Daily Darfur: China, Revisited
Published August 13, 2009 @ 04:29AM PT
In a move that can largely be attributed to intense campaigning by Darfur activists in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics last year, China's Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi listed Darfur as one of four "hot spot issues" on his foreign policy agenda. The minister urged the various parties to the conflict in Darfur to make haste to the negotiating table in a speech yesterday in Geneva.
Beginning in 2007, two dedicated campaigns formed to pressure the Chinese on Darfur: Dream for Darfur, and the athlete-focused Team Darfur, led by Olympian Joey Cheek. Working alongside other activist organizations, these campaigns brought significant international attention to Chinese complicity in the crimes of the Sudanese government. During the course of the projects, China relented on authorizing UN peacekeepers in Darfur, joined a UN Security Council resolution calling on Sudan to cooperate with the International Court, appointed a special envoy to Sudan, and made its first public statements admonishing the government of Sudan.
In a testament to how annoyed the Chinese were by the attention, Joey's visa was revoked the night before he was set to travel to Beijing to support his activist athletes.
The problem now, however, is that this pressure has largely died off since the Olympics ended and the two campaigns closed their doors. To its credit, China seems to be working quietly behind-the-scenes to push for peace in Darfur, but has yet to use the full extent of its leverage to do so --- which proved particularly disappointing after Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir expelled 13 humanitarian organizations from Darfur in March, and China appeared to stand by its long-time ally.
That said, the fact that Darfur is a priority for China is a good thing. If only everyone's talk about peace negotiations would actually materialize...
Quickies
A delegation of 21 senior US military officers are currently in Rwanda, "to seek ways of further deepening relations with the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF)." (Whatever that means.) The leader of the delegation praised Rwanda's leadership in peacekeeping efforts, particularly in the UNAMID force in Darfur. In other UNAMID news, troops from Gambia and Burkina Faso will soon join the still-not-fully-deployed force.
A coalition of Darfuri activists started a "Save Sudan" petition.
Israeli advocates are criticizing their government's treatment of the refugees and asylum seekers in the country. One-third of the refugees in Israel are from Darfur and South Sudan.
The latest update from Mohamed Suleiman tells of more violence in Darfur's IDP camps.
[Photo of Team Darfur founder Joey Cheek and activist/actress Mia Farrow at a symbolic torch relay event.]
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Comments (1)
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Michelle became involved in the anti-genocide cause at a young age, and has been involved in various activist endeavors, including the Teach Against Genocide pilot campaigns, ever since.
The world's leaders see nations with natural resources as a bank account, not as people. There is no incentive now for anyone to stop covert and overt actions against the peoples of the world.
My organization is providing this incentive. It is time for the creation of an international government that is based on fair and equitable practices, and guarantees the rights of the individual to create their life without interference.
To stop the genocides around the world, a nation's power must be based on its population, not how much military strength it has, or money, or how it can force through an agenda. The governments must turn their attentions inside their country to allow their people to prosper.
In the proposed international government, if the people feel they are being oppressed, they will leave, and the government will lose power in the international arena. Also, dictatorships will be impossible because it will be impossible to be in two places; each nation will have a national leader and one to represent it in the international government.
The United Nations has no power to end genocides, even with all the fine rhetoric. They have become body-counters. The Charter has five main flaws, which actually enable covert and overt actions. Time for a change.
Karen Holmes
Posted by Karen Holmes on 08/13/2009 @ 08:57AM PT
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