The NBA's Golden State Warriors have distanced themselves from executive board member and minority owner Chamath Palihapitiya after he repeatedly said he doesn't care about "what's happening to Uighurs" on podcasts.
The San Francisco team said, "As a limited investor who does not have day-to-day operations with the Warriors, Mr. Palihapitiya does not speak on behalf of our franchise, and his views certainly reflect the views of our organization." do not reflect." Monday.
Rights experts, witnesses and the US government have said more than one million Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking Muslims are imprisoned in camps in China's Xinjiang province.
Beijing describes these sites as vocational training centers and says that, like many Western countries, it is seeking to combat radical Islamic terrorism.
But the United States has described their treatment as genocide and, along with Australia, Britain and Canada, plans a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Games over the issue.
Palihapitiya is a billionaire venture capitalist who owns 10% of Warriors, explains CBS San Francisco.
The station says he was discussing U.S.-China policy on its "All-In" podcast when he commented on a bill signed by President Joe Biden in December that would have banned imports from the Xinjiang region. unless there is evidence that they were not made with forced labour.
According to CBS San Francisco, in response to a co-host commenting on the Biden administration's position on Xinjiang, Palihapitiya said, "Let's be honest - no one cares about what's going on with the Uighurs." You bring it up because you really care, and I think it's good that you care. The rest of us don't care.
"...I'm telling you a very harsh, ugly truth. Of the things I care about, it's down my line."
When challenged by his co-hosts, he doubled down.
"I care about the fact that if China attacks Taiwan, our economy could turn a dime," he said.
"But if you're asking me if I care about a section of people in another country - not until we can take care of ourselves, would I prioritize them over mine."
In a statement, Palihapitiya later said, "In listening to this week's podcast again, I admit that I lack empathy. I fully acknowledge it.
“As a refugee, my family fled a country (Sri Lanka) with human rights issues of its own, so this is something that is a part of my life experience.
"To be clear, I believe that human rights matter, whether in China, the United States, or anywhere else. Full stop," he tweeted.
CBS San Francisco says Palihapitiya's comments sparked a wave of harsh criticism on social media, including NBA standout Anse Kanter Freedom, who added Freedom to her name after becoming a US citizen last year. Cantor Freedom has been critical of the government's human rights policies in his native Turkey for years.
"When the @NBA says we stand for justice, don't forget there are people who sell their souls for money and business, like @chamath the owner of @warriors, who says, "Nobody cares" That's what's happening to Uighurs. "When genocide happens, it's the people who let it happen. Damn it!" He tweeted.
China has a record of freezing sports personalities, teams and organizations critical of Beijing.
The NBA hasn't been featured on state broadcaster CCTV since the Houston Rockets chief executive tweeted his support for Hong Kong's democracy movement more than two years ago.
And Chinese streaming service Tencent stopped showing games involving the Boston Celtics after the Celtic, Aeneas Kanter, labeled President Xi Jinping a "brutal dictator" and denounced Beijing's policies in Tibet.