There is now widespread support among human rights activists and politicians for some form of boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics which will be hosted by China. A regime that has committed ongoing mass atrocities and serious human rights violations, particularly in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong. A diplomatic boycott, relocating the Games, athlete-led protests, and the removal of corporate sponsors are all possibilities in addition to a full boycott. Others, such as Ambassador David Scheffer’s proposal to create neutral, permanent sites for the Olympic Games through an international treaty, have advocated longer-term reforms that would prohibit any totalitarian government from hosting the Games in the future.

The idea of boycotting the Olympics had varying levels of intensity throughout history. Late in December 1979, Soviet forces arrived in Afghanistan to support the government that had been installed in Kabul eight months before. In response, US President Jimmy Carter and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher urged for a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. In 1976, this was greater than the one headed by African countries. Athletes and their associations were also subjected to indirect pressure, with many fearing the loss of future government support or sponsorship.

Governments are debating whether to boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing months ahead of the events. Hundreds of human rights organizations have called for a complete boycott of China because of its human rights violations in Xinjiang and other parts of the country, while other academics and officials have offered alternatives. China has been heavily chastised for its human rights record. Several nations, notably the United States, have accused China of genocide in the Xinjiang area against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities, which China denies. Beijing’s persecution in Tibet and its attack on freedoms in Hong Kong have also been highlighted by rights groups.

Participating in the Beijing Olympics 2022 according to a coalition of almost 200 human rights organizations would be regarded as “an endorsement of the Chinese Communist Party’s authoritarian leadership” and would be seen as “turning a blind eye to these crimes.” The International Olympic Committee which organizes and manages the games has attempted to defuse the situation by reiterating its “neutral” stance on political matters.

Full boycotts, in which nations refuse to send athletes, officials, or spectators to the host country for a variety of reasons, have occurred a few times.

More than two dozen African nations boycotted the 1976 Olympics in Montreal when the International Olympic Committee declined to ban New Zealand, whose rugby squad had broken an international athletic embargo by touring apartheid South Africa. Four years later, in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the United States spearheaded a boycott of the Moscow Olympics. In retaliation, the Soviet Union boycotted the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. North Korea and its allies boycotted the Seoul Olympics in 1988, which was the final comprehensive boycott.

Experts believe it’s impossible to assess the success of a boycott. “Boycotts have a range of effects that are almost always indirect, almost usually over a very long period of time, and sometimes counterproductive,” says David Black, a professor of sports and international diplomacy at Dalhousie University. According to Black, the Soviet Union did not leave Afghanistan as a result of the boycott, but it did diminish the prestige it intended to gain from the games and signified rising dissatisfaction with Moscow’s conduct.

Many analysts believe that a boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics would be futile and would make gaining concessions from China even more difficult. Concerned nations and media outlets, according to others, should instead utilize the 2022 games to call attention to China’s human rights violations. China’s foreign ministry has threatened a “strong response” to any boycotts, and analysts say Beijing has a variety of options for retaliation. The Chinese government may halt bilateral interactions and participation in international meetings such as those on climate change, as well as hamper commerce and penalize foreign officials. Indeed, Beijing has retaliated against foreign activities it does not approve of several times in recent years.