[NTDNewsNovember192021Beijingtime]The International Women’s Tennis Association’s support for the Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai who was missing due to a report on the Chinese Communist Party’s top level has aroused concern. The Chinese Communist Party media published the questioned Peng Shuai “Ping An Letter”, which turned out to be a catalyst for public opinion. The International Tennis Association subsequently expressed concern about Peng Shuai’s safety, and the United Nations asked for evidence of “Peng Shuai’s safety”.
On Thursday (November 18), the International Tennis Federation (ITF) broke its silence, expressed concern about Peng Shuai’s safety and called for Peng Shuai’s accusation of the former Politburo Standing Committee member Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault and abandonment. Investigate.
The ITF said in a statement to Reuters: “The safety of players is always our top priority and we support a full and transparent investigation into this matter.”
According to a report by Agence France-Presse, on the 19th, the spokesperson of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet (Michelle Bachelet) also spoke in Geneva on the Peng Shuai incident, demanding evidence that “Peng Shuai is well”.
The spokesperson said that after Peng Shuai’s allegations of sexual assault on social networking sites, there has been no news so far. “It is important to have evidence that proves her whereabouts and safety. At the same time, we urge that allegations of sexual assault against her be fully transparent. Investigation”.
On the 18th, American tennis star Serena Williams also posted on social platforms that he was “shocked and desperate” about Peng Shuai’s situation. Serena Williams said that he hopes Peng Shuai will be safe, “We can’t sit back and stay silent, we must investigate.”
The above public statements all occurred after the so-called “Peng Shuai e-mail” was published on the 18th by the Chinese Communist Party’s official media CGTN. In the “mail screenshots” released by CGTN, Peng Shuai claimed to be “safe” and accused the International Women’s Association (WTA) of “posting false news without my consent”. However, this “email” is full of doubts and is widely questioned of fraud.
WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon responded in a statement on the WTA official website, “It’s hard to believe” this email was written by Peng Shuai himself.
Doriane Lau, a researcher at Amnesty International, told Reuters that this so-called “safety” statement is not of reference value, because the Chinese Communist Party’s official media has a history of intimidating individuals to make statements or fabricating them out of thin air.
This suspicious “Ping An Letter” was widely reported by overseas media, which once again aroused the international community’s attention to the Peng Shuai incident.
On November 2, Peng Shuai, who was ranked number one in tennis doubles in the world, publicly accused on Weibo that the 75-year-old former Politburo Standing Committee member and Vice Premier of the State Council Zhang Gaoli had forced her to have sex and abandoned her. . But related information was quickly blocked by the entire network, and Peng Shuai himself never showed up again.
On the 14th, the WTA stated in a statement that it would seek a comprehensive, fair and transparent investigation into the allegations of Zhang Gaoli’s sexual assault on Peng Shuai by the Chinese government, and requested the authorities to stop the review of Peng Shuai.
The men’s tennis international governing body (ATP Tour, ATP Tour) and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) subsequently expressed support for the WTA. The world’s number one men’s tennis player Novak Djokovic, American professional tennis player Billie Jean King (Billie Jean King), and Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka also spoke out. Pay attention to Peng Shuai’s safety.
(Reporter Zheng Gusheng Comprehensive Report / Chief Editor: Lin Qing)
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