Athletes competing at the Beijing Winter Olympics have been warned of the intense surveillance set to meet them in China
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Katie Ormerod looks back on her injury before the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics
Athletes set to compete in the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Beijing next month have been warned they will be exposed to ‘Orwellian’ surveillance by the Chinese state.
The report was made by a Human Rights Watch panel on Tuesday, which has criticised and hit out at China’s ‘abysmal human rights record’. The panel believe the event is another example of ‘sportswashing’.
Amid the reports of heavy surveillance and fears of spying, Team GB – featuring a team of approximately 50 athletes – have offered their delegation temporary phones.
“One of the features of the 2008 Olympic Games (in Beijing) was the authorities’ use of what was then considered high technology,” Dr Sophie Richardson, the China director for Human Rights Watch, said.
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“That pales in comparison to the Orwellian surveillance state the authorities use across the country now, where tools like AI and predictive policing, big data databases, extensive surveillance of social media, keeps people from engaging in certain types of conversation.
“Anyone who is travelling to the country for these Games – journalists, athletes, coaches – needs to be aware that this kind of surveillance could actually affect them too.”
There have also been serious concerns raised among the sporting community, with many unsettled by athletes using the Olympic platform to flag human rights issues. The Olympic Charter prohibits political protests at medal ceremonies, although athletes can express their opinions in interviews or on social media.
The Human Rights Watch panel are concerned about what they described as Chinese ‘crimes against humanity’ regarding the country’s treatment of the Uighur population in Xinjiang.
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“We know their human rights record and the freedom of expression in China, so there is really not much protection that we believe is going to be afforded to athletes,” said Rob Koehler, the director general of the Global Athlete movement.
“The IOC has not come out proactively to make sure everyone is safe that decides to speak up. That is why we have concerns and why we are advising athletes not to speak up.”
The games are due to start in just over two weeks’ time. Countries including the US and UK have announced diplomatic boycotts of the games, refusing to send officials to Beijing, although others, notably France, have said they will attend.
China have criticised the diplomatic boycotts, insisting they are merely ‘political manipulation’ while the countries involved will pay an unspecified ‘price’ for their actions. It denies allegations of human rights abuses.
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