Rights Groups Against China Hosting Winter Olympics

More than 160 human rights groups have delivered a joint letter to the chief of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), calling for it to reconsider its choice to award China the 2022 Winter Games in light of Beijing's human rights record.

In response, China said it's against attempts to politicise sporting events.

The joint letter is the largest such coordinated effort so far following several months of similar calls from individual rights groups, and comes as Beijing is facing increased international backlash over policies, including its treatment of ethnic Uighurs in Xinjiang and new security laws in Hong Kong.

"The IOC must recognise that the Olympic spirit and the reputation of the Olympic Games will suffer further damage if the worsening human rights crisis, across all areas under China's control, is simply ignored," said the letter, which was released on Tuesday.

The letter argues that the prestige of the Beijing 2008 Olympics emboldened the government to take further actions, including programs targetting Xinjiang Uighurs and other ethnic policies.

Among the letter's signatories are Uighur, Tibetan, Hong Kong and Mongolian rights groups based in Asia, Europe, North America, Africa and Australia.

At a daily news briefing in Beijing on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian rejected the move by human rights groups.

"This is against the spirit of the Olympic charter and China firmly opposes it," Zhao said.

Last month, prominent Uighur rights group World Uighur Congress launched a similar appeal to the IOC over what it said were crimes against humanity in Xinjiang.

The IOC responded that would remain neutral on political issues and said it had received assurances from Chinese authorities that they would respect the principles of the Olympic charter.

The IOC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

China has already made extensive preparations for the upcoming Games, which they say are on track to be held in Beijing and neighbouring Hebei province from February 4 to 20, 2022. (Reuters)