The violence is escalating in Darfur: in recent weeks the refugees in Kalma camp, population 90,000, were attacked by the Sudanese army with mortars and machine guns, displaced persons in Otash camp were forcibly and violently moved into the desert -- a highly insecure environment. Oxfam publicly expressed concern that it may be forced to evacuate if the violence worsens and yesterday the head of OCHA, one of the largest UN humanitarian agencies was expelled for his criticism of the outrageously inhumane treatment of the residents of Otash.
Meanwhile China is fully supporting the Sudanese regime. "We are doing normal business with Sudan" a Chinese official boasted to me. I asked him "Would you do 'normal' business with Hitler?" He had no answer. The unwavering support of China gives the genocidal Khartoum regime confidence that it can do whatever it chooses. Khartoum and China know no shame. We must all shout even louder that this must not be tolerated. Make the upcoming Beijing Olympics our loud speaker. Steven Spielberg should resign without further delay. His continued participation is a disgrace. And while we're at it let's make it clear we don't want our president -- who represents us -- attending those games under these circumstances. China cannot host the Olympics at home and underwrite genocide in Darfur. I give up on governments -- this is the moment for all caring people to stand up and be heard loud and clear -- let's hear it for our brothers and sisters in Darfur. They have suffered long enough.
(course..then they'd start dumping the dollar..but we brought this on ourselves..and now have to pay the price)...
Make yourself a promise..no matter how hard it is..stop buying anything..I mean anything..made in china...
So we should absolutely do as Mia suggests and put pressure on China.
Its just that's it is so hard to be taken seriously when we tell China to "do as I say, not as I do".
Meanwhile, we support various dictators and regimes with terrible human rights records. We fund and train death squads in Latin America (did we stop yet?). Unquestioning support for a dictator in Pakistan is ok, right? Its different. It doesn't count, because... ummm...
China has outplayed the US and has the lions share of the oil contracts. BUT if we can cause enough strife and agitate for splitting the country, we might be able to renegotiate those oil contracts away from China!
See the excellent article
Darfur? It's the Oil, Stupid.
http://www.oilgeopolitics.net/Geopolitics___Eurasia/Oil_in_Africa/oil_in_africa.html
Here he is speaking passionately about the subject at an early debate a few months back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irdHYG_jpgw
Look him up. This has been one of his major issues for a long time now, and yet the mainstream media ignores him as much as they ignore the violence.
Thank you for keeping attention on China's role in continuing the genocide. Thanks also for continuing to mention Steven Spielberg's implicit role in the genocide's continuation. I make a conscientious effort to avoid 'Made in China' products and I have no desire to see or be associated with anything that involves Spielberg.
Hopefully countries and people will do the "right" thing, whether it's for financial reasons or moral reasons. Just do it.