Why the Women’s Tennis Association supported Peng Shuai | Women’s Rights Issues

A well-known Chinese citizen affiliated with a major international organization is missing, and a letter is sent to make sure everything is in order. The agency seems to approve the letter in person even though questions remain before the citizen comes out a few months after he was forced to do so.

Things are different but there is a thread similar to the demise of Chinese footballer Peng Shuai, who last month accused former Deputy Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli of sexual misconduct, and Meng Hongwei, a former Interpol boss, who. missing on a trip to China in 2018 and 18 months later pleaded guilty guilty in acne. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Following Meng’s disappearance, Interpol appeared to approve the resignation letter and Secretary-General Jurgen Stock told the Associated Press that the international police force was barred by internal rules from investigating.

Things would be the same for Peng, the world’s top athlete and Olympian, after a TV story about his problem with Zhang. has been removed, except that the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) immediately began to decline. Famous tennis players followed suit, including Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams.

The WTA continued to raise questions despite the Chinese journalist CGTN sharing email on Twitter – who claim to be Peng – say he was “not needed” or “unsafe” and that what he said was “not true”. He reappeared in public a few days later and spoke to the International Olympic Committee for strong criticism. singing on video.

“[It] it is not known whether he is free and able to make decisions and act on his own, without pressure or interference from others, “said WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon later, emphasizing that the council is concerned about his health.

After repeated reports on the WTA regarding Peng Shuai’s health, the IOC reportedly telephoned the player and released a photo of the singer. [IOC via EPA]

Late Wednesday, the WTA announced the “suspension” of all matches in China and Hong Kong. China participated in nine WTA events in 2019 and a year ago signed a 10-year agreement to participate in the final of the WTA in Shenzhen, according to Reuters.

“It is absurd that the Women’s Tennis Association was more credible now than Interpol in pushing back to violate China’s human rights, abduct members of their corporation, and expose the allegations on both coercive and false statements,” she said. Michael Caster, co-founder of the human rights organization Safeguard Defenders, which oversees the disappearance of China.

‘Unacceptable’

China’s Foreign Ministry has accused critics and journalists of “false” and political interference in Peng’s disappearance in public.

Meanwhile, Zhang, a senior party member in the midst of Peng’s allegations, did not appear in public for several weeks, according to Caster.

He also described the situation in Peng as part of the same “playbook” used by the Chinese government when concerns have been raised about the lives of a citizen or foreign resident in China – from human rights lawyer Wang Yu to Swedish human rights activist Peter Dahlin. he continued. being one of the founders of Safeguard Defenders.

“These Peng Shuai public shows were clearly marked as part of a fiction and we do so because we have seen the video,” Caster told Al Jazeera.

Announcing the suspension, Simon of the WTA confirmed that China’s handling of Peng’s case was unconstitutional and should not be allowed to be legal.

“If powerful people can suppress the voices of women and eradicate sexual violence, then the very foundations that the WTA has established – the equality of women – can be reversed,” Simon said in a statement. “I will not allow this to happen to WTA and its players.”

Games, place, and match @WTA mu grand slam for sports and human rights in #China! Steve Simon announces WTA’s decision to suspend festivals in China… via @WTA https://t.co/LlZ7yW86BQ @hrw @MinkysHighjinks @hrw

– Sophie Richardson (@SophieHRW) December 1, 2021

Thanks Steve Simon & the @WTA leadership to take action to protect human rights in China and around the world. The WTA is on the right side of history in supporting our players.

This is another reason why women’s tennis is the leading sport in women’s sport. https://t.co/PHiU0S7Prw

Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) December 1, 2021

Some international sports federations have already been overseen by Beijing for the roles played by their players and officials.

China briefly suspended the NBA game after Houston Rockets manager Daryl Morey posted on Twitter that he was supporting democratic protests in Hong Kong in 2019 and removing Premier League player Mesut Ozil from China online after criticizing China’s treatment of the Muslim Uighurs.

Recently, the Boston Celtics’ NBA game has been withdrawn from China while Enes Kanter, their headquarters, continues to challenge President Xi Jinping with Chinese support in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Tibet as they resume protests in Taiwan.

Minutes of reading

The WTA, however, had a policy and timeline that put the organization at risk, says Simon Chadwick, a professor of international sports business at Emlyon Business School in France.

Peng’s case and allegations of sexual harassment come up during a global game on #MeToo and mental health issues following the social ills of athletes like Osaka and American athletes. Simone Biles.

“The first thing about WTA is that women and girls are their biggest business. This is what the organization is set up for and it does not seem like helping a person in need can interfere with what WTA does,” Chadwick said.

“I feel that the WTA probably read it and thought it was lost in the world without saying anything, then it failed to fight China.”

Chadwick says that although more money has been sold into the Chinese tennis market, women’s tennis has not started as quickly as the WTA expects.

Its relations with China have been strained as a result of the epidemic. So far, Shenzhen has conducted only one WTA ceremony in 2019. The end of 2020 was abolished due to coronavirus, and the 2021 event was relocated to Mexico following the further spread of Covid-19 to China.

The NBA came under pressure in China after Houston Rockets manager Daryl Morey tweeted to support protesters in Hong Kong in 2019. [File: Xihao Jiang/Reuters]

This can give WTA a type of distance that is not available in categories like IOC, which is scheduled to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing in February. The organization has also suffered from the Tokyo Olympic epidemic, with a one-year remission and unavailability by ordinary observers.

Following Peng’s departure, the IOC said it would “continue our open dialogue with all parties and the Chinese Olympic team” following questions about Peng, according to the Associated Press.

Emma Terho, Chair of the IOC Athletes Commission, said on Twitter that the council favored the principles of “silent negotiations”.

Based in the Republican state of Florida, the WTA may have also experienced some political turmoil beyond Beijing.

Washington is concerned about the neglect of the Winter Games against human rights abuses in places like Xinjiang and Hong Kong, says Chadwick.

“I wonder if there would be a political pressure from the United States to put the WTA to respond as it did.

On Wednesday, Simon regretted his decision to suspend the event in China, but said he was “deeply concerned” about the risks to players and staff as a national event in 2022.

He also urged Beijing to ensure that Peng was free, and that he could speak “without harassment or intimidation” and thoroughly investigate assault cases.

“I hope our requests will be heard and the Chinese authorities will take action to address this issue.”