Olympic athletes warned against 'anti-China protests' at Winter Games

China warns Olympic athletes they will be ‘punished’ if they stage anti-Beijing protests during Winter Games

• Warning from deputy director of the Games’ International Relations Department
• Yang Shu said Wednesday ‘any behaviour against Chinese law’ will be punished
• Comes as rights groups warned athletes of not speaking out for their own safety
• Meanwhile Team GB and others told to take burner phones over hacking fears 

China has warned Olympic athletes heading to its Winter Games in February that they will be ‘punished’ if they stage any form of anti-Beijing protest.

The warning shot was fired by Yang Shu, deputy director general of Beijing 2022’s International Relations Department, who was asked to comment on concerns for competitors who speak out about rights issues. 

It comes after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was criticised for allowing China to host the Games amid ongoing reports of human rights abuses against minority groups – in particular the muslim Uyghurs, whom the US believes are victims of genocide within the country. China denies allegations of human rights abuses.

Appearing at a virtual briefing hosted by China’s embassy in Washington on Wednesday, Mr Shu said: ‘Any expression that is in line with the Olympic spirit I’m sure will be protected and anything and any behaviour or speeches that is against the Olympic spirit, especially against Chinese laws and regulations, are also subject to certain punishment.’ 

He added that cancellation of accreditation is a potential punishment in line with guidelines in the Organisers’ playbook.

However, the playbook mainly addresses Covid-19 prevention measures and does not address issues such as speech or protest. 

And while rule 50 of the Olympic Charter states that ‘no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites’, it was relaxed last year to allow for gestures on the field – as long as they are made without disruption and with respect for competitors.

Deputy director general of Beijing 2022’s International Relations Department Yang Shu said Wednesday ‘any behaviour against Chinese law or regulations’ will be punished (Pictured: An activist holds a placard during a No Beijing 2022 protest. Supporters of Tibet, Hongkong, Uyghurs and Anti-CCP activists gathered outside the BBC Broadcasting House in London to call for the BBC to boycott Beijing 2022 Olympic Games)

In past Olympics, any breach of the Olympic charter by athletes was handled solely by the IOC – not by the country hosting the event (Pictured: A man uses his mobile phone at the spectator area of the Shougang Big Air venue)

Hongkongers, Tibetans, Uyghur Muslims, their Jewish allies and supporters hold placards as they demonstrate in Parliament Square against Beijing’s hosting of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, in London, United Kingdom on October 24, 2021

The IOC has also made it clear that athletes are free to express their opinions on any matter in press conferences and interviews within the Olympic bubble, as long as it is not during competition or medal ceremonies.

In past Olympics, any breach of the Olympic charter by athletes was handled solely by the IOC – not by the country hosting the event. 

But Human Rights Watch Tuesday warned athletes about speaking up on rights issues while in Beijing, for their own safety, while warning of the ‘Orwellian surveillance state’ it claims China has become. 

‘One of the features of the 2008 Olympic Games (in Beijing) was the authorities’ use of what was then considered high technology,’ Dr Sophie Richardson, the China director for Human Rights Watch said this week.

‘That pales in comparison to the Orwellian surveillance state the authorities use across the country now, where tools like AI and predictive policing, big data databases, extensive surveillance of social media, keeps people from engaging in certain types of conversation.

‘Anyone who is travelling to the country for these Games – journalists, athletes, coaches – needs to be aware that this kind of surveillance could actually affect them too.’

China is requiring all international Olympic attendees – including coaches and journalists – to download and start using an app 14 days before their departure, raising concerns over security 

On Tuesday, the IOC told Reuters that it ‘recognises and upholds human rights as enshrined in both the Fundamental Principles of the Olympic Charter and in its Code of Ethics’ at all times.

Several countries including the US, UK, Japan and Australia have announced diplomatic boycotts of the Games over concerns about human rights in China. 

China is accused of detaining more than a million Turkic Muslim Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region as part of a campaign to wipe out their traditional culture, language and beliefs. 

It comes as a smartphone app that China is requiring for all athletes attending next month’s Winter Games in Beijing has been found to have glaring security problems that could expose sensitive data – while Team GB athletes and others were told to take burner phones to the Games amid fears of China hacking their mobile devices.

Citizen Lab, an internet watchdog group, said in its report the MY2022 app has seriously flawed encryption that would make users’ sensitive data – and any other data communicated through it – vulnerable to being hacked. Other important user data on the app wasn’t encrypted at all, the report found.

That means the data could be read by Chinese internet service providers or telecommunications companies through Wi-Fi hotspots at hotels, airports and Olympic venues.

China is requiring all international Olympic attendees – including coaches and journalists – to download and start using the app 14 days before their departure. 

The app allows users to submit required health information on a daily basis and is part of China’s aggressive effort to manage the coronavirus pandemic while hosting the games.

The multipurpose app also includes chat features, file transfers, weather updates, tourism recommendations and GPS navigation.

People take selfies in front of an installation of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics mascot Bing Dwen Dwen and Winter Paralympics Shuey Rhon Rhon in Beichen Road on January 12

Citizen Lab’s report comes amid heightened concerns over athletes’ data and privacy. 

Many countries are advising their athletes not to take their normal smartphones to China, but instead to bring temporary – or burner – phones that do not store any sensitive personal data, according to news reports.

The US Olympic & Paralympic Committee issued an advisory to athletes telling them to ‘assume that every device and every communication, transaction, and online activity will be monitored.’

‘There should be no expectation of data security or privacy while operating in China,’ the advisory said.

China has a well-documented history of conducting muscular surveillance of its citizens and aggressive cyber-spying on others. 

But Citizen Lab said there was no evidence that the easily discoverable security flaws in the MY2022 app were placed intentionally by the Chinese government. 

A woman takes photos with her mobile phone of a figure skating sculpture erected for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, at the Shougang Industrial Park, which will be used as a venue for hosting sport and other events during Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

For one, much of the sensitive health information held on the app is required to be submitted directly to authorities on health customs forms, the report said.

Citizen Lab said the security vulnerabilities found in MY2022 app are similar to those found in popular Chinese web browsers and noted that ‘insufficient protection of user data is endemic to the Chinese app ecosystem.’

‘In light of previous work analysing popular Chinese apps, our findings concerning MY2022 are, while concerning, not surprising,’ the report said.

Citizen Lab said it reported the security issues to the Beijing Organising Committee last month but did not receive a response. 

The report also said the app’s security flaws could run afoul of Apple’s and Google’s policies for software used on iPhones and Android devices. The two companies did not immediately return a request for comment.

The Android version of the MY2022 app included a list named ‘illegalwords.txt’ that included 2,442 keywords, including some that could be politically sensitive and relate to China’s actions toward Tibet and the Uyghur ethnic group.

The report said despite having the list bundled with the app, it does not appear to function. The Chinese government has long required tech companies to censor content and keywords deemed politically sensitive or inappropriate. 

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