Daily Darfur: Hypocrites - Takes One to Know One | Stop Genocide

Daily Darfur: Hypocrites - Takes One to Know One

Published April 01, 2009 @ 04:35AM PT

The Washington Post comes down hard on the Arab League this morning, condemning the organization's unwavering support for the "Butcher of Darfur" and throwing the oft-lodged protest of bias right back at the AL member states:

"‘We must also take a decisive stance of solidarity alongside fraternal Sudan and President Omar al-Bashir,' said Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.Mr. Abbas is hoping that the Obama administration will pressure Israel to stop building ‘illegal' settlements in the West Bank; the next time he utters the phrase ‘double standard' in the presence of a U.S. diplomat, we suggest a query about Mr. Bashir."

WaPo goes on to compare the scale of atrocities in Gaza and Darfur, contrasting the 1,409 people killed in the recent Israeli offensive against Gaza with the estimated 300,000 deaths in Darfur --- which I think misses the point. Civilian deaths in war are always tragic, and when civilians are specifically targeted, or when reasonable efforts are not made to avert civilian casualties, those behind the transgressions should be held responsible.

But the overarching point of the Post's editorial is spot on: Arab League cries of hypocrisy against the West are fundamentally rooted in hypocrisy themselves. The lives of Darfuris are of equal worth to those in Gaza --- and civilians everywhere should be protected from violent transgressions, not used as pawns in some sort of unbalanced international political game.

Other items of note...

William H. Taft IV, a former deputy secretary of Defense, and Patricia M. Wald, a former chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals, argue that the U.S. should reconsider its position towards the International Criminal Court.

A UNAMID official warned yesterday that peacekeeping troops cannot fill the gaps left by expelled aid groups.

[Photo: A displaced Sudanese woman carries a child while seeking medical treatment at the clinic of the expelled aid group International Rescue Committee, IRC at al Salam refugee camp, out side the Darfur town of al-Fasher, Sudan Thursday, March 26, 2009.]

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Comments (1)

Well spotted point. Double standards and hypocrisies spoil the world and harm the governance and world order. It is our duty to spot and highlight this and I believe the People Power can make a difference.
You have noted WaPo comparison on Gaza killings: 1,409 killed and I just want to bring another hypocrasy very unfortunately by the WEST in Sri Lanka: UN Human Rights Commissioner said, 2800 Tamil Civilians Killed and 7000 wounded within 50 days (until 12th March) and the number keeps on increasing. Many believe this is happening with the active support of the WEST. But very limited International Coverage, very limited voice from International Organizations, No one interested in Stopping the killings, UN Plays a double game (I called as "21st Century Genocide Model". I wish to quote another important article on this from a prominent HR activist:

Killings and Concentration Camps: A Colossal Humanitarian Tragedy is Underway in Sri Lanka and No One is Saying a Word

By Arundhati Roy, Prominent Human Right Activist, author of "The God of Small Things" and "Power Politics" (South End Press).

What is happening right now in Sri Lanka, and what is being so effectively hidden from public scrutiny, is a brazen, openly racist war

The horror that is unfolding in Sri Lanka becomes possible because of the silence that surrounds it. There is almost no reporting in the mainstream Indian media -- or indeed in the international press -- about what is happening there. Why this should be so is a matter of serious concern.

From the little information that is filtering through, it looks as though the Sri Lankan government is using the propaganda of "the war on terror" as a fig leaf to dismantle any semblance of democracy in the country, and commit unspeakable crimes against the Tamil people. Working on the principle that every Tamil is a terrorist unless he or she can prove otherwise, civilian areas, hospitals and shelters are being bombed and turned into a war zone. Reliable estimates put the number of civilians trapped at over 200,000. The Sri Lankan army is advancing, armed with tanks and aircraft.

Meanwhile, there are official reports that several "welfare villages" have been established to house displaced Tamils in Vavuniya and Mannar districts. According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, these villages "will be compulsory holding centres for all civilians fleeing the fighting". Is this a euphemism for concentration camps?
There are disturbing but unconfirmed reports that India is lending material and logistical support to the Sri Lankan government in these crimes against humanity. If the reports are true, it is outrageous. What of the governments of other countries? Pakistan? China? What are they doing to help or to harm the situation?

Full Article: http://www.alternet.org/rights/134528/killings_and_concentration_camps:_a_colossal_humanitarian_tragedy_is_underway_in_sri_lanka_and_no_one_is_saying_a_word/

Posted by R Mike on 04/01/2009 @ 01:45PM PT
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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.