The Beijing Olympics began this week, and while many will be supporting their country’s athletes from afar, the shadow of China’s complicated human rights record will be dimming the glamour of the games. From the disappearance of tennis star Peng Shaui to the horrific treatment of the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang province to China’s anti-democracy and free speech crackdowns, the moral and ethical complications of placing the games in China have highlighted tensions within the International Olympic Committee. Sam Borden explains the sociopolitical context of the Beijing Olympics, and why these games feel so much more complicated.

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