China Gaslights the World by Picking Uighur Athlete to Ignite the Olympic Flame
China responded head-on to criticism of its human rights abuses in Xinjiang province today by choosing a young athlete of Uighur descent to light the Olympic flame at the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Western leaders including President Joe Biden had snubbed the Beijing opening ceremony as part of a so-called “diplomatic boycott” to protest China’s abuses in Xinjiang. An estimated 1 million Uighurs and members of other Muslim minorities are being held in “re-education centers” in the province, subject to torture and rape in what human rights campaigners say amounts to a campaign of genocide.
China’s PR-savvy response to criticism of its “Genocide Games” was to choose Dinigeer Yilamujiang, a 20-year-old cross-country skier, to light the flame that will burn over Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium for the 17 days of competition.