All right, the Beijing Winter Olympics are here.

Events have already begun and with the opening ceremonies kicking off on Friday,

China is again in the spotlight. But that brings attention to more than just the winter games.

Every country commits human rights abuses.

Minky Warden is director of Global Initiatives for Human Rights Watch.

But certainly it is the case that there has not been a host government committing

crimes against humanity. This is really a new low.

NPR Sports correspondent Tom Goldman reported that in the weeks leading up to the Beijing Olympics,

activists have ramped up their criticisms of the host country.

With much of the messaging focused on China's policies towards Uyghurs in the Western region of

Xinjiang, policies that the U.S. government and a London-based tribunal have called genocide.

Wege Muslims, a minority group from Western China, have been speaking out at the tribunal's hearings,

witness after witness, saying things like,

punishments included, savage beatings, sleep and food deprivation.

Police officers took the children away by force.

But for Olympic athletes speaking out against these abuses could mean danger.

The International Olympic Committee, or IOC,

allows athletes to express their views outside of competitions and ceremonies,

but they're also expected to obey local laws.

The IOC has not come out proactively to indicate that we will protect and make sure everyone is safe

that decides to speak up.

Rob Tealer leads the advocacy group Global Athlete, and his advice is that athletes should not

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