Peng

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Peng

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

There is a new video posted tonight of Peng in a restaurant talking with friends and a coach. It talks about tomorrow being nov 21but also says shes got two big matches to play the next days before season end. But shes not playing anywhere . And its posted by Chinese state media. A - it is staged b- she isnt safe she is a hostage . C - it may be from a past season anyway .

Shhh · Challenger level

I think it is only right that the WTA consider their future tournaments there. The players are queueing up on social media to offer support, I know that is genuine but I always have that feeling that if you "really" meant it could you not go further? Have the ATP suggested their tournaments are in doubt as well for example? It is very worrying for this poor girl, I hope that she is okay but everything points to otherwise.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-59363156

As well as the clearly suspicious video at the restaurant there is now the above of her being presented at a tournament in Beijing. It still makes no sense and she is clearly being manipulated and controlled , if these even happen to be recent clips ie now.

Wta need to give a deadline and say they will cancel all Chinese events if they havent spoken to her directly in the next few days.

Barefoot · Lower Club Player

I feel for the other Chinese players in the current sea of players speaking out - they must feel stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Imagine thisll be a similar situation to Fan Bingbing disappearing (accepting that in her case shed actually done something wrong!) - no public harm will come to her but shell reappear at an appropriate moment and the entire thing will have been dealt with behind closed doors, but the message will be loud and clear to the Chinese population - dont go against the status quo whoever you are.

Id like to think the WTA will stick to its stance, lets see.

Steve J · Lower Club Player

JonH comes home wrote:
Wta need to give a deadline and say they will cancel all Chinese events if they havent spoken to her directly in the next few days.

I can't see how the WTA can do much more than the letter that they sent last Friday.

https://twitter.com/christophclarey/status/1462128165325787148

LordBrownof · Futures level

Momentum is building around the US threatening to pull out of the Winter Olympics unless this is resolved. Jen Psaki talked a little about the situation in a recent press conference last week. If the highest parts of government are involved (as they should be) the pressure to prove she's well and free isn't going to go away.

I hope the WTA is lobbying the right folks in State behind the scenes.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Steve J wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
Wta need to give a deadline and say they will cancel all Chinese events if they havent spoken to her directly in the next few days.
I can't see how the WTA can do much more than the letter that they sent last Friday.
https://twitter.com/christophclarey/status/1462128165325787148

Id not seen that letter , it hits the right tone. But I think they need to be prepared to go to the next stage and withdraw from China - if players arent safe there, they cant play events - end of. Theyll need to give an ultimatum of x weeks to resolve etc

Armchair · County player

I completely understand the concern, and applaud the WTA for speaking up. But everyone has made a lot of assumptions that don't include Peng being in a very vulnerable place that has little to do with the 'government' and political issues but possibly related to her personal health and wellbeing.

Whether the state is upping it's game in media messages , or Peng actually is OK I really don't know.
www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/nov/21/latest-peng-shuai-images-do-little-to-ease-fears-about-her-safety-wta-france-tennis-china

But as much as I am concerned for Peng's wellbeing it's a little sad to see the fate of the many Uighers suffering in China fail to receive the same level of concern.

I'm not trying to belittle Peng's situation but more to place it in context.

indiana · Tennis legend

A smiling Peng says she is safe and well in a video call with the IOC President:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-59368774

SuperT · Futures level

indiana wrote:
A smiling Peng says she is safe and well in a video call with the IOC President:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-59368774

Do we actually believe this? It's still possible she's being forced to say these things. The photos posted by the authorities are very suspicious. If she were free would she not just post something herself to say she's fine?

indiana · Tennis legend

I merely report.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
I merely report.

Todays Sunday Telegraph has an article detailing the disappearance process, what happens in terms of re education and how the disappeared person comes out other end in a month or several, having realised the error of their ways, having let people down and generally realising and praising The State whilst apologising to their let down friends and supporters. This process includes interrogations, sleeping in padded cells, with the lights on at all times, possibly beatings and being rolled out now and then to be seen.

quite possibly Peng is in this world right now.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Nothing in the press release from the IOC makes me feel comfortable that she is safe, that she feels shes not being retaliated against or coerced. They have taken control of this because they are so concerned with the narrative around Beijing [Winter Olympics] they didnt want anything to go wrong with this.

Elaine Pearson, the Australia director of Human Rights Watch, criticised the IOC for taking part in the video. Frankly, it is shameful to see the IOC participating in this Chinese governments charade that everything is fine and normal for Peng Shuai. Clearly it is not, otherwise why would the Chinese government be censoring Peng Shuai from the internet in China and not letting her speak freely to media or the public.

The human rights activist Craig Foster, a former Australian international footballer, said where the WTA had demonstrated strength and firm resolve by threatening to pull tournaments out of China, the IOC had placed political and commercial considerations ahead of transparency, accountability and justice.

He said: The IOCs staged conversation with Peng Shuai could not be more tone deaf in terms of womens rights and protections and in dealing with a survivor of sexual assault.

The concept that a conversation with Thomas Bach followed by a catch-up over dinner is a satisfactory resolution of a very serious matter or an appropriate response to allegations of sexual abuse by an athlete which include censorship and likely coercion by an IOC member state, is emblematic of the failed concept of Olympism.

all of the above is taken from the article, not my own words And then hearing Seb Coe on Today trying to defend this and calling the WTA approach as bellicose is very concerning. Coe proves that the IOC and other sports bodies like the IAAF are running commercially scared here and worried about ripples from the WTA pulling out of CHina and what governments might do in terms of possible boycotts of events in China, like the Winter Olympics.

-- Edited by JonH comes home on Monday 22nd of November 2021 02:13:20 PM

-- Edited by JonH comes home on Monday 22nd of November 2021 08:44:21 PM

wolf · Tennis legend

Barricose?