Beijing official warns athletes not to speak out and violate 'Olympic spirit'

A Beijing 2022 Olympic Games official said that athletes may be punished for behavior that violates the Olympic spirit, “especially against Chinese laws and regulations” on human rights.

"Any expression that is in line with the Olympic spirit I’m sure will be protected and anything and any behavior or speeches that is against the Olympic spirit, especially against Chinese laws and regulations, are also subject to certain punishment," said Yang Shu, deputy director general of Beijing 2022’s international relations department, on the topic of athletes speaking out against human rights abuses in the country, reported Reuters.

The Olympic Charter states that "no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites,” but that has been relaxed in recent years. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made it clear that athletes may freely express their opinion on any matter as long it is outside the competitions and medal ceremonies.

Yang also noted that cancellation of IOC accreditation is a potential punishment listed in the Organizer’s handbook. However, Reuters noted the handbook mainly addresses COVID-19 prevention measures and does not address speech or protest.

Historically, any violations of the Olympic charter by athletes was handled solely by the IOC, with no involvement from the host country.

Yang’s statement comes after a Human Rights Watch seminar on Tuesday that warned athletes against speaking out on human rights issues while in China, citing the country’s vague laws on speech.

"Silence is complicity and that's why we have concerns,” said Rob Koehler, director general of the Global Athlete group. “So we're advising athletes not to speak up. We want them to compete and use their voice when they get home."

The IOC has come under heavy criticism for awarding the 2022 Winter Games to China, citing the ongoing imprisonment and genocide against the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, and its “soft” approach to the disappearance of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai.