Another Beijing Olympics with human rights still major issue

By STEPHEN WADE
AP Sports Writer

BEIJING (AP) — The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics are opening with the same concerns that loomed over the 2008 Beijing Olympics: China’s record on human rights and its treatment of Tibetans and Uyghur Muslims in western China. Beijing was awarded the 2008 Games under the assumption it would improve human rights. There is no such talk now. The Olympics are opening under heavy security and warnings from officials that athletes or others could face legal action if they speak out on human rights or other touchy issues. The Games are a reminder of both China’s rise and its disregard for civil liberties, which has prompted a diplomatic boycott led by the United States.