Opinion | Tokyo Olympics: Myanmar swimmer Win Htet Oo’s protest over military junta exposes what Beijing boycott call is missing

The swimmer will not attend the Tokyo Olympics in protest against the military junta in power in Myanmar

While athlete-driven forms of protest ring true, the Beijing boycott movement misses underlying issue that the IOC has lost its moral compass

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Myanmar swimmer Win Htet Oo’s Tokyo boycott rings sound, as opposed to the politically driven Beijing boycott. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:00am, 8 May 2021Updated: 8:45pm, 8 May 2021

The reason swimmer Win Htet Oo is not heading to the Tokyo Olympics is easy to explain.

Oo, whose parents have Burmese lineage, did not want to compete for Myanmar due to the junta in power in his homeland. In February, the military, led by senior general Min Aung Hlaing, seized control of the country after a general election was won by Aung San Suu Kyi’s ruling National League for Democracy party in late 2020. The military said the election was marred by voter fraud.

The coup led to widespread protests and the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners advocacy group estimates security forces have killed at least 766 civilians. The junta disputes this figure, stating that at least 24 members of its security forces have been killed during the protests.

Myanmar’s military has a long and documented history as a brutal, oppressive regime. Recent sweeping moves by its security forces saw the snatching of young men and boys in a bid to quash the three-month uprising. Now a group of more than 200 non-governmental organisations, including Human Rights Watch, are calling for a global arms embargo on Myanmar.

As an athlete, representing your country at the Olympics is the highest honour. Oo feels his government, currently a military dictatorship, does not represent his values as an athlete or human being. He is a practising Buddhist and subscribes to the ideals of democracy, freedom of expression and a country’s obligations to uphold fundamental human rights.