Letter to Husain Al-Musallam, President of the Federation Internationale de Natation

Statement

Dear Mr. Al-Musallam:

The recent disappearance and censorship of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai,
the former Women's Tennis Association (WTA) top-ranked doubles player, has shocked
the world and exposed the terrifying lack of basic rights and human decency
experienced by the Chinese people at the hand of General Secretary Xi's ruthless
communist regime.

In response to these disturbing events, the WTA set an example for the world in
its decision to suspend all of its scheduled tournaments in Communist China, including
Hong Kong, until Ms. Shuai is free and able to speak without interference or
intimidation, and Beijing allows for a full and completely transparent investigation into
her accusation of sexual assault by former Vice Premier of Communist China, Zhang
Gaoli.

The WTA understands that playing tournaments in Communist China puts
athletes at risk, and that the Chinese Communist Party's treatment of Ms. Shuai cannot
be tolerated. We all must recognize and support the WTA in making this significant
action and choosing human rights and player safety over profits. This cannot be limited
to tennis. As an organization which represents the interests of the world's athletes, and
the integrity of competition, I would hope you are deeply concerned that the Chinese
Communist Party would silence and censor an athlete because she spoke out about
sexual assault.

I recently wrote to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver requesting a meeting to
discuss the league's involvement in Communist China. In my letter, I told
Commissioner Silver:

Organizations with operations in Communist China, like the NBA, have a responsibility
to speak out about these abuses and leverage their positions to influence change. We all
have a responsibility to put human rights above profits, and in the face of General
Secretary Xi's genocide, horrific crimes against women, media censorship, the
destruction of democracy and religious persecution, the NBA could be a powerful voice
for human rights. But if the NBA continues to forsake its responsibility, it gives tacit
approval to the Chinese Communist Party's abuses.

This statement is as true for the NBA as it is for your organization. So today, I
write to you to urge you to follow the WTA's lead and immediately suspend all of your
organization's planned events in Communist China until Ms. Shuai is free from
coercion, allowed to freely speak and there is a thorough and completely transparent
investigation into her accusations of assault.

Now is the time for the world of sport to stand united and demand
accountability. The safety of all athletes, including those competing at the 2022 Winter
Olympics in Beijing, cannot be jeopardized by your decision to put profits over people
and fail to publically condemn the abuses of the Chinese Communist Party.

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