An Olympics Boycott Isn’t the Best Way to Advance Human Rights

The case that politicians and activists make for boycotting the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics is simple: China’s persecution of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang is an ongoing human rights violation that the global community should not reward. But even if a boycott were to happen — and that’s far from certain — it wouldn’t accomplish much. The Chinese government would still command a large domestic and global audience for a tightly controlled media event that the Olympic rulebook requires be free of politics. Foreign broadcasters might comment on the Uyghurs’ plight in Xinjiang, but the action on the slopes, in the stadiums and on the Olympic television feed would be sports only.

There’s a better way to raise the profile of human rights during the Beijing Olympics. In coming weeks, the International Olympic Committee will begin reviewing recommendations to reform its prohibition on political expression by athletes at the games. Rather than attempt to change Beijing, activists and politicians should pressure the IOC and its funders to allow political expression that conforms with the principles of the Olympic charter, including its policy against racism.