It’s bad enough China is flooding our markets, on the brink of destroying what little economy Africa has, they, on top of that, support the worst dictatorial and criminal regimes in Africa. Worst, Tibetans are still being killed by the hundreds.
China, we all know, has not only consistently backed Al Bashir’s criminal government by posing their vetos on every resolution the UN has tried to pass to date. Calling the situation a “Grave concern” is just not going to cut it! The UN has recently agreed to one watered down resolution that would let a UN/AU (the AU, really!)force (with no real power to stop the genocide, hint hint: Rwanda) as peacekeepers. Peacekeepers, keyword peace. There is no peace to keep in Sudan. What a joke! China has only agreed to that resoluiton because of the threat of boycott for the Olympics which not only would be the greatest shame (for people that are so called “very proud”), but also an enormous financial disaster. China has the power to stray the balance here and stop the Genocide, but it insists on calling for the Khartoum Genocidaires’ regime to agree to a UN force for sovereignty purposes. The time for unlilateral military action has passed years ago. Sudan feels it has no need for western money since China provides them with arms, planes, money and artillery to keep perpetrating genocide Ad Vitam Eternam.
The question has been raised and debated as to whether boycotting an institution like the Olympics is fair enough. Maybe, the Olympics Comittee should’ve thought about it before giving the bid to China. Boycott is the right thing to do here. It’ll be hard though knowing how much money rides on the Olympics.
Of course, Germany has expressed its disagreement and rejected US calls for Boycott. Who cares what Germany thinks! They were China in 1936. China is the new Germany! It happened at the 1936 Berlin games as a cry against Nazism (known as The Nazi Olympics), well if it was done for jews, why not for tibetains and darfurians!
German officials stressed China had fulfilled the criteria of the International Olympic Committee to host the Olympics. Meanwhile, US legislators have introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives calling for a boycott of the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing unless it “stops engaging in serious human rights abuses,”. Supported initially by eight lawmakers from President George W Bush’s Republican party, the resolution also urges China to “stop supporting serious human rights abuses by the governments’ of Sudan, Myanmar and North Korea.
After all wasn’t Francois Mitterand (Genocider) quoted saying ” Vous savez dans ces pays la, les genocides c’est pas grand chose (In those countries, genocide is nothing). Humm… We know where that dead body is going! Right to Hell! %$#^&…
The Dream for Darfur, US Olympic Torch Relay: http://dreamfordarfur.org/TorchRelay/InternationalRelay/tabid/205/Default.aspx
For lack of action, at least we can make a statement! The 2008 Olympics are the perfect platform to shame and call China what it is: a Human rights abuser at home and a worldwide supporter of Genocide.
“The horror of Rwanda is too high a price to pay for a very vaporous and whimsical notion of what constitutes inviolable territorial boundaries.“
Nigerian Nobel Literature Laureate Wole Soyinka.
M.
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Nov 29th:
Join us at the Chinese Embassy on December 10, International Human Rights Day, and urge China to help end the genocide in Darfur!
The Dream for Darfur Olympic Torch Relay is coming to D.C.! The Dream for Darfur campaign is an international symbolic relay from Darfur to Beijing calling on China – host of the 2008 Olympics and Sudan’s most powerful ally – to do more to end the genocide. The torch has visited more than 60 cities in the U.S. and is coming to D.C. for the finale of its U.S. leg.
What: Dream for Darfur Olympic Torch Relay Finale
When: Monday, December 10, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Where: From the U.S. Holocaust Museum to the Chinese Embassy.
Featured speakers at the Chinese Embassy include:
Mia Farrow, actress
Joey Cheek, Olympic gold medalist for speedskating
Mohamed Yahya, Darfuri refugee
Following are the scheduled stops on the Relay. If you can only make it to one location, please join us at the Chinese Embassy at Connecticut and Kalorama at 12:40 – that’s where we need the most people!
9:45 a.m. – 10:20 a.m.
U.S. Holocaust Museum
15th St. and Independence Ave., just southeast of the Washington Monument
11:00 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.
Lafayette Park
Pennsylvania Ave. between 15th and 17th Streets, north of the White House
Noon – 12:20 p.m.
Sudanese Embassy
2210 Massachusetts Ave. N.W., off 22nd St.
12:40 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Chinese Embassy
2300 Connecticut Ave. N.W., on the corner of Connecticut Ave. and Kalorama Ave.
The situation in Darfur is continuing to deteriorate. Just last weekend, Sudanese President Al-Bashir threatened to bar U.N. peacekeepers from Darfur and frustrate years of negotiations. And China is giving him the diplomatic cover to do so.
We must keep the pressure on China to help end genocide! Join us on December 10 and help bring the Olympic Dream to Darfur!
We hope to see you there!
Best regards,
Coby Rudolph
Save Darfur Coalition
November 26, 2007 at 10:20 pm
Once again our dear friend Sarko just showed how interested and selfish he is by going to Pekin and closing deals with these Chinese!!! After his speech in Africa, what the hell is he doing in China now??? French people…
November 27, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Actually (on va maccuser de defendre Sarko again, one of his first point of interest when he came into office was darfur both him and England’s Brown). China is like a big bully right now, it’s the fastest growing economy, and whether we like it or not most developed countries need China’s business desperately. So counting on countries to cut all ties with the chinese is hopeless coz it just won’t happen. What we need is action on the civil society level. Governments can pressure but at the end of the day their hands are tied! Petitions, rallies, divestment efforts, boycott and more pressure in the UN. Believe it or not, those work. We picketed in front of Fidelity Investments a couple of moths ago with the Save Darfur movement and they listened ad divested part (not all) of their business invested in Petroleum companies in Khartoum. That’s why civil society collective action is important! it won’t come form the African Union nor countires individually. Pressure, pressure and more pressure!
November 28, 2007 at 5:19 pm
On ne fait pas d’omelette san casser d’oeufs… every single great nation (society, empire, or country) was built on the back (suffering, misery, exploitation) of others… Given our short human history (ancient and modern) I would say China is not doing so bad compared to other rising powers (Egypt, Rome, England, Spain, US, Israel etc…). My point being, in this never ending struggle for world dominance and access to ressources, there are no inocent bystanders…only oppressors and oppressed..Its about time for us 2 take our seat at the coveted oppresor table (as long as we finally realize that we are better off oppressing others dan our own)!
November 29, 2007 at 3:28 pm
Not doing so bad COMPARED to the worst doesn’t cut it!
I would very much enjoy us becoming oppressors! How great would that be!
August 3, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Amayel,
I’m Sudanese. I’m not from Darfur , but I lived there. I disagree with the bad publicity China is getting. The olypmics shouldn’t be called genocide olympics.
First of all, the government of Sudan is a criminal government with that being said, it’s the government’s fault not china’s. So what if China buys oil from Sudan? we started exporting oil in the late 1990’s and we didn’t have alot to do with China except in the last few years. The sudanese government fought a holy war ( much worse than Darfur) before that without oil money or china’s help.
China like every other country had an agenda and they have their interests. It’s not about the money they give the govt for the oil it’s about how the govt uses it.
Blaming china is not going to solve the problem. We don’t need to boycott china, we need a political resolution.
August 6, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Hi Kizzie,
Welcome and thanks for your comment.
I see how there can be two sides to this issue of boycott. I, for one do not believe any of our leaders (on the african side) are competent, moral or virtuous enough to do anything about Sudan. The gvt of Sudan itself is a criminal gvt as you said, and we’lll therefore not count on them to stop these atrocities.
Hence, my turning around to supporters (not causes) to this genocide. I think China deserves all the bad publicity… and then some… If not for supplying weapons to Sudan, then for Tibet, for gross human rights violations and so much more.
Whether Sudan can continue without money from China is another debate, but at least, it’s a step in the right direction.
I’m all for pressure, boycotts, divestments. Anything rather than just counting on the good will of our governments…because as we all know, THAT has never worked.
Also, this was in yesterday’s news yesterday, from CNN: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/08/05/rwanda.france.ap/index.html
Kicking these people out of our internal affairs can only help. By “these people”, I mean Westerners.
Cheers,
M.
August 9, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Amayel,
I love your blog between!
It’s unfair to say that not a single African leader is competent enough to do something about Sudan or other critical situations. I try to avoid looking at them this way and perpetuating the stereotype that all African leaders are incompetent and corrupt.
I think its difficult for African leaders to do something about Sudan and Zimbabwe because it’s very political. They could pressure the leaders, but still, it’s not in their capacity to do much.
We need a political resolution to change things in Sudan and George Clooney and Thabo Mbeki are incapable of doing anything about it.
China is not a supporter. China like other countries is concerned with their interests. They buy oil from our govt, our govt should’ve used it for development but they don’t.
I feel that involving China in this and calling it a genocide-enabler is a more political situation not a huminitarian one.
The US is worried about China’s involvment in Africa and Darfur is an interesting distraction from Iraq and Afghanistan ( so China is accused of orchestring a genocide and so on , even though all the blame should be on the government of sudan.
People think I’m being cold-hearted, but I just see politics involved everywhere and Darfur is higly politicized..sadly.
I’m not exactly for sanctions and divestment, I’m from change. This change should come from within and not from abroad. Alot is happening in sudan right now, alot of political and social mobilization, if we could keep it up to the elections next year then we could be heading in the right path.
( good thing about the government is that they have problems between them. The president is paranoid and cant trust all his “friends” so the government is not as strong as it seems. They just passed the elections bill so they want to give up power asap)
August 11, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Hi Kizzie,
Lov your blog too! Very informative…
I do stand by my statement though. Name one african leader competent to do anything about Darfur, or any other crisis in Africa for that matter. And Zimbabwe only reinforces my point. None of them are willing to intervene because when their turn comes, they just want the rest of Africa to watch them as well instead of mediating. It’s like a code they have not to mess with each other’s internal affairs no matter how bad it gets. Proof: as soon as something happens in Africa we turn to the UN, NATO, EU or the US, never to the AU. Because it is useless. Call me pessimistic, I think it’s just reality and it’s sad. Mbeki, to me is actually the biggest disappointment because of the estime I had for him and the weight he actually has in the region but is stil struggling to mediate Zimbabwe correctly. Because if they ever propose to mediate, then it’s puppet mediation like Mbeki or Wade are offering Zimbabwe
To me, China is a supporter. It’s not cheering or forcing Sudan to do anything it doesn’t want to, but it is allowing and encouraging by selling arms and weaponry for the governement to perpetrate the attacks. It is also blocking any major UN resolution for stronger peacekeeping forces on the ground. I call that aiding and abeiting.
Overall, it is political and I don’t see anything wrong with that because plain humanitarian action only works for charity and raising money, not for policy changes. Politics with a conscience I call it. That’s the change you are talking about, and that comes with any arm-twisting necessary. Fortunately, their paranoia will all take them down, but how long will it take? Way too long if you ask me.
I see from your email adress you’re with American University in Cairo. I would’ve loved to do an exchange for a year and go to Cairo. Unfortunately, i’m stuck at AU in DC. The School of International Service has really good programs though, so I won’t complain too much. i would’ve loved to be on your side of the action though.
Take care.
August 19, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Amayel,
Thanks for the nice exchange.
you know the problem with the AU is that some sides want to see it fail in Darfur and that’s exactly what happened. The AU mission to Sudan was funded by the EU and at some point, the soldiers didn’t get paid for 3 month, they lacked helicopters and vehicles. So why agree to “fund” a mission even though you know it’s going to fail?
It’s either the international community was playing a game with us and they wanted the AU mission to fail so that the UN goes into Sudan or they were just wasting our time.
I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense sometimes.
I understand your support my dictatorship, I will support yours argument but only the Sudanese are going to save this mess.
That’s my problem with American approaches for example ( Save Darfur) it is as if they convince college kids that they are going to “Save” darfur. Look at the facebook groups, if you join this group, darfur is going to be saved or something like that. Absurd
August 25, 2008 at 9:36 am
Hello Kizzie,
I’m afraid we weren’t talking about the same AU. I meant American University in DC, that’s where I’m going to school and I saw on your email adress that you are going (or went) to the American University in Cairo. You can easily guess what I think of the African Union, given what I think of African leaders. Yeah… not flattering at all.
I’m a little anti-facebook, so I don’t really know what’s going on in there. I’d hope the Facebook groups and Save Darfur people know this is to raise awareness and not what’s going to solve it all. Now, as a member of “Save Darfur”, I’d have to say raising awareness is a first step, and no one will be able to say “we had no idea” like in Rwanda.