JOINT OPEN LETTER TO SNICKERS: DROP BEIJING 2022

Dear Mr Grant F. Reid

We, a coalition of over 200 global campaign groups, are writing to follow up on an unanswered letter sent to you in January 2021. Our growing coalition is again raising serious concerns that Mars Wrigley’s brand Snickers have signed on as official sponsor for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, and we urge you to carefully reconsider this decision and immediately cancel the sponsorship.

In less than a year the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games will open, against a backdrop of severe repression and worsening human rights. According to the Chinese authorities, this prestigious event will be “open” and “inclusive”, create a “harmonious world” and promote “social progress”. But for those living under China’s rule the reality is far from inclusive, open and harmonious; instead daily life is characterized by a brutal crackdown on cultural diversity, a tearing apart of community cohesion and closed doors to human rights monitors and international media who have been desperately trying to document the worsening crackdown.

As you will no doubt be aware, the human rights situation for those living under China’s rule has reached an unprecedented low. The situation in occupied Tibet has dramatically deteriorated and in January 2021, it was listed as the worst place in the world for civil and political rights, alongside Syria. At least two million Muslims – including Uyghurs, Kazakhs and Uzbeks – are locked in “re-education camps” undergoing systematic torture, rape and political re-education.

The Chinese government’s lack of openness and commitment to societal progress has been further exemplified by its crackdown in Hong Kong, where Beijing has implemented a draconian National Security Bill for Hong Kong that bans acts of “splittism, subversion, foreign intervention, and terrorism”, in its latest effort to curtail any remaining human rights of those living under Chinese rule. Meanwhile, China continues to jail more journalists than any other country in the world, making it difficult to reconcile the Chinese government’s claims that the Games will be characterised by a spirit of ‘openness.’

A letter from Human Rights Watch to the International Olympic Committee recently raised the fact that the 2022 Games will take place in a human rights environment significantly worse than that of 2008 when the Chinese government repeatedly backtracked on the human rights pledges it made to secure the right to host the Games.

As groups dedicated to the protection of human rights and best business practices, we applaud the company’s strong public endorsement of human rights policies and practice and commitment to “building strong human rights partnerships”. Unfortunately, the government of China is not a viable or qualified candidate for such a partnership, and Snickers should not side step those values to reap the financial rewards that come with sponsoring a major sporting event taking place against the backdrop of a genocide.

Given the importance of our concerns, we deeply regret that we are yet to receive a response from you to the previous letter sent over two months ago. Your lack of response only further heightens our fears that your company may knowingly compromise on its public commitments to human rights, in exchange for access to the Chinese market. These concerns are particularly troubling given that Snickers already served as the official sponsor for the 2008 Beijing Summer Games, when China led a brutal human rights crackdown in the lead up to – and during – the Games which was broadcast for the world to see.

We urge you to immediately cancel your sponsorship of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games, or risk being tainted by association. By terminating this agreement, Mars Wrigley has an opportunity to send a clear message that it will not tolerate dealing with governments that profit from occupation, genocide and human rights violations and to make a real difference to the lives of those living under Beijing’s tight grip.

We request the opportunity to meet with you and other representatives of Mars Wrigley to discuss our serious concerns regarding China’s attempt to use Beijing 2022 to “sport wash” the situation facing Tibetan, Uyghur, Hong Kong, Southern Mongolian and Chinese freedom activists. Please contact Mandie McKeown at mandie@tibetnetwork.org to discuss arranging this meeting.

Yours sincerely,

Mandie McKeown – Executive Director, International Tibet Network – on behalf of:

Dorjee Tseten, Students for a Free Tibet
Dolkun Isa, World Uyghur Congress
Rushan Abbas, Campaign for Uyghurs
Frances Hui,WeThe HongKongers
John Jones, Free Tibet
Tashi Shitsetsang, Tibetan Youth Association Europe
Omer Kanat, Uyghur Human Rights Project
Jenny Wang, Keep Taiwan Free
Teng Biao, China Against the Death Penalty
周锋锁 Zhou Fengsuo, Humanitarian China
Zoe Bedford, Australia Tibet Council
Mattias Bjornerstedt, Swedish Tibet Committee
Enghebatu Togochog, Southern Mongolian Human Rights Center
Lhadon Tethong, Tibet Action Institute

and the following organisations:

 

Aide aux Refugies Tibetains
Amigos de Tibet, Colombia
Amigos del Tíbet, Chile
Amigos del Tíbet, El Salvador
Anterrashtriya Bharat – Tibbet Sahyog Samiti
AREF International Onlus
Asociación Cultural Peruano Tibetana
Asociación Cultural Tibetano Costarricense
Association Cognizance Tibet, North Carolina
Association Drôme Ardèche-Tibet
Associazione Italia-Tibet
Australia China Watch
Australian East Turkestan Association
Australian Uyghur Association
Australian Uyghur Tangritagh Women’s Association
Austria Uyghur Association
Bay Area Friends of Tibet
Belgium Uyghur Association
Bharrat Tibbat Sahyog Manch, India
Boston Tibet Network
Boston Uyghur Association
Briancon05 Urgence Tibet
Canada Tibet Committee
Canadian Coalition Against Communism
Captive Nations Coalition
Casa del Tibet – Spain
Casa Tibet México
Centro De Cultura Tibetana, Brazil
China Alarm
Chinese Democracy & Human Rights Alliance
Circle of Friends (Philippines)
Citizen Power Initiatives for China
Comité de Apoyo al Tibet (CAT)
Committee of 100 for Tibet
Core Group for Tibetan Cause, India
Czechs Support Tibet
DC Chapter of China Democracy Party
Defend Democracy
Dream for Children, Japan
Dutch Uyghur Human Rights Foundation
East Turkistan Association in Finland
East Turkistan Association of Canada
East Turkistan Education Center in Europe
East Turkistan New Generation Movement
East Turkistan Nuzugum Culture and Family Organization
East Turkistan Press and Media Organization
East Turkistan Union in Europe
Eastern Turkistan Foundation
Eastern Turkistan Uyghur Association in Netherlands
EcoTibet Ireland
Étudiants Pour Un Tibet Libre
Euro-Asia Foundation: Teklimakan Publishing House
European Uyghur Institute
Federation for a Democratic China
Foundation for Universal Responsibility of H. H. the Dalai Lama
France-Tibet
Free Indo-Pacific Alliance
Free Tibet Fukuoka
FREE TIBET ITALIA
Friends of Tibet in Costa Rica
Friends of Tibet in Finland
Friends of Tibet New Zealand
Friends4Tibet
Germany Stands with Hong Kong
Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities
Grupo de Apoio ao Tibete, Portugal
Hong Kong Committee in Norway
Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan
Ilham Tohti Initiative
India Tibet Friendship Society
International Campaign for Tibet
International Pen Uyghur Center
International Society for Human Rights- Sweden
International Society of Human Rights, Munich Chapter
International Tibet Independence Movement
International Uyghur Human Right and Democracy Foundation
Isa Yusup Alptekin Foundation
Israeli Friends of the Tibetan People
Japan Association of Monks for Tibet (Super Sangha)
Japan Uyghur Association
Justice 4 Uyghurs
Justice For All
Justice For All
Kazakhstan National Culture Center
Le Club Français, Paraguay
Les Amis du Tibet – Belgium
Les Amis du Tibet Luxembourg
Lions Des Neiges Mont Blanc, France
Lungta Association Belgium
Maison des Himalayas
Maison du Tibet – Tibet Info
Mavi Hilal Humanitarian Organization
McGill Hong Kong Public Awareness and Social Service
National Campaign for Tibetan Support, India
National Democratic Party of Tibet
Netherlands for Hong Kong
Norwegian Uyghur Committee
Objectif Tibet
Passeport Tibetain
Phagma Drolma-Arya Tara
RangZen:Movimento Tibete Livre, Brazil
Regional Tibetan Association of Massachusetts
Ritarita-projec
Roof of the World Foundation, Indonesia
Sakya Trinley Ling
Santa Barbara Friends of Tibet
Save the Mongolian Language NGO
Save the Persecuted Christians
Save Tibet Foundation
Save Tibet, Austria
Shukr Foundation
Sierra Friends of Tibet
Society for Threatened Peoples International
Society Union of Uyghur National Association
Stand With Hong Kong Vienna
Students for a Free Tibet – Canada
Students for a Free Tibet – UK
Students for a Free Tibet Denmark
Students for a Free Tibet India
Students for a Free Tibet Japan
Sweden Uyghur Education Union
Swedish Tibet Committee
Swiss Tibetan Friendship Association (GSTF)
Switzerland East Turkestan Association
Taiwan Friends of Tibet
Tashi Delek Bordeaux
The Norwegian Tibet Committee
The Youth Liberation Front of Tibet, Mongolia and Turkestan
Tibet Action Group of Western Australia
Tibet cesky (Tibet in Czech)
Tibet Committee of Fairbanks
Tibet Group, Panama
Tibet Initiative Deutschland
Tibet Justice Center
Tibet Lives, India
Tibet Mx
Tíbet Patria Libre, Uruguay
Tibet Rescue Initiative in Africa
Tibet Society of South Africa
Tibet Support Committee Denmark
Tibet Support Group Adelaide
Tibet Support Group Kenya
Tibet Support Group Kiku, Japan
Tibet Support Group Netherlands
Tibet Support Group Slovenia
Tibetan Association of Germany
Tibetan Association of Ithaca
Tibetan Association of Northern California
Tibetan Association of Philadelphia
Tibetan Community Austria
Tibetan Community in Britain
Tibetan Community in Denmark
Tibetan Community in Ireland
Tibetan Community of Italy
Tibetan Community of Victoria
Tibetan Community Sweden
Tibetan Community, Queensland
Tibetan Cultural Association – Quebec
Tibetan Programme of The Other Space Foundation
Tibetan Women’s Association (Central)
Tibetans of Mixed Heritage
Tibetisches Zentrum Hamburg
TIBETmichigan
Torontonian HongKongers Action Group
U.S. Tibet Committee
Uigur Society of the Kyrgyz Republic
Umer Uyghur Trust
United Nations for a Free Tibet (UNFFT)
US Hongkongers Club
Uyghur Academy
Uyghur American Association
Uyghur Association of France
Uyghur Center for Human Rights and Democracy
Uyghur Cultural and Education Union in Germany
Uyghur Education Union
Uyghur Human Right Project
Uyghur Projects Foundation
Uyghur Refugee Relief Fund
Uyghur Research Institute
Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project
Uyghur Support Group Netherlands
Uyghur Transitional Justice Database
Uyghur U.K. Association
Uyghur Youth Union in Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan Uyghur Culture Center
Viktoria Uyghur Association
Voces Tibet
World Mongolian Federation
World Uyghur Congress Foundation
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