Boycott of the Beijing Olympics: can we speak of a "genocide" against the Uyghurs in China?

Audio 19:30

Activists demonstrate in front of the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles, calling for a boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, November 3, 2021. © Frederic J. BROWN / AFP / Archives

By: Clémentine Pawlotsky

1 min

After the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom in turn announce a diplomatic boycott of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing, scheduled for February 2022. Earlier this week, Washington justified its decision by denouncing the “Genocide and crimes against humanity” underway in the Chinese province of Xinjiang, where the Uyghur Muslim minority is the target of a particularly severe repression by the Beijing regime.

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France announces, for its part, that it will coordinate with the other countries of the European Union on this file.

But, the subject is on the agenda in the National Assembly since French deputies have presented a text aimed at recognizing “crimes against humanity” and “genocide” of the Uyghurs.

So, can we really speak of a "genocide"?

And what could the use of this term change?

A decryption with:

- Marc Julienne

, head of China activities at the Asia Center of Ifri 

- Emmanuel Lincot, 

professor at the Catholic Institute of Paris, associate researcher at IRIS.

Author of "

", Puf editions.

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• China

• Uyghurs

• Olympic Games 2022

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