Following media reports that the Biden administration has floated the idea of a boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Fianna Fáil Senator Malcolm Byrne is reissuing his call for the Irish Government to support calls for the 2022 Winter Olympics to be moved to another country.
Senator Byrne believes the government should support demands to move next year’s Winter Olympics from Beijing to deny the Chinese government the chance to use the Games for propaganda purposes.
Senator Byrne commented, “While we should always try to keep politics and sport separate, this is not possible with the Chinese government.
“There is growing international concern about China’s increasing levels of abuse of human rights. The continued abuse of human rights by the Chinese Communist Party – from the genocide of the Uyghur people to oppression in Tibet to the efforts at suppression of pro-democracy activists on Hong Kong.
“A particular fear is how China will use the Beijing Winter Olympics as a propaganda tool and there are several calls for the Games next year to be moved to another venue.
“We now see reports that the US administration is broaching a boycott of the Games, while I do not favour a boycott, I do believe the Games should be moved to another country” concluded the Wexford Senator.
