, alongside human rights advocates as well as our counterparts in partner nations, have urged the IOC to revoke the PRC’s hosting privileges. Not only has the IOC moved forward with plans to allow China to host, but it has also declined to press the PRC on its human rights abuses. The IOC has already indicated it will continue to amplify PRC propaganda during the games: it has actively collaborated with the PRC’s attempts to silence Peng Shuai and repeatedly indicated that will prioritize “respect [for] the sovereignty” of host countries, a talking point long used by the CCP to dismiss any criticism of its human rights record. In the absence of real action from the IOC, international media has a responsibility to shine a light on the human rights abuses perpetrated by the PRC.
Given the PRC’s demonstrated willingness to coerce foreign media into toeing the party line, the 2022 Winter Olympics have the potential to serve as a propaganda victory for the People’s Republic of China if media entities do not stand up to its bullying. We must not allow the Olympic Games to be weaponized against the PRC’s most vulnerable groups. Amplifying the voices of courageous human rights advocates is an appropriate way to honor the sacrifices and achievements of American athletes, who have worked their entire lives to represent their country at the Olympic Games. We again urge you to refuse to participate in the PRC’s efforts to cover up human rights abuses and respectfully ask that you air all footage of protests captured during your coverage of the 2022 Winter Olympics.