Airbnb has been targeted by Uighur Muslim campaign groups ©Getty Images

Campaign groups fighting against the persecution of Uighur Muslims in China have joined forces to pressure sponsors to withdraw their support of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Groups from 10 different countries have joined the End the Uighur Genocide Movement and set their sights on Airbnb chief executive Brian Chesky. 

The group is aiming to get Airbnb to withdraw its sponsorship from Beijing 2022 and has asked Chesky to meet virtually with campaigners, including those who have been detained in the alleged Uighur Muslim internment camps in China. 

A digital campaign is also to be launched, which will compare photos of the accommodation normally found on Airbnb and the rooms given to Uighur Muslims in the detention camps.

The aim of the campaign - set to be launched in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, Finland, France, The Netherlands, Japan and Australia - is intended to persuade the Beijing 2022 sponsors they may pay a commercial price if they are associated with the next edition of the Winter Olympics and Paralympics. 

"All over the world, campaigners, politicians and celebrities are waking up to the horror of what is going on," the End the Uighur Genocide Movement letter to Chesky said. 

"There is now a real risk that that Airbnb’s brand will be stained by your association with the Genocide Games."

Airbnb became the 14th member of The Olympic Partner (TOP) Programme when it signed a nine-year deal in 2019. 

Airbnb chief executive Brian Chesky has been invited to meet virtually with campaigners ©Getty Images
Airbnb chief executive Brian Chesky has been invited to meet virtually with campaigners ©Getty Images

Hundreds of thousands of new Airbnb hosts are set to provide accommodation for the next five Winter and Summer Games until 2028 under the terms of the deal.

A key part of the sponsorship agreement includes the launch of Airbnb Olympian Experiences, where travellers will be given the opportunity to train with elite athletes or explore a city with them.

Companies such as Allianz, Coca-Cola, Samsung, Intel, Visa International, Omega, Atos and Panasonic are also TOP sponsors. 

It is believed that Airbnb was targeted first by Uighur campaigners due to the company's focus on corporate social responsibility. 

The power of sponsors in the staging of sporting events was shown last week when German motor oil manufacturer Liqui Moly, car manufacturer Skoda and body care brand Nivea Men threatened to withdraw its support from the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Men's World Championship if the tournament was not stripped from Belarus. 

The IIHF announced the event would be moved from Belarus just days later. 

China's clampdown in Hong Kong and the alleged mass internment of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang has been the subject of growing criticism from across the world, sparking claims the country should not be allowed to host the Winter Games in 2022.

Politicians and human rights groups are among those to have urged the IOC to move the event from Beijing amid the alleged mistreatment of its own citizens.