MAJOR VICTORIES FOR IPAC CAMPAIGN ON WINTER OLYMPICS: This week saw the US, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Lithuania announce that senior government representatives would not be attending the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. IPAC has led parliamentary campaigns in each of these legislatures over the past few months, calling for a diplomatic boycott of the Games in light of the Chinese government’s human rights abuses. The Telegraph. CBC. The Australian.
IPAC MEMBERS CALL FOR EUROPE TO FOLLOW SUIT ON DIPLOMATIC BOYCOTT: Parliamentarians from the European Parliament, Germany, France, Czechia, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Ireland have called on their government leaders to stage a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics, in a series of letters coordinated by IPAC members. The letters argued that leaders attending the Games would play a willing part in the Chinese government’s propaganda campaign. Libération. South China Morning Post.Göteborgs-Posten. Ttela.
UYGHUR TRIBUNAL DECLARES PRC GOVERNMENT COMMITTING GENOCIDE: The independent Uyghur Tribunal ended its year long investigation this week, concluding that the Chinese government is perpetrating Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity and Torture against Uyghurs. IPAC MPs hosted a press conference after the judgement, calling on governments to reasses their relationship with the Chinese state in light of these findings. BBC News.
UK MPS CALL FOR MAGNITSKY SANCTIONS ON PRC OFFICIALS: A debate called by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Magnitsky Sanctions chaired by IPAC members Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP and Chris Bryant MP saw MPs call upon the UK government to sanction Chen Quanguo and other Chinese government officials responsible for overseeing human rights abuses in the Uyghur Region. Highlights from debate.
NATHAN LAW ADDRESSES INAUGURAL SUMMIT FOR DEMOCRACY: Exiled Hong Kong legislator Nathan Law has called for a coordinated international effort to revive democracy globally, in a speech given to the first of a series of gatherings of democratic leaders hosted by US President Joe Biden. Link to speech.
