Dan Roan is a writer.
The sports editor of the British Broadcasting Corporation.
The image is from the AFP.
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Protesters are against the IOC over the Games.
Beijing has provoked quite a bit of controversy because of its concern over human rights.
The venue for the Winter Olympics in the year 2022, has been hit by a flurry of diplomatic boycotts from countries including the US, Australia, and Britain, because of allegations of Chinese atrocities against the Uyghur community.
Western governments and human rights groups have accused China of genocide. China says it has a network of internment camps for Uyghurs and other Muslims.
Relations are strained over the suppression of political freedoms in Hong Kong and the disappearance of a tennis player who accused a top Chinese government official of sexual assault. The Chinese authorities have criticized "malicious speculation" over her case.
For the few Western governments who have said their representatives will not attend, such a move is a relatively easy way to be seen to issue a rebuke, while avoiding the much more contentious step of preventing athletes from competing via a full boycott. The risk with sending politicians to Beijing to attend the Games is that they will be seen as giving tacit approval to the government of President Xi Jinping.
It is unlikely to have been too dismayed, or surprised, given that Italy and France have not joined the boycott, and that China has accused the US of using the Games for political manipulation. It won't make a difference to the spectacle of the event for those inside or watching from afar.
While the coalition of Tibetan, Uyghur, Southern Mongolian, Hong Kong, and Taiwanese rights groups that make up the #NoBeijing2022 campaign welcomed the diplomatic boycotts, many feel they do not go far enough, and that athletes themselves, corporate sponsors and major broadcasters need to act.
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Rights groups want nations to boycott the event.
When will a full boycott be appropriate in a country that is accused of genocide? The Women's Tennis Association has been praised in the West for suspending all tournaments in China in response to questions over the condition of Peng Shuai, a rare example of a sports body prepared to take such a stand against a country.
It would seem unfair on innocent athletes who have spent years preparing for such an opportunity if they were to refuse to participate in the Olympics.
The boycotts of the Games in 1980 and 1984 by the Cold War were opposed by those who don't want such a step. The sporting boycotts of apartheid South Africa in the 70s and 80s are proof that such an approach can play a role in applying pressure to a country's rulers.
Some argue that engaging in sporting competition, rather than boycotting, ensures the opportunity for valuable sporting diplomacy, and means international scrutiny, both of which can result in positive change. This is an argument the FA uses when they are asked if they will participate in the World Cup in 2022.
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Uyghurs and Hong Kongers react to the US boycott.
The governing body believes that change is best achieved by working with others so that we can continue to ask the right questions while also being aware of our own human rights challenges in this country.
As a result of the upcoming World Cup, we see the opportunity for dialogue and engagement that can lead to real change beyond the borders of the country, and into neighboring countries where there are still some challenges regarding human rights.
Not everyone agrees. There is no evidence of progress after the Beijing summer Games in 2008 or after the Winter Olympics in Russia.
There seems to be little appetite among athletes, governments or sports fans for a full boycott of Beijing 2022. It would be no surprise given the renewed activism of recent years, with more and more athletes speaking out about a range of social issues, from racism and women's rights to mental health and the environment.
The IOC's Rule 50 still forbids any form of political protest, demonstration or propaganda on the podium, at official ceremonies, or on the field of play, despite the fact that the rule has been relaxed recently.
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The case of Peng Shuai caused a lot of concern.
It's debatable whether athletes will take up the opportunity to speak their minds in a country that's been accused of censorship and intimidation of foreign journalists. Steve Simon recently said that he was concerned about the risks that all of our players and staff could face if we were to hold events in China.
The Chinese authorities do not take kindly to criticism from sports stars. Outspoken Boston Celtics basketball star Enes Kanter sparked a major backlash when he was critical of President Xi and expressed support for the Free Tibet movement in October. His name was not allowed to be used on Chinese social media sites. The Chinese state television pulled the game from it's schedule after Mesut Ozil highlighted the treatment of the Uyghurs.
The IOC has been urged to find a new location for the event. There is no chance of that at this point. The organisation's choice of hosts and relationship with them have come under scrutiny.
Human Rights Watch accused the IOC ofcollaboration with the Chinese after the IOC President Thomas Bach held a video call with three-time Olympian Ms Peng in a bid to alleviate concerns. The IOC has defended its use of quiet diplomacy. When asked how China's record on human rights was compatible with the Olympic values, its longest-serving board member Dick Pound said he had no regrets about Beijing's selection as host and that he "did not know" about alleged atrocities.
"You can berate me for not knowing, but I don't know for sure," he said.
He said that the IOC has no role to play in bringing about political change.
Critics do not agree with the IOC's insistence that it is neutral. They point to the talks that the organisation had with North and South Korea. President Putin wanted to show the world the power of Russia and himself.
The athletes are facing renewed questions about whether it's right to compete in Beijing as tensions rise, and they are left to decide what to do once they arrive.
Many feel that they have been placed in an impossible situation.
