Olympic athletes' self-censoring won't stop after return from China: human rights experts
Olympic athletes' self-censoring won't stop after return from China: human rights experts
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Olympic athletes can’t just keep their mouths shut: Enes Kanter Freedom
NBA star weighs in on Nancy Pelosi telling athletes not to speak out against the Chinese government at the Beijing Winter Olympics on ‘America Reports.’
Olympic athletes' self-censorship of their criticism of the Chinese government does not stop when they leave the country, multiple human right experts say, as athletes rely on lucrative corporate sponsorship deals with companies that stand to lose money if athletes criticize the Chinese Communist Party.
During a news conference in January, one Chinese government official said any speech against Chinese "laws and regulations" during the Olympic Games in Beijing is subject to "certain punishment."
"Any behavior or speech that is against the Olympic spirit, especially against Chinese laws and regulations, are also subject to certain punishment," Yang Shu, deputy director general of international relations for the Beijing Organizing Committee (BOC), said.
But even after the closing ceremonies end in Beijing and athletes leave the water's edge to return to the United States, those athletes hope to land sponsorships with major corporations, many of which conduct business in China.
Several human rights experts believe those same corporations could force athletes to self-censor their views on China's human rights abuses in the interest of money.
CHINA WARNS FOREIGN OLYMPIC ATHLETES THAT POLITICAL STATEMENTS DURING GAMES 'SUBJECT TO' PUNISHMENT
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