Relocate 2022 Winter Olympics If China Does Not End Abuses: US Lawmakers

US lawmakers in a letter to the International Olympic Committee chief urged him to relocate Winter Olympics if the host government does not end its "egregious human rights abuses".

A group of US lawmakers has called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to postpone the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and relocate the games unless China ends the ongoing "genocide" against Uyghurs and other minority groups. Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative James McGovern, released a letter on Friday to Thomas Bach, President of the IOC asking him to postpone the 2022 Winter Olympics and to relocate them if the host government does not end its "egregious human rights abuses". The letter said, "No Olympics should be held in a country whose government is committing genocide and crimes against humanity." The Chairs were joined on the letter by Senator Marco Rubio and Representative Christopher Smith, both former Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) Chairs. "This action would also be in the best interests of the athletes," said the CECC Commissioners. "We find it unfair for the IOC to force athletes to sacrifice their conscience in order to pursue their competitive goals, or vice versa."