We are a coalition of over 250 global civil society groups representing Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hongkongers, Chinese, Southern Mongolians, Taiwanese, and other affected and concerned communities. We are writing to you with serious concerns about reports that you have accepted an invitation to attend the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games.
Since the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games, we have witnessed human rights abuses across all regions under Chinese rule spiral into an abyss. Extensive evidence highlights the government’s systematic use of torture and suppression of human rights defenders, excessive use of force against peaceful protesters, and large-scale arrests of journalists, women’s rights activists and lawyers. Freedom and democracy in Hong Kong have been entirely dismantled; Tibet is completely sealed off from the outside world; and state-led genocide and crimes against humanity—the gravest human rights abuses under international law—including mass detentions, torture, sexual abuse and persecution are being carried out against Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims.
The extreme nature of these violations has been widely acknowledged by United Nations (UN) special procedures mechanisms and treaty bodies. In June 2020 more than 50
independent UN human rights experts expressed grave concern at China’s mass violations and called on “the international community to act collectively and decisively to ensure China respects human rights and abides by its international obligations.” They further urged “the UN Human Rights Council to act with a sense of urgency to take all appropriate measures to monitor Chinese human rights practices.”
The Chinese government’s disregard for human rights can also be seen inside the UN by repeatedly blocking targeted sanctions against rights-abusing governments at the UN Security Council, attempting to silence debate at the Human Rights Council, and refusing to use its considerable leverage in some of the worst human rights crises.
In light of the evidence of the severe and downward spiral of human rights abuses, it is highly inappropriate for you, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, to attend any part of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games.
Your participation would undermine the United Nations’ efforts to hold China accountable and go against the core principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and relevant treaties. Furthermore, as the highest representative of the UN, your attendance will be seen as credence to China’s blatant disregard for international human rights laws and serve to embolden the actions of the Chinese authorities.
We therefore urge you to reconsider your decision to attend the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.
Yours sincerely
Mandie McKeown, Executive Director, International Tibet Network – on behalf of:
Dorjee Tseten Dolkun Isa Frances Hui
Students for a Free Tibet World Uyghur Congress We The Hongkongers
Rushan Abbas Jenny Wang Tashi Shitsetsang
Campaign for Uyghurs Keep Taiwan Free Tibetan Youth Association Europe
John Jones Dr Zoe Bedford Teng Biao
Free Tibet Australia Tibet Council China Against the Death Penalty
周锋锁 Zhou Fengsuo Mattias Bjornerstedt Bhuchung Tsering
Humanitarian China Swedish Tibet Committee International Campaign for Tibet
Lhadon Tethong Omer Kanat
Tibet Action Institute Uyghur Human Rights Project
Enghebatu Togochog
Southern Mongolian Human Rights Center and the following organisations:
ACT Tibetan Community
Action Free Hong Kong Montreal Aide aux Refugies Tibetains Alberta Uyghur Association Amigos de Tibet, Colombia Amigos del Tíbet, Chile
Amigos del Tíbet, El Salvador
Anterrashtriya Bharat – Tibbet Sahyog Samiti AREF International Onlus
Asociación Cultural Peruano Tibetana Asociación Cultural Tibetano Costarricense Association Cognizance Tibet, North Carolina Association Drôme Ardèche-Tibet Associazione Italia-Tibet
Association of the New School for Democracy Atlas Movement
Australia China Watch
Australian East Turkestan Association
Australian and New Zealand Alliance for Victims of the Chinese Communist Regime
Australian Uyghur Association
Australian Uyghur Tangritagh Women’s Association Austria Uyghur Association
Bath District Tibet Support Group Bay Area Friends of Tibet Belgium Uyghur Association
Bharrat Tibbat Sahyog Manch, India Birmingham Stands with Hong Kong Boston Tibet Network
Boston Uyghur Association Briancon05 Urgence Tibet Bristol Tibet
Burst the Bubble UK CADAL
Canada Tibet Committee
Canadian Coalition Against Communism Captive Nations Coalition
Casa del Tibet – Spain Casa Tibet México
Centro De Cultura Tibetana, Brazil China Alarm
Circle of Friends (Philippines) Citizen Power Initiatives for China Comité de Apoyo al Tibet (CAT) Comité pour la Liberté à Hong-Kong Committee of 100 for Tibet
Core Group for Tibetan Cause, India
Cornell Society for the Promotion of East Asian Liberty Covenants Watch
Czechs Support Tibet
DC Chapter of China Democracy Party
DC4HK – Washingtonians Supporting Hong Kong Defend Democracy
Dream for Children, Japan
Dutch Uyghur Human Rights Foundation East Turkistan Association in Finland East Turkistan Association of Canada
East Turkistan Education Center in Europe East Turkistan New Generation Movement East Turkistan Nuzugum Culture and Family Organization
East Turkistan Press and Media Organization
Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine
Lions Des Neiges Mont Blanc, FranceLungta Association Belgium
Maison des HimalayasMaison du Tibet – Tibet Info Mavi Hilal Humanitarian Organization
McGill Hong Kong Public Awareness and Social Service McMaster Stands With Hong Kong
National Campaign for Tibetan Support, India National Democratic Party of Tibet Netherlands for Hong Kong
Never Again Right Now
Northern California Hong Kong Club Norwegian Tibet Committee Norwegian Uyghur Committee NY4HK
Objectif Tibet Passeport Tibetain
Ontario Hong Kong Youth Action (OHKYA) Perth Anti-CCP Association
Phagma Drolma-Arya Tara Power to Hongkongers
RangZen:Movimento Tibete Livre, Brazil Regional Tibetan Association of Massachusetts Roof of the World Foundation, Indonesia Sakya Trinley Ling
Santa Barbara Friends of Tibet Save the Mongolian Language Save the Persecuted Christians Save Tibet Foundation
Save Tibet, Austria Shukr Foundation Sierra Friends of Tibet
Society for Threatened Peoples International Society Union of Uyghur National Association STAND Canada
Stand With Hong Kong Vienna Stop Uyghur Genocide Canada Students for a Free Tibet – Canada Students for a Free Tibet – UK
Students for a Free Tibet – Denmark Students for a Free Tibet – India Students for a Free Tibet – Japan Students for a Free Tibet – Taiwan Students For Hong Kong
Support Hong Kong Independence Movement Sweden Uyghur Education Union
Swedish Tibet Committee
Swiss Tibetan Friendship Association (GSTF)
Switzerland East Turkestan Association 台灣永社 Taiwan Forever Association Taiwan Friends of Tibet
Taiwan East Turkistan Association Taiwan New Constitution Foundation Taiwan Association for Human Rights Taiwan Labour Front
Tashi Delek Bordeaux
The Youth Liberation Front of Tibet, Mongolia and Turkestan
Tibet Action Group of Western Australia Tibet cesky (Tibet in Czech)
Tibet Committee of Fairbanks Tibet Group, Panama
East Turkistan Union in Europe Eastern Turkistan Foundation
Eastern Turkistan Uyghur Association in Netherlands EcoTibet Ireland
Étudiants Pour Un Tibet Libre
Euro-Asia Foundation: Teklimakan Publishing House European Uyghur Institute
Federation for a Democratic China
Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong Foundation for Universal Responsibility of H. H. the Dalai Lama
France-Tibet Freedom Ummah
Free Indo-Pacific Alliance Free Tibet Fukuoka FREE TIBET ITALIA
Friends of Tibet in Costa Rica Friends of Tibet in Finland Friends of Tibet New Zealand Friends4Tibet
Germany Stands with Hong Kong
Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities Global Solidarity with Hong Kong – Chicago Grupo de Apoio ao Tibete, Portugal
Halifax-Hong Kong Link
Hong Kong Committee in Norway Hong Kong Democracy Council
Hong Kong Affairs Association of Berkeley (HKAAB) Hong Kong Forum, Los Angeles
Hong Kong Liberty Hongkongers At McGill Hong Kong Outlanders
Hong Kong Social Action Movements in Boston Hong Kongers in San Francisco Bay Area Human Rights Solidarity
Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan Ilham Tohti Initiative
India Tibet Friendship Society
International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China Institute for China’s Democratic Transition
International Pen Uyghur Center
International Society for Human Rights- Sweden International Society of Human Rights, Munich Chapter International Support for Uyghurs
International Tibet Independence Movement International Uyghur Human Right and Democracy Foundation
Isa Yusup Alptekin Foundation Israeli Friends of the Tibetan People
Japan Association of Monks for Tibet (Super Sangha) Japan Uyghur Association
Jewish movement for Uyghur freedom Justice 4 Uyghurs
Justice for Uyghurs – Switzerland Justice For All Canada
Kazakhstan National Culture Center Latvia for Tibet
Le Club Français, Paraguay Les Amis du Tibet – Belgium Les Amis du Tibet Luxembourg
Tibet Initiative Deutschland Tibet Justice Center
Tibet Lives, India Tibet Mx
Tíbet Patria Libre, Uruguay Tibet Rescue Initiative in Africa Tibet Solidarity
Tibet Society of South Africa
Tibet Support Committee Denmark Tibet Support Group Adelaide Tibet Support Group Kenya
Tibet Support Group Kiku, Japan Tibet Support Group Netherlands Tibet Support Group Slovenia Tibetan Association of Germany Tibetan Association of Ithaca
Tibetan Association of Northern California Tibetan Association of Philadelphia Tibetan Community Austria
Tibetan Community in Britain Tibetan Community in Denmark Tibetan Community in Ireland Tibetan Community of Italy Tibetan Community of Victoria Tibetan Community Sweden Tibetan Community, Queensland
Tibetan Cultural Association – Quebec
Tibetan Programme of The Other Space Foundation Tibetan Women’s Association (Central)
Tibetans of Mixed Heritage Tibetisches Zentrum Hamburg TIBETmichigan
Toronto Association for Democracy in China Torontonian HongKongers Action Group
US HongKongers Club
U.S. Tibet Committee
Uigur Society of the Kyrgyz Republic Umer Uyghur Trust
United Nations for a Free Tibet (UNFFT) Uyghur Academy
Uyghur Academy Europe Uyghur American Association Uyghur Association of Victoria Uyghur Association of France
Uyghur Center for Human Rights and Democracy Uyghur Cultural and Education Union in Germany Uyghur Education Union
Uyghur Projects Foundation Uyghur Refugee Relief Fund Uyghur Research Institute Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project
Uyghur Support Group Netherlands Uyghur Transitional Justice Database Uyghur U.K. Association
Uyghur Youth Union in Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Uyghur Culture Center Vancouver Hong Kong Forum Society
Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement Viktoria Uyghur Association
Voces Tibet
World Uyghur Congress Foundation
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