Tennis Australia’s flip-flop over ‘Where is Peng Shuai?’ T-shirts shows it needs a human rights policy

‘Tennis Australia’s reversal on ‘Where is Peng Shuai?’ T-shirts and CEO Craig Tiley’s statements raise more questions.’ Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA

I just returned to Sydney after two incredible days at the Australian Open. Dylan Alcott brought me to tears and the legends’ doubles had me laughing. As I dashed from court to court catching as many aces and rallies as I could pack in in 48 hours, the hot sun of Melbourne seemed far away from human rights concerns in Tibet, Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

But curtailments to the fundamental human right to freedom of expression, both in Australia and China, were also playing out at the AO when two spectators held a banner and wore T-shirts that said “Where is Peng Shuai?” Their banner was confiscated, and they were asked to remove the offending shirts.