Pennsylvania U.S. Rep. pushes for 2022 Winter Olympics boycott, citing China genocide

WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Guy Reschenthaler joined several other Republican lawmakers in introducing a resolution urging the International Olympic Committee to move the 2022 Winter Olympics from Beijing, China.

Additionally, if the games are not moved, the resolution calls for the U.S. to lead an international boycott.

In a news release, Reschenthaler cites the Chinese Communist Party committing genocide against Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang. He said in the release that the Chinese government needs to be held accountable.

“Freedom-loving countries around the world must join together to condemn China’s behavior and show the CCP that the United States and the international community will not idly stand by while they commit atrocities against the Uyghurs, Hong Kongers and other Chinese dissidents,” Reschenthaler said in the release.

In the final hours of the Trump administration, the State Department declared the Chinese government was committing genocide and crimes against humanity. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said there was wide-scale repression of Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities through internment camps and forced sterilization. Since at least 2017, about 1.8 million people have reportedly been sent to “political re-education” centers. They have reportedly been subjected to forced labor, deprived of food and been exposed to physical abuse, torture and organ harvesting. Women have reportedly experienced forced abortion and sterilization.

During his Senate confirmation hearing, Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed, stating that “forcing men, women and children into concentration camps, trying to in effect re-educate them to be adherents to the Chinese Communist Party – all of that speaks to an effort to commit genocide.”

>>>RELATED: Canada’s Trudeau, Cabinet abstain from China genocide vote

Canada’s House of Commons voted Monday to declare China is committing genocide. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Cabinet abstained from voting. The measure also called on the IOC to rebid the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Tokyo Olympics to go on as planned despite reports games would be canceled, IOC says

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