Lessons from a Human Rights Disaster: What the 2008 Olympics can teach us about the 2022 Beijing Winter Games

Despite the controversy surrounding the 2008 Olympics, protest in the West was muted, with little action taken by governments and Olympic associations. The decision to award the 2022 Winter Olympics to Beijing has reopened the debate about what can be done to challenge a host government which is anticipating a second opportunity to ‘sportswash’ its extensive human rights violations.