A coalition of human rights groups penned an open letter to Airbnb, demanding the vacation rental platform withdraw their sponsorship of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The letter cites numerous human rights abuses of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang province. Under President Xi Jinping, the Chinese Communist Party has reportedly built hundreds of concentration camps in the far-west region of Xinjiang. These facilities are currently being used for the detainment and “re-education” of ethnic Uighurs and other Turkic minorities.
The letter to Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky reads:
“By promoting Beijing listings as a tourist destination, Airbnb is also glossing over China’s horrifying human rights record and normalising to the public what is recognised under international law as a deeply restrictive environment. Airbnb should not be encouraging a wider tourist industry to be supported and allowed to flourish at the expense of Uyghur and Tibetan rights.”
Airbnb’s nondiscrimination policy claims that the organization is devoted to “building a world” in which all minority groups are respected:
“The Airbnb community is committed to building a world where people from every background feel welcome and respected, no matter how far they have traveled from home. This commitment rests on two foundational principles that apply both to Airbnb’s hosts and guests: inclusion and respect.”
Airbnb has been known to waver on their supposed commitment to human rights. In 2018, it was reported that Airbnb banned Israeli Jews from listing their homes for reservation. Siding with the Palestinian Authority, Airbnb removed the listings of Israelis throughout the disputed West Bank, Judea and Samaria. The BDS movement, a Palestinian-led group promoting boycotts and sanctions against Israel, celebrated the anti-Semitic atrocity on Twitter:
Absolutely huge BDS win! Well done everyone who worked on this campaign. #BDS is UNSTOPPABLE!
Airbnb says removing listings in West Bank settlements https://t.co/PaFCpg4wvq#Palestine— IPSC (@ipsc48) November 19, 2018
Florida Senator Rick Scott (R) called on major Olympic sponsors to pull their support for the upcoming Winter Games unless relocated out of China. Scott pointed to the genocide committed against both Uyghur Muslims and Tibetan people in mass labor camps. The senator also decried the CCP’s assault on the civil rights of Hong Kong residents:
“This month, Communist China effectively ended the “one country, two systems” framework by changing Hong Kong’s election laws to ensure that no elected officials will criticize the Chinese Communist Party. And because of the National Security Law they enforced on Hong Kong last year, 47 pro-democracy activists are on trial, not for committing any crime, but for expressing their civil liberties through peaceful assembly.”
The U.S. issued sanctions against Chinese officials last week during the first high-level talks between the Biden administration and China. Secretary of State Antony Blinken appeared weak during the exchanges as the U.S. was accused of “inciting countries to attack China.”
At this time, Airbnb Inc. has not issued a response to the human-rights coalition or Sen. Rick Scott.
