IPAC – the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China – coordinates policy on China’s aggression amongst Legislators Internationally
Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. – Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23) on Thursday joined his fellow members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) – a group of international legislators that coordinate policy on China’s aggression – in releasing a statement ahead of the opening of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Read the full statement here.
“We should not allow the [Olympic] Games to distract from the persecution of Tibetans, Christians, Falun Gong Practitioners and other ethnic and religious minorities, nor will we stay silent as the Chinese government dismantles Hong Kong’s way of life, threatens Taiwan and coerces Lithuania, Australia and other countries through trade,” said the statement by IPAC.
“We cannot stand idly by while a major world government perpetrates what a growing number of legal investigations believe to be Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity, and torture in the Uyghur Region.
"We express our gratitude to all government ministers and diplomats who answered the call to decline invitations to attend the Games, but these actions do not go far enough.
"Democratic countries must take tangible steps to hold the Chinese government accountable for its violations. We call upon our governments to:
“We cannot stand idly by while a major world government perpetrates what a growing number of legal investigations believe to be Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity, and torture in the Uyghur Region.
"We express our gratitude to all government ministers and diplomats who answered the call to decline invitations to attend the Games, but these actions do not go far enough.
"Democratic countries must take tangible steps to hold the Chinese government accountable for its violations. We call upon our governments to:
- Demand the urgent release of the report into violations in the Uyghur Region conducted by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights;
- Place import bans on all goods from the Uyghur Region unless it can be credibly demonstrated that they are free of forced labour;
- Block firms from investing in entities perpetrating abuses in the Uyghur Region;
- Impose sanctions on Chinese government officials responsible for violations in China and Hong Kong.
International sporting events ought to be remembered for their moments of extraordinary human achievement and international unity. The Beijing 2022 Olympics will rightly be remembered with shame."
