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Article by Romeo Dallaire-" the crisis screaming out to the West and the rest of the international community is the genocide taking place in Darfur."
Don't coddle Beijing - it must account for its role Darfur
ROMEO DALLAIRE
Globe and Mail
May 11, 2008 at 6:30 PM EDT
Many consider it taboo to speak of the genocide in Darfur and the upcoming Beijing Olympics in the same breath. I disagree entirely. I believe the two should be firmly linked in the public's mind, and I said so in blunt terms during a recent CBC interview.
I was quickly and severely criticized in print for my comments by journalist Lysiane Gagnon and academic Christian Constantin. They seemed to think I needed a history lesson on Chinese political progress and a reminder of the West's sins, including our willingness to trade with countries whose human-rights records are shaky or even dismal.
There's no doubt Western countries have demonstrated abysmal judgment in various crises over the past couple of centuries, and their failures and misdeeds need retelling and analysis lest they be repeated. Western insouciance and intransigence over the past few decades alone have been staggering in terms of human suffering – think of Sierra Leone, Rwanda, the Congo, Eastern Europe and Afghanistan, to name a few.
For the moment, however, the crisis screaming out to the West and the rest of the international community is the genocide taking place in Darfur. China has been obstructionist in the UN Security Council while blithely supplying Khartoum with modern arms in exchange for oil. This has enabled Sudan to systematically kill an estimated 300,000 Darfurians since 2003, and to harass, torture, rape and starve the 21/2 million it has displaced.
The Chinese government wants us to ignore its central role in all this, and to laud it as the gracious host of the 2008 Olympic Games. Beijing's painstaking efforts to paint itself in a positive image attests to its obsession with being unconditionally accepted as an open, modern, honourable and progressive player by the international community.
Based on its behaviour in the Sudan, however – I liken it to that of a colonial power – the Chinese government cannot possibly be afforded the accolades it so eagerly craves. Led by liberal democracies and middle powers, including Canada, the international community must protest against Beijing's role in fuelling Darfur's genocide. It must use the leverage of the very international disapprobation China fears to make it stop supporting Khartoum and obstructing the deployment of the desperately needed 26,000-strong United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur.
Ms. Gagnon and Mr. Constantin assert that Beijing is too proud to give in to Western pressure. Moreover, they say, public pressure by the West would only push China to withdraw behind its Communist dictatorship. We need to challenge these assumptions. In any event, remaining silent while China continues to help Khartoum hammer away at helpless civilians with gun ships and co-ordinated ground attacks with the brutal janjaweed militia would be repugnant and morally indefensible.
Fortunately, international criticism is not the only force at work. Despite the government's repression, Chinese student, labour and intellectual movements have been fighting for democratic and political reforms for a long time. Recall the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, which emerged from the disaffection of ordinary Chinese citizens. The country's growing middle class, numbering about 300 million, who seek a better standard of living and greater freedoms, will also push their government to become a respected and reliable international economic power.
According to Ms. Gagnon and Mr. Constantin, China has made significant strides in justice and tolerance. They remind us of some of the great economic, cultural, political and social progress the country has made. But let us not forget that it still routinely engages in torture and arbitrary imprisonment. We must also acknowledge that, with its 2.2 million soldiers, the Chinese government has ample ability to contribute to peace efforts in Darfur, not just to send in advisers to teach the Sudanese forces how to use the weapons it provides against defenceless civilians.
In addition to the existing political, economic and diplomatic channels, we must use the Olympics to pressure China and enlighten its people about what is happening in Darfur, and why the international community is outraged. For now, China keeps its Chinese citizens hyped on Olympic glory, insulated from outside media and ignorant of its dirty work in Darfur. It's a despicable scenario that we cannot allow to persist.
Senator Roméo Dallaire is a retired lieutenant-general and former commander of the UN Assistance Mission in Rwanda
Thoughts on the rebel attempt to topple Khartoum.
In recent weeks there has been an alarming spike in the violence in Darfur with government bombings in
north Darfur where a school and marketplace were attacked leaving more than a dozen civilian dead and
many more wounded. Among the those killed were 6 school children. The international community was
further outraged when the Government refused to permit UN aircraft to transport the wounded to a medical
facility.. After nearly 2 days, the seriously wounded children, including a little girl with a broken back
were put in a car and driven about 8 hours over rough roads to an MSF clinic
This week the rebel group JEM led by Khalil Ibrahim left the remote Darfur region moving in a convoy
of some 700 vehicles from the Chad borderland toward the capital itself. That they actually reached
the suburb area of Omdurman- just across the Nile bridge from Khartoum is unprecedented and remarkable.
No casualties have been announced yet but terrified residents reported heavy artillery fire.
In the capital a curfew was imposed, and residents were ordered to remain indoors while armored
vehicles and helicopters headed for Omdurman .
The Government of Sudan claim their army has defeated the rebels and accuses Chadian President Idris Deby
of backing the coup attempt, an accusation Deby denies.
I am struggling to understand this - and its possible consequences.
I find it baffling that JEM attempted this assault which they could not possibly have pulled off without massive,
spontaneous backing from within.-which did not happen. When the best hope for peace in Darfur ultimately
lies at a conference table, it is dispiriting but not surprising to read that Government officials are now saying
they will refuse to negotiate with any representative from the JEM. It would seem that this latest development
has pushed the possibilities for a peace process even further from the table.
On the other hand- since there is no peace process on the horizon, perhaps this could actually stimulate the calls
for a political process.
A sorry lot.
All of the sponsors of the Olympic game claim a commitment to social responsibility-see below- but in fact their decisions are dictated by greed and cowardice. History will note their silence in the face of genocide
Beginning in September 2007, Human Rights Watch wrote to all 12 "TOP" Olympic sponsors to encourage them to address human rights abuses taking place as a result of the Beijing Games, with targeted and achievable asks. The suggested steps are in conformity both with the sponsors' support for the Olympic Charter and with their own policies on corporate social responsibility or human rights. In addition to these 12 worldwide sponsors, Human Rights Watch has also written to Olympic supplier Microsoft and to NBC, which controls the broadcasting franchise.
Excerpts from the companies' policies on commitment to social responsibility and their comments on China, the Olympics, and human rights follow below.
1. Atos Origin (France)
Company policy on social responsibility : "Everyone at Atos Origin understands the importance of working in harmony with our environment in today's world [...] We acknowledge that we have a corporate responsibility and commitment to the communities in the countries where we work and where our clients, partners and suppliers are present. This is not something we teach or demand, it is simply something our people do and want to do."- From Atos Origin's website
What Atos has said about human rights and the Olympics : Atos Origin has not publicly commented on China's failure to uphold the human rights commitments it made when it was awarded the Beijing Olympics, or on the killings and continuing crackdown in Tibet.
2. Coca-Cola (US), also a sponsor of the Torch Relay
Company policy on social responsibility :
"At The Coca-Cola Company, we believe that an unwavering commitment to human rights is fundamental to the way we conduct our business."- Neville Isdell, chairman and CEO (quoted in Business Wire, August 23, 2007)
What Coca-Cola has said about human rights and the Olympics : "While it would be an inappropriate role for sponsors to comment on the political situation of individual nations, as the longest standing sponsor of the Olympic movement, we firmly believe that the Olympics are a force for good."- Quoted in The Washington Post, March 22, 2008
3. General Electric / NBC (US)
Company policy on social responsibility :
"GE seeks to advance human rights by leading by example - through our interactions with customers and suppliers, the products we offer and our relationships with communities and governments. Given our size and reach, this is a massive undertaking. That is why we remain steadily committed to upholding the human rights values embedded within our integrity policy, The Spirit & The Letter, and our Statement of Principles on Human Rights. [...] GE, as a business enterprise, promotes the advancement of fundamental human rights. We support the principles contained in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR), mindful that it is primarily addressed to nations but understanding that business has an important role to play. GE has joined with other companies to find practical ways of applying within the business community the broad principles established in the Declaration."
From GE's website
What GE has said about human rights and the Olympics : "We're proud to be a sponsor and our plans aren't changing. Our position overall is that the Olympics are a force for good."- GE spokeswoman Deirdre Latour in a statement (quoted in Press & Sun Bulletin, April 6, 2008)
4. John Hancock (US), subsidiary of the Canadian company Manulife
Company policy on social responsibility :
"We value our good name and strive to maintain high standards of integrity in everything we do. Operating in an ethical manner is essential to our success. Our customers, investors and other stakeholders rely on us to be honest and fair. We must behave ethically in the communities where we operate in order to maintain the confidence of all of our stakeholders and ultimately to keep their business. It is in our best interest to set high standards for ourselves at all times and to align ourselves with agents and representatives, suppliers and business associates who have similar high standards of business conduct."
From John Hancock's website:
What John Hancock's parent company Manulife has said about human rights and the Olympics : "We share your horror of the genocide that has been taking place in Darfur, and your desire to see the humanitarian crisis there resolved as quickly as possible. As an Olympic sponsor, we firmly believe in the spirit of the Olympic movement, and do not feel that it is our place to make political demands of our hosts."- Robert Cook, senior executive vice-president at Manulife (quoted in The Globe and Mail, April 9, 2008)
5. Johnson & Johnson (US)
Company policy on social responsibility :
"We are responsible to the communities in which we live and work and to the world community as well. We must be good citizens, support good works and charities and bear our fair share of taxes. We must encourage civic improvements and better health and education. We must maintain in good order the property we are privileged to use, protecting the environment and natural resources."- From Johnson & Johnson's website.
What Johnson and Johnson has said about human rights and the Olympics : "Johnson & Johnson is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of people around the world. We do that best by developing products that help people live healthier lives."- From statement (quoted in The Independent, February 15, 2008)
6. Kodak (US)
Company policy on social responsibility :
"We believe that doing well by shareholders also means doing right by customers, employees, neighbors, and suppliers. With that in mind, Kodak operates its facilities, and designs and markets its products and services, not only to increase shareholder value, but also to promote development of the individual, the well being of the community, and respect for the environment." Corporate Responsibility Principles include :
1. Kodak conducts its business activities to high ethical standards.
2. Kodak respects internationally accepted legal principles, and obeys the laws of countries in which it does business.
3. Kodak is committed to sound corporate governance. In this regard, the Company's diverse, independent Board of Directors has adopted publicly available governance principles.
From Kodak website:
What Kodak has said about human rights and the Olympics : Kodak has not publicly commented on China's failure to uphold the human rights commitments it made when it was awarded the Beijing Olympics, or on the killings and continuing crackdown in Tibet.
7. Lenovo (US / China), also a sponsor of the Torch Relay
Company policy on social responsibility : "Just as Lenovo is dedicated to providing innovative technologies, the company is equally devoted to ensuring that its products, employees, sites and suppliers are following the commitments it has made to socially responsible business practices. Lenovo is committed to the highest standards of integrity and responsibility when working with all stakeholders."- From Lenovo's website.
What Lenovo has said about human rights and the Olympics : In a statement, Lenovo said the company is following news reports from Tibet "with concern and regret" and noted that "the situation involves a longstanding dispute and political forces beyond the control of Olympic sponsors, and it would exist even in the absence of the Olympic Games."- (From statement quoted in The Wall Street Journal, March 17, 2008)
"There is no question that the Olympic Games are a powerful force for peace. We believe that the games will focus on all the good that is being brought to China, and we are proud to support that."- Robert J. Page, Lenovo's Olympics public relations manager (quoted by the Associated Press, March 20, 2008).
8. McDonald's (US)
Company policy on social responsibility :
"Corporate responsibility is very important to any success that we have [....] For us doing the right things and doing things right is natural. As we become bigger we have more responsibility - and certainly it's integral to how our customers view our business. In all the things we do that touch our customers and touch our communities, we are the leaders, particularly in our industry. Everybody looks to us to provide that leadership and to challenge the way we go about getting it done. So not only do we have a responsibility to our customers and our communities and our own business model, we have some accountability and responsibility to the rest of the industry."
- Jim Skinner, chief executive officer (from McDonald's website)
What McDonald's has said about human rights and the Olympics : "Concerning political issues, these need to be resolved by governments and international bodies such as the United Nations where they can most effectively drive discussions, diplomacy and help speed solutions."- From a statement in response to protests in Tibet (quoted in The Irish Times, April 3, 2008).
9. Omega / Swatch Group (Switzerland)
Company policy on social responsibility : None found on either the Omega or Swatch company websites.
What Omega/Swatch Group said about human rights and the Olympics : "We are partners of the athletes and the [International Olympic Committee], not of governments, which is why we were present during the boycotted games of 1980 and 1984."
- Nicolas Hayek, CEO of the Swatch Group (quoted in Brand Republic, March 14, 2008)
"It is our policy not to get involved in politics because it would not serve the cause of the sport which is one of the most noble human endeavors for creating understanding and peace all over the world."- Nicolas Hayek, CEO of Swatch Group (quoted by the Associated Press, March 11, 2008).
10. Panasonic / Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. (Japan)
Company policy on social responsibility : "When carrying out business activities globally, it goes without saying that we must comply with laws, regulations and ethics relating to employment and labor in each country where we do business. The fundamental polices of the entire Panasonic [sic] are not only to respect basic human rights, namely, the prohibition of discrimination, the right to freedom of association, the guarantee of the right to organize, the guarantee of the right of collective bargaining, and the prohibition of forced labor, but also to practice appropriate recruitment and labor management based on the laws and regulations, labor practices, and labor-management relations of each country."
- From Panasonic's website
What they have said about human rights and the Olympics : "Support for the Olympics is independent of local contingencies."- A spokesperson for Panasonic (quoted in The Ottawa Citizen, February 20, 2008).
11. Samsung (South Korea), also a sponsor of the Torch Relay
Company policy on social responsibility : "We must also continually remind ourselves of our responsibilities to our customers and business partners, not to mention to the communities that have made Samsung's global success possible. We must strengthen our relationships with existing business partners and nurture new collaborative efforts. And we must continue our commitment, through various social efforts and programs, to contribute to the prosperity of people all over the world in the hope for a better society."- Kun-Hee Lee, chairman (from Samsung's website).
What Samsung has said about human rights and the Olympics : "We believe the Olympic Games are not the place for demonstrations and we hope that all people attending the Games recognize the importance of this."- From a statement (quoted by the Associated Press, March 19, 2008).
12. Visa (US)
Company policy on social responsibility :
"Visa Inc. is committed to maintaining the highest standards of professional and personal conduct and to acting with openness and transparency with regard to its business, leadership and corporate governance practices. These principles are critical to earning and retaining the trust of our financial institution clients, merchants and cardholders. They are vital also to securing the respect and trust of other key stakeholders and interested parties, including employees, investors, suppliers, government officials and the public .... Beyond its responsibilities to its principal stakeholders, Visa recognizes its constructive role in the broader global community."
- From Visa's website
What Visa has said about human rights and the Olympics : Visa has not publicly commented on China's failure to uphold the human rights commitments it made when it was awarded the Beijing Olympics or on the killings and crackdown in Tibet.
alert from Khartoum 2AM EST
As of this moment my friends in Khartoum say the city remains on alert as JEM rebel forces are still at the outskirts of city. But there is no way the coup attempt could succeed without significant internal support-which isn't happening. Seems crazy. A suicide mission.
REBELS ATTACK KHARTOUM
Sudan says rebel attack on Khartoum defeated
Sat May 10, 2008 4:29pm EDT
By Opheera McDoom
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Darfur rebels fought Sudanese troops in a suburb of Khartoum on Saturday in a bid to seize power, but the government said the attack on the capital had been defeated. It was the first time fighting had reached the city in decades of conflict between the traditionally Arab-dominated central government of Africa's biggest country and rebels from peripheral regions that complain of neglect. Heavy gunfire and artillery shook Omdurman, across the River Nile from the heart of Khartoum. Helicopters and armored vehicles headed for the fighting and an overnight curfew was declared.
"The main aim of this failed terrorist sabotage attack was to provoke media coverage and let people imagine that they had the ability to enter Khartoum," Mandour al-Mahdi, political secretary of the ruling National Congress Party told state television.
"Thank God this attempt has been completely defeated. Some high level JEM commanders were killed," he said, referring to the Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebels.
LIGHTNING ADVANCE
Sudan accused neighboring Chad of backing the rebels, who made a lightning advance across some 600 km (400 miles) of desert and scrub between Darfur and Khartoum. A top official said the attack destroyed any chance of peace talks.
Chad's government denied any involvement in the attack which it condemned as an "adventure."
Sudanese state television showed pictures of corpses, blood and burned vehicles in the streets. It displayed what it said were rebel prisoners, including two who confessed to the camera. One looked badly beaten.
Witnesses said gunfire continued in Omdurman's western outskirts.
The rebels dismissed the government version of events and said fighting was still going on in their attempt to oust President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.
"We are in Omdurman, we are in Khartoum north. This is not something that is going to be finished in a few hours," JEM official al-Tahir al-Faki told Reuters from Britain. "There is an imbalance of power and wealth, we have to sort this out."
Khartoum state is home to around 8 million of the 38 million people in a country bigger than Western Europe.
Sudan's economy, driven by increasing oil production, has grown rapidly since a peace deal between north and south ended one civil war in 2005, but that agreement did not cover the conflict that erupted in Darfur five years ago.
International experts estimate some 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million been made homeless in Darfur since mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms.
The United States describes the conflict in Darfur as genocide, but Khartoum rejects that term and says only around 10,000 people have been killed. Sudan is a close ally of China, a big oil industry investor and its main arms supplier.
Western countries, pushing for peace talks, have accused Khartoum of dragging its feet over deployment of a 26,000 strong U.N.-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur. Fighting has intensified there in recent months.
TALKS RULED OUT
Presidential adviser Mustafa Osman Ismail ruled out any chance of peace talks with JEM after the attack on Khartoum.
"From this day we will never deal with this movement again other than in the way they have just dealt with us," he said on Al Jazeera television.
The United States urged both sides to cease hostilities.
Sudanese officials accused neighboring Chad of backing Saturday's rebel attack. Chad in turn says Khartoum is behind rebels who came close to seizing power there in February. Both countries deny supporting the others' rebel movements.
"This was fully supported by the Chad government," presidential adviser Ghazi Salaheddin told Reuters. "There are indications that another contingent in on its way from Chad. Personally I doubt they will try this again after what has happened here."
Chad denied these "baseless" accusations, an official at the presidency said.
"The Chadian government is surprised by allegations by Sudanese television of N'Djamena's supposed support for the attackers," Communications Minister and government spokesman Mahamat Hissene said in a statement released in N'Djamena.
"The government of the Republic of Chad denies any involvement in this adventure, which it condemns unreservedly, whoever the authors are.
Chad and Sudan signed a non-aggression pact in mid-March but accused each other of reneging on the deal soon afterwards.
There were signs that Egypt was showing ready to offer support for Khartoum on Saturday. One witness said he saw three Egyptian fighter planes and one Egyptian army cargo plane landing at the airport. The witness said he could see the Egyptian flag on the side of the planes.
(Additional reporting by Andrew Heavens in Khartoum, Jeremy Pelofsky in Crawford, Texas; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)
US slams Sudan attacks against civilians in Darfur
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article27035
Sudan Tribune - Sudan
May 6, 2008 (WASHINGTON) - The US State Department condemned air strikes by the Sudanese army killing 14 civilians in North Darfur last week.
US Envoy to Sudan, Rich Williams speaks out; FINALLY an envoy with some courage.
U.S. envoy urges China to use influence in Sudan
Mon May 5, 2008 6:26pm EDT
By John Acher
OSLO, May 5 (Reuters) - China should use its economic might to influence events in Darfur and its absence from an international donors' meeting on Sudan was disappointing, the U.S. special envoy for the east African state said on Monday.
Richard Williamson told Reuters in an interview that Sudan remained the "world's biggest humanitarian crisis" and called the violence in its Darfur region a "genocide in slow-motion."
Williamson criticised China's absence from the start of an international donors' conference on Sudan on Monday.
"China is the country with the deepest economic involvement with the nation of Sudan -- they buy the bulk of Sudan's oil," Williamson said. "I am told that close to 6 percent of the imported oil in China comes from Sudan."
"So if they were to choose to use that influence constructively, they could have an impact, and one that other members of the international community would like to see them take," he said.
International experts estimate some 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million been driven from their homes in five years of revolt in Darfur. Khartoum blames the Western media for exaggerating the conflict and puts the death toll at 10,000.
Williamson said he told a closed meeting on Darfur in Oslo that there could be no progress on Darfur if the Comprehensive Peace Agreement unravelled. The 2005 peace accord ended 25 years of fighting between northern and southern Sudan.
"While there is an acute need for economic development in Darfur, no meaningful progress is possible until we have a secure situation," he said, calling reports on Monday of an air bombardment in Darfur "extremely troubling and unacceptable."
China's Fall From Grace No Surprise
<http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/kinming_liu/2008/05/chinas_fall_from_grace_no_surp.html>
Washington Post - United States
In his recent PostGlobal blog post, "The Ugly Chinese," commentator John Pomfret says the world's perception of China isn't as rosy as it used to be.
HONG KONG - Clear-eyed observers of China are a rare breed, but Steven Mosher is one of them. In his brilliant 1991 book, China Misperceived: American Illusions and Chinese Reality, Mosher wrote: "For the past two centuries, American perceptions of China have oscillated between the poles of love and hate. In brighter moments China was seen as the land of Marco Polo and Pearl Buck, peopled with wise, industrious, and courageous folk. But regularly, almost cyclically, the pendulum swung back, and the cruel and violent China of the Mongol hordes, the Boxer Rebellion, and the 'human wave' attacks reasserted itself. The Chinese heroes of the anti-Japanese resistance became the totalitarian masses of the 1950s, the riotous young rebels of the 1960s, the public-spirited proletarians of the 1970s, and the poor but deserving folk of the 1980s. The Tiananmen massacre has once again tilted the balance, and the pendulum has swung to the other dark extreme."
When the book came out in 1991, China's image had hit rock bottom. For a while, it almost seemed the pendulum would never swing back to the other direction. Who would have thought Beijing could pull off the rebound that it did? And what an astonishing bounce back it was. A decade after the Tiananmen massacre, China joined the World Trade Organization, won the right to host the Olympics and became Wall Street's darling. With the help from leading politicians, business executives, scholars and diplomats in the West, China has successfully implanted a rosy picture of its future in the world. Dubbed the "Soothing Scenario" by James Mann in his book The China Fantasy: How Our Leaders Explain Away Chinese Repression, it contends that the successful spread of capitalism will inevitably lead to the development of democratic institutions, free elections, an independent judiciary and a progressive human rights policy. China is destined to open up its political system, and trade is the key to unlocking the door.
The Soothing Scenario looked like it was all set to bloom this summer, when a supposedly peaceful-rising China was scheduled to have a coming-out party at the Olympics. Then, out of the blue, the plan was derailed. The Ugly Chinaman took the stage. The pendulum is once again swinging, and fast. It's really extraordinary for knee-jerk anti-American Europeans to view the Middle Kingdom as more dangerous than the Great Satan. In fact, it should have come as no surprise to anyone who sees through to the real nature of the regime, which has remained unchanged despite spectacular developments on the surface of Chinese society. The Chinese Communist Party is interested in only one thing: holding on to power. It has only two tools with which to do so: more lies and more repression.
After the Tiananmen massacre, the eminent China scholar Simon Ley's assessment was, I believe, still valid for China today: "Unfortunately, its poison might outlast the beast itself. The legacy of such a regime can even be more evil than its rule. The collapse of the present government is ineluctable; what is to be feared is that, after 40 years of economic mismanagement, in the present circumstances of overpopulation and poverty, with a population brutalized by four decades of relentless political terror, worse horrors may follow." (After the Massacres The New York Review of Books, October 12, 1989) Brainwashed by the regime and ignorant of the bloody history of the People's Republic since 1949, the new generation of angry youths smacks of the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution.
Michael A. Ledeen, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, points to a likely chilling future of China. In an article, "Beijing Embraces Classical Fascism" in the latest issue of the Far Eastern Economic Review, Mr. Ledeen argues that the heirs to Mao Tsetung and Deng Xiaoping act more like disciples of Mussolini and Hitler than communists. "Hitler's Germany and Mussolini's Italy were every bit as sensitive to any sign of foreign criticism as the Chinese today, both because victimhood is always part of the definition of such states, and because it's an essential technique of mass control," Mr. Ledeen writes. Like their European predecessors, the Chinese claim a major role in the world because of their history and culture, not just on the basis of their current power, or their scientific or cultural accomplishments. "It is only a matter of time before China will pursue confrontation with the West," predicts Mr. Ledeen. "A great Roman once said that if you want peace, prepare for war."
Beijing 2008 has always reminded me of Berlin 1936. I'm not the only one who feels that way. Some Jewish leaders in the U.S. are calling for the boycott of the Olympics. In a petition called "China Olympics Are Not Kosher", they say: "We remember all too well that the road to Nazi genocide began in the 1930s, with Hitler's efforts to improve the public image of his evil regime. Nazi Germany sought to attract visitors to the 1936 Olympics in order to distract attention from its persecution of the Jews. Hitler's propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, called the 1936 games 'a victory for the German cause.' We dare not permit today's totalitarian regimes to achieve such victories."
I can only pray that the West will find another Churchill and Roosevelt.
No help has arrived for the wounded children -- mainly because the Sudanese government will not issue the permit...
It is outrageous, and completely unacceptable, that the Government of Sudan is now controlling where UNAMID can operate within Darfur.
U.N. seeks urgent access to Darfur bombing victims
Tue May 6, 2008 11:07am EDT
By Opheera McDoom
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - The top U.N. humanitarian official in Sudan on Tuesday called for immediate access to those wounded in a government bombing attack on a school and busy marketplace in North Darfur, which killed 12 people.
Around 30 wounded, mostly women and children, have been waiting for help since the bomb attack on Sunday. No help has arrived because of logistical difficulties and denial of access by authorities, according to witnesses and aid sources.
The attack killed 12, including six children, a teacher at the school told Reuters by telephone. Earlier reports had figures of 13 killed.
"I am deeply perturbed by the reported bombings of a school, water installations and a market where civilians, especially women and children are present," Sudan's U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator Ameerah Haq said in a statement.
"It is essential that we have immediate humanitarian access to the affected populations in order to provide humanitarian assistance and medical evacuation."
Mokhtar Mohamed, a teacher at the school in Shegeg Karo, said they had been told many times that U.N. planes were coming to evacuate the wounded but no help had arrived late on Tuesday.
"They said the government had stopped any planes coming to Shegeg Karo this morning," he said.
One aid source in Darfur also told Reuters that the government had not allowed planes to fly in on Tuesday. Sudan's army did not answer calls seeking comment.
If the death toll from the attack is confirmed, it would be the single most deadly bombing raid in many years in Darfur.
Medical care even in the state capitals of Darfur is basic and it is practically non-existent in remote rural areas like Shegeg Karo.
Latest in a series of attacks. 6 children killed in North Darfur.
Although the Government of Sudan will probably deny it, their planes bombed Shigeg Caro yesterday and hit the market and a school. Six children were killed and many wounded. The GoS are refusing the permit to have the children flown to a hospital in Chad.
This comes from a contact in Darfur:
"This is just the latest air raid in a series of raids on villages within the last seven days in Darfur.
Our people tell us that :
- More loads of air-land missiles arrived at Elfasher airport.
- Pilots seen in Elfasher - at official guest house - said to be ex- Iraqi pilots.
- Chinese trainers at Nyala airport, Pilot-less aircrafts tested."
SCHOOL BOMBED IN NORTH DARFUR, SIX CHILDREN KILLED
Government of Sudan still bombing Darfur’s defenseless people.
Target -a school and the market place
Monday, May 5, 2008
On Sunday, May 4th at approximately 4pm, the village of Shegeg Karo in
North Darfur was attacked by an Antonov aircraft.
According to information gathered by the villagers of Shegeg Karo, the
Antonov hovered for a long time and then bombed repeatedly.
The Shegeg Karo school was hit and one classroom was destroyed. It was
in session.
6 students were killed and others injured.
Names and ages of students killed:
Fatima Suleiman Adam Omar, 3rd grade, 10 years old
Fatima Ahmad Bashir—2nd grade, 8 years old
Mubarak Mohammed Ahmad, 3rd grade, 10 years old
Yusuf Adam Hamid, kindergarten, 5 years old
Munira Suleiman Adam, 2nd grade, 7 years old
Adam Ahmad Yusuf, 4th grade, 11 years old
The Shegeg Karo market was also hit and 20 shops (most of the market)
were completely destroyed. A reported 5-6 people were killed in the
market and others injured.
Names and ages of people killed in market:
Saber Ardabo, 70 years old
Mubarak Adno Awad, approximately 17 years old
Nasser Adam Ahmad, 19 years old
Mustafa Ali Adam, 43 years old
Giddo Abdul Rasul Abdul Negi, 38 years old
As many as 33 more people were injured. The critical injuries include an 8 year old girl with
a broken back who is unconscious and a 14 year old boy with a broken
and badly cut leg and arm who has lost a lot of blood. The moderate
injuries include 2 people whose suffered severe shrapnel injury to
their legs and blood loss, and one man with an injured neck and
shoulder.
As of 3:00pm EST on Monday, May 5th, no medical assistance has arrived
to the village.
UNAMID, the health division of UNICEF and the ICRC in El Fashir were
all notified of the attack hours after it happened. UNAMID hopes to
send a helicopter to evacuate the critically and moderately wounded on
The Shegeg Karo school is funded by the Darfur Diaries project.
(www.darfurdiaries.org)
For more information, please contact:
Jen Marlowe, Darfur Diaries, 1.425.451.7451 or 1.202.375.3492
Bog. The people of CAR
In a 9 days I will be returning to Central African Republic. The people of CAR are surely the most abandoned on this earth.
I will tell you about one encounter which occurred while I was traveling across the north west.
Id been driving for at least 3 days . No road to speak of- savvy driver/translator and a track probably made by elephants. We passed burned village after village. I lost count after awhile. It was numbing. I had heard that there were people living in the bushes, too terrified to return to their villages. I heard that if maybe we stopped the car, just anywhere, and if people saw that we were unarmed, no machine guns bolted to the car, they might come out. So we stopped. And we waited. After 15 or 20 minutes two people emerged, then 10, then 40 then 100, then perhaps 400 people came forward. Like specters they came, caked in dust, emaciated, wearing remnants of clothes or no clothes at all. We spoke with them for a while. They said it was not safe to return to their village. They told me they were eating roots and leaves. Even the children's teeth were rotting. They were drinking swamp water. They said "our children are dying". They had been living without any shelter or assistance for over a year.
Someone must have signaled because suddenly the whole group turned and ran; the pounding of bare feet on the hard clay ground, a shudder of leaves and they vanished.
We scanned the horizon and eventually saw another vehicle. As it turns out it was the HRW team-they too were crossing the north west of CAR but had started from a different place. As we exchanged information the people reappeared. They were laughing and shoving each other as if to say "ha-ha- silly us- it wasn't the murderers this time".
IMG_2141
Human Rights Abusers Poised to Take Seats on UN Council
Washington - May 6, 2008 - A quarter of the countries vying for seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council have dismal human rights records that should disqualify them from membership, according to a new report from Freedom House and UN Watch. However, at least two of the five countries in question-Gabon and Zambia-are guaranteed seats because of a lack of competition from more democratic countries.
"Democratic countries are squandering a golden opportunity to promote human rights through this important UN body," said Hillel Neuer, executive director of the Geneva-based UN Watch. "Instead, they lend international credibility to repressive governments that routinely violate the rights of their own citizens."
UN Watch and Freedom House released their findings today at UN headquarters. Their report comes as the UN General Assembly prepares to elect 15 new Human Rights Council members, or one-third of the body's membership, on May 21. Each regional group is apportioned a specific number of seats.
The study found five countries Not Qualified: Gabon, Bahrain, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zambia. All of these countries except Bahrain are incumbent candidates. In addition, the report questioned the eligibility of Brazil, East Timor and Burkina Faso, whose human rights records are mixed.
UN Watch and Freedom House evaluated each of the 20 candidates based on its record of human rights protection at home and its record of human rights promotion at the UN. The evaluation included the countries' rankings in Freedom House and UN Watch analyses, as well as reports from Reporters San Frontières, The Economist Democracy Index and the Democracy Coalition Project.
Freedom House Advocacy Director Paula Schriefer said the council's membership already includes three countries- China, Cuba and Saudi Arabia-listed on Freedom House's Worst of the Worst report, a reality that has so far prevented the council from carrying out its stated work.
"With the exception of Burma, the UN Human Rights Council has so far failed to adequately address any of the egregious human rights situations taking place in the countries included in our Worst of the Worst report," said Schriefer.
UN Watch is a non-governmental organization whose mandate is to monitor the performance of the United Nations by the yardstick of its own Charter. www.unwatch.org
Freedom House is an independent non-governmental organization that supports the expansion of freedom in the world.
<http://www.freedomhouse.org>
Something to shout about
Yesterday the Government of Sudan bombed Shigeg Caro -the hometown of Suleiman Jamous who has been described as 'the Nelson Mandela of Darfur'. They targeted the market and a school. Seven children were killed and many more were wounded along with scores in the market.
Humanitarians are trying to get the wounded children taken to Chad.
The killing continues
UN-AU peacekeepers aid Darfur villagers attacked by Sudanese forces
[People of Darfur]
People of Darfur
3 May 2008 – The United Nations-African Union hybrid peacekeeping operation has evacuated North Darfur villagers wounded in recent attacks by Sudanese forces that have left three dead and at least eight injured.
The joint operation – known as UNAMID – said it carried out successfully airlifted wounded civilians, “following Sudanese forces air attacks on the village of Umm Sidir in North Darfur” on Thursday, according to a statement issued yesterday in El Fasher, capital of North Darfur and the mission's headquarters.
A UNAMID medical team flew to Umm Sidir to provide initial medical care to the victims of the attack – which left two men dead and eight seriously injured. In El Hashim and Heles, one woman was killed, while property and live-stock were destroyed.
The wounded, ranging in age from 17 to 40, were later flown by UNAMID forces to El Fasher where they were admitted to hospital. “One man, who has suffered severe head injuries from shrapnel, is said to be in a critical condition, another is awaiting surgery,” the mission said. The other men are in a stable condition.
The evacuation was conducted at the request of humanitarian organizations and in coordination with Sudanese authorities.
Condemning attacks against civilians, UNAMID urged all parties to the Darfur conflict – which have claimed more than 200,000 lives and displaced nearly 2.5 million others since 2003 – to adhere to international humanitarian laws, which prohibit military attacks against civilians.
A UNAMID fact-finding mission is currently conducting an investigation on the ground, while the peacekeeping forces continue to monitor the situation, the mission noted.
Tragic news
The Head of Mission for Save the Children was killed today in Chad by armed robbers. He was shot point blank in the head on his way to Farchana (not far from Abece).
News alert
BREAKING NEWS- US official says no normalisation with Sudan soon
Thursday 1 May 2008.
By Wasil Ali
May 1, 2008 (WASHINGTON) - Richard Williamson, the U.S. Envoy to Sudan said today he does not foresee normalisation with Sudan "during his tenure."
Williamson was speaking during a conference call with Darfur activists sponsored by Enough Project from Washington.
Also he laid the possibility of further sanctions pending approval from President George Bush.
The us envoy said he communicated that to the Sudanese government.
(ST)
News alert-while I am in hong Kong for passage of the Olympic torch -another kind of torching is on-going in anguished Darfur
Violence forces 12,000 refugees to flee in South Darfur
Thursday 1 May 2008.
April 30, 2008 (KHARTOUM) - Around 12,000 civilians fled their homes following an outbreak of fighting in South Darfur according to the spokesperson of displaced and refugees in the region.
Hussein Abu-Sharati told Sudan Tribune that the freshly displaced civilians were made up of 2,700 families who arrived at the Kalma camp in south Darfur. He said that fighting erupted between forces loyal to Sudan's senior presidential assistant Minni Arcua Minnawi and Janjaweed militias.
Abu-Sharati said violence was triggered by differences over the census process underway all over Sudan. He also said that he is scheduled to meet with UN officials tomorrow to discuss the recent developments.
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed between the North and South in 2005 mandated that a census be conducted as a prerequisite for next year's elections.
However the five year conflict in Darfur casted shadows over whether the census can be fair at a time when millions of Darfuris are displaced in and out of Sudan. All Darfur rebel groups including the signatory to the peace agreement rejected the census.
The Darfur leading figure said the displaced people came from the towns of Muhajriya, Tani Affendi, Labado, Om-Kassab, Tegaisha, Drumai, Ummpoi, Um-Ta'ali and Um-Turu. He added that the homes in these towns were burnt down.
"The displaced belong to wide array of tribes including Fur, Daju, Zaghawa, Tanjor, Tur. The people of Darfur are still paying a high price to this war" he added.
Abu-Sharati criticized the UNAMID force and accused it of "failing to discharge its mandate of protecting civilians".
UN Security Council adopted resolution 1769 on July 31st which authorized a hybrid UN-AU force (UNAMID) consisting of 26,000 troops and police but so far it only has only 9,000 personnel.
However the deployment was impeded by Khartoum's objections to the composition of the force and lack of helicopters. The UN has for months been seeking 6 attack and 18 transport helicopters to support the force with no success.
International experts also say more than 300,000 were killed and 2 million have been driven from their homes by the conflict in Darfur, a region that is roughly the size of France.
(ST)
Todays WSJ op-ed
"The Darfur War Crimes Test," The Wall Street Journal, May 1, 2008
By MIA FARROW and ERIC REEVES
This week marks a grim and largely unnoticed anniversary. On April 27, 2007, International Criminal Court judges issued arrest warrants for two
men involved in the massive, ongoing atrocities in the Darfur region of western Sudan: Former state minister of the interior Ahmed Haroun, and Ali Kushayb, a key leader of the brutal Arab militia known as Janjaweed.
Both are charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Evidence in the ICC cases against both men is overwhelming, including numerous eyewitness accounts from victims as well as compelling documentary evidence. Yet Khartoum refuses to extradite or lift a finger in prosecuting either man.
No surprise there. Were Mr. Haroun and Mr. Kushayb to testify in the Hague, where the ICC is based, the most senior members of the Khartoum regime would be at obvious risk of indictment themselves. Mr. Haroun in particular could point far up the military and civilian chain of
command.
In a grotesque irony, Mr. Haroun has even been promoted to the position of state minister for humanitarian affairs, with major responsibility for millions of desperate victims of the very crimes he orchestrated.
More than five years have passed since the Khartoum regime and its
Janjaweed allies launched their campaign of destruction against the non-Arab populations of Darfur. The savagery of the attacks upon civilians, the torched villages, mass murders, rapes, abductions and mutilations have made the word Darfur synonymous with human suffering.
More than 2.5 million people have fled from their burning homes in
terror, seeking tenuous refuge in wretched camps across Darfur and eastern Chad.
The ICC is charged with investigating and prosecuting cases in which the national courts of a country cannot or will not render justice even in the face of the most horrific international crimes. The ICC, however, has no police force of its own, and so relies on others to execute its
arrest warrants. In the case of Darfur, the ICC arrest warrants derive from a United Nations Security Council resolution.
Khartoum's refusal to arrest the suspects should be superseded by the Council's authority to act in the interests of international peace and security. But Security Council members have shown little interest in pressuring Sudan to comply with the resolution. As long as the Security Council continues in this vein, Mr. Haroun and Mr. Kushayb will operate
with complete impunity in Sudan.
Those nations who have committed their support to the ICC must understand that a green light for the likes of such men is also a green light for Khartoum's defiance of other international demands. The large, U.N.-authorized protection force, for example, has for nine months been obstructed by this regime. If the international community lacks the will to confront Khartoum, the dying in Darfur will continue apace.
Last December, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, chief prosecutor for the ICC, issued a devastating report to the Security Council. "We are witnessing a calculated, organized campaign by Sudanese officials to attack individuals and further destroy the social fabric of entire communities," he declared. "All information points not to chaotic and isolated acts, but to a pattern of attacks."
The Council failed to provide any support for Mr. Moreno-Ocampo and his terrifying indictment. The ICC must find a way to circumvent Security Council paralysis. International justice will only be served if, in the face of the most egregious international crimes, the nations of the world can place justice before sovereignty.
The United States should take the lead in reforming the Security Council to make it more effective, representative and committed to the ideals of international justice. Darfur is the test case- one year and counting.
Ms. Farrow is an actor and advocate. She has visited the Darfur region eight times. Mr. Reeves is author of "A Long Day's Dying: Critical Moments in the
Darfur Genocide" (The Key Publishing House, 2007).
Joint Declaration- Bernard-Henry Levi and Mia Farrow
April 29th
I was absolutely thrilled to MEET Bernard-Henry Levi, as I have admired him for a long time. When PEN offered the opportunity for us to give a talk together, I jumped at the chance. Over lunch we drafted the following statement which we read together following the talk last evening.
--------------------------
Joint Declaration
Bernard Henri Levi
Mia Farrow
Given the paralysis of the international community in the face of mass atrocities ongoing in the Darfur region of Sudan for more than five years;
Given the egregious impunity of the Khartoum regime and its allies on the Security Council -- which have rendered toothless all resolutions to protect the people of Darfur and end the killing;
Given the most current ploy of Khartoum to place every possible obstacle in the path of an effective deployment of peacekeepers, including the perverse twisting of the words and the intentions of last July's UN resolution, which stated that the UN protection force should be "predominantly" of African origin, not "exclusively," as Khartoum would have it;
Finally, given the fact that the African countries providing the protection battalions lack, by their own admission, the technical and logistical capacity to ensure the success of their mission to protect the defenseless civilians of Darfur;
In the face of all this, we implore our governments - that is, the current French and American administrations -- to act without delay and to partner with those African battalions needing assistance and to provide them with the essential training, the logistical support, the trucks, helicopters, weapons, etc., without which their mission will only be a terrible farce.
We call on our respective governments to hear this appeal and take responsibility without, once again, hiding behind the mysteries and bureaucratic inertia of the UN.
This is possibly the last chance to put and end to the bloodshed in Darfur.
This is what I'm wondering ,too.
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinajournal/
Heading for Hong Kong tomorrow (and who knows what else)
Mia Farrow 'may be barred from Hong Kong' for torch relay
Posted on : 2008-04-29 | Author : DPA
Hong Kong - Actress Mia Farrow may be barred from entering Hong Kong to give a speech about human rights on the day the Olympic torch is carried through the city, a legislator claimed Tuesday. Prominent pro-democracy legislator Emily Lau said she had heard that the actress, who has criticized China for failing to stop genocide in the Sudan, would not be allowed into Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong government declined to confirm or deny the claim but said in a statement it had a responsibility to enforce immigration controls "to ensure Hong Kong's public interest."
Danish sculptor and human rights activist Jens Galschiot and his sons were sent home on Saturday after arriving in Hong Kong to take part in anti-China protests on Friday when the torch relay takes place.
Galschiot has visited Hong Kong before and created the Pillar of Shame, a permanent memorial at the University of Hong Kong to the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre in Beijing.
Speaking on government-run radio RTHK, Lau described the refusal to admit the artist as "really terrible" and said she had heard that Farrow, who is due to arrive later this week, might also be barred.
"Mia Farrow is coming to attend a press conference and some other events, and some people tell me she and others may also be turned away," Lau said.
"If we do that, we are going to turn ourselves into an international laughing stock. These are people with very, very high international profiles. They are not the Taliban or al-Qaeda - so what is going on here?"
Referring to the expulsion of Galschiot and his sons, Lau said: "These guys are not coming here to create trouble but it seems our administration is so tense, so frightened.
"We have become a very frightened city. We are turning people away at our airport every day now."
Farrow, 63, is due to speak at a Foreign Correspondents' Club lunch on Friday where she is expected to repeat her call for China to act on the crisis in Darfur, Sudan.
Asked if Farrow would be allowed to enter Hong Kong for the event, an Immigration Department spokeswoman said in a statement: "The Hong Kong government will not comment on individual cases.
"The Immigration Department has the responsibility to uphold effective immigration control so as to ensure Hong Kong's public interest.
"The department will handle all entry applications in accordance with the law and prevailing policy and having due regard to the individual circumstances."
Security is expected to be extremely tight in Hong Kong on Friday as the Olympic torch returns to Chinese soil for the first time after its troubled round-the-world tour. The former British colony is the only place inside China where demonstrations and anti-China protests are allowed and a number of groups are planning to mount demonstrations to coincide with the relay.
Hong Kong's Beijing-appointed Chief Executive Donald Tsang is expected to be the first of 120 torch-bearers to run in the 33- kilometre relay, which will be marshalled by 3,000 police.
Hong Kong reverted to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" arrangement guaranteeing political freedoms including the right to peaceful protest.
Olympic Sponsor Report card. Most flunk
Our campaign, Dream for Darfur has been in dialogue with the Olympic sponsors for nearly a year now. In February, Steven Spielberg resigned from his role as artistic director of the Beijing Olympics declaring that in the face of genocide it "cannot be business as usual". Mr. Spielberg's act of conscience placed the matter squarely in the moral arena, where it belongs. We hoped that these 19 corporate sponsors would follow his cue and take action on Darfur- as a matter of conscience.
That did not happen.
In my view, this, our second report card, grades the sponsors on their humanity, on their ability to think outside their own box of profitability, to open their minds to the true meaning of social responsibility about which they talk so much. With a few exceptions -- Adidas, Kodak and McDonald's who rose to the challenge of Darfur -- they failed.
Last November we made a very strong case that these companies -huge brand names, names that are known in every corner of the globe-were in a position to possibly make a difference in Darfur. Yet with three outstanding exceptions, they have made no effort whatsoever.
It is disheartening, to say the least, that most of these companies-Coke, General Electric, Panasonic- have simply remained silent. History will note that 16 Olympic sponsors are silently complicit in the Darfur genocide.
How does this happen? How can it be so in a world where 50 years ago we said "Never Again", and we formed the United Nations, and we drafted and signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
Those merciless companies: fear and greed are at the helm in their decision- making process. They are afraid of economic reprisals in China; they are fearful that their visas will be held up; that they won't get licenses to open a plant; or that their contacts with influential Chinese businessmen and bureaucrats might wither. They fear that their business ventures will go less smoothly.
And so they appease their Olympic host; they appease China.
But I, too, know something about fear. In my 8 trips to the Darfur region I have seen people fleeing for their lives. I have met men, women and children who have lived in terror for five long years. In terror they fled their burning homes, in terror they endured the rapes and unthinkable atrocities. In terror and dread they await the next attacks. In terror they wait for protection that has not come.
The sponsors have said that this is terrible. Smoothly they say that Darfur's genocide and its solutions are beyond the boundaries of their business. I contest that statement. Each of us has a fundamental responsibility to protect the helpless in whatever ways available to us. . Of course it is not the Olympic sponsors who are pulling the triggers, dropping the bombs and raping in Darfur. But their host is underwriting these atrocities. The people of Darfur may be powerless but the sponsors are not. They could make their voices heard at the United Nations. They could demand that the IOC, whose bills they help pay, take a stand. They could speak out in public, in editorials, instead of, as Coke has done, wasting time and paper in editorials to attack our campaign.
What sort of place is this? We live in a world where the strong, such as these immense corporations, can sell out the weak, turn away from the suffering even as they are feting, celebrating and profiting from the one country in the world that has the power to actually bring about relief for Darfur's people - China.
Our campaign does not call for a boycott of the Games. We are calling for a boycott of the opening ceremonies of the games. I will be broadcasting live from the refugee camps during the games. During the opening propaganda and the commercial breaks, I am inviting you to switch over - its time to hear from the people who cannot attend, participate in or view the games. And each of us has consumer choices. If you want a soft drink, I urge you to consider Pepsi. If you have credit cards, try to favor MasterCard. And I truly hope that people of conscience who are feeling outraged will join us in our protests at these companies ' headquarters and certain retail locations.
Loud and clear, I say thank you Adidas, thank you Kodak, thank you McDonald's. As for the others, shame, shame on them.
OLYMPIC CORPORATE SPONSORS STILL SILENT ON DARFUR
Fearing Economic Reprisal, 16 Sponsors Appease China
Report Card Says Olympics Sponsors Silently Complicit in Genocide
Adidas and Kodak alone get "B+"s; McDonald's gets a "C+"
Coke, J&J, GE, others get "Ds" or "Fs"
NEW YORK, NY, April. 24, 2008- In its second Olympic Corporate Sponsor Darfur Report Card, Dream for Darfur again failed or gave Ds to the majority- 16 of 19 - top Olympic sponsors, among them Visa, Coke and Swatch, for the companies' persistent refusal to take any meaningful step to help bring security to war-torn Darfur. Adidas, Kodak and McDonald's alone urged the UN and international community to address the genocide, or took other actions.
The 100-plus page report "The Big Chill: Too Scared to Speak, Olympic Sponsors Still Silent on Darfur" will trigger protests at the headquarters and retail locations of low-scoring sponsors, starting this weekend. Demonstrations will take place on Saturday at the New World of Coke in Atlanta, Georgia; and on Sunday at Coke's New York City headquarters and in the home state of Staples, in Boston, Massachusetts. More information about demonstrations. <http://tinyurl.com/652wel>
Alert
Dear Friends,
The Chinese are at it again! Now trying to prop up the truly demented Mugabe of Zimbabwe. .
I just signed a petition calling to stop the Chinese weapons shipment to Zimbabwe. At this delicate time, the international community must rally to bring democracy and stability--not weapons--to Zimbabwe.
The more people sign the petition, the more powerful the international call will be--so please forward this link to friends:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/no_arms_for_zimbabwe/98.php/?CLICK_TF_TRACK
Thanks!
Mia
A grim report to the UN Security Council. Suffering is worsening in Darfur.
UN says Darfur conflict worsening
UNMIS (United Nations Mission in Darfur) would protect humanitarian convoys and civilians but the government of Sudan continues to place every conceivable obstacle in the path of the full deployment of the peacekeeping mission.
Appallingly, the nations of the world have not stepped forward to press Sudan into admitting the 26,000 peacekeepers which were authorized last July. Only 9,000 are on the ground now. It is inexcusible that the mission still lacks five critical capabilities to become operational: attack helicopters, surveillance aircraft, transport helicopters, military engineers and logistical support.
All indicators point to alarming rates of malnutrition across Darfur. Food rations have in fact already been halved. In many of the camps 30 percent of the population are suffering from acute malnutrition. That rate may be far higher.
Yet Sudanese Ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamed claims there are no dead from malnutrition and starvation "because in Darfur there is no epidemics, no starvations."
----------------------------
By EDITH M. LEDERER
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The conflict in Darfur is deteriorating, with full deployment of a new peacekeeping force delayed until 2009 and no prospect of a political settlement for a war that has killed perhaps 300,000 people in five years, U.N. officials said Tuesday.
In grim reports to the Security Council, the United Nations aid chief and the representative of the peacekeeping mission said suffering in the Sudanese region is worsening. Tens of thousands more have been uprooted from their homes and food rations to the needy are about to be cut in half, they said.
"We continue to see the goal posts receding, to the point where peace in Darfur seems further away today than ever," said John Holmes, undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs.
The conflict began in early 2003 when ethnic African rebels took up arms against Sudan's Arab-dominated central government, accusing it of discrimination. Many of the worst atrocities in the war have been blamed on the janjaweed militia of Arab nomads allied with the government.
A joint U.N.-African Union peacekeeping force took over duties in Darfur in January from a beleaguered 7,000-man AU mission. But only about 9,000 soldiers and police officers of the authorized 26,000 have deployed.
"We are late and we are trying to speed up the deployment of this mission, and we facing many obstacles," said the U.N.-AU force's envoy, Rodolphe Adada. "But eventually, with the help of some donors, we could be in a position to achieve maybe 80 percent of the force by the end of this year."
The mission faces major problems in putting troops into a very hostile environment, Adada said. It still lacks five critical capabilities to become operational : attack helicopters, surveillance aircraft, transport helicopters, military engineers and logistical support.
Holmes said further progress in deploying the joint peacekeeping force, known as UNAMID, would help protect civilians and possibly humanitarian convoys.
"But only an end to all violence and concrete steps towards a political settlement will make the fundamental difference needed, as the rebel movements themselves above all need to recognize," Holmes said. "Otherwise the reality is that the people of Darfur face a continued steady deterioration of their conditions of life and their chances of lasting recovery."
When former U.N. humanitarian chief Jan Egeland brought the Darfur conflict to the Security Council's attention in April 2004, he said approximately 750,000 people were in danger.
Today, Holmes told the council, "of Darfur's estimated 6 million people, some 4.27 million have now been seriously affected by the conflict."
He said nearly many of them have had to flee their homes - some 2.45 million people are sheltering elsewhere in Sudan and 260,000 more in neighboring countries. Some 100,000 civilians have been forced to flee just this year, Holmes said. Some 60,000 of them were displaced in West Darfur, which has seen an upsurge in violence.
"Those in the camps feel helpless and voiceless," Holmes said. "The fear of never being able to return to their areas of origin, and the pressure by government authorities to return when conditions are clearly not right, lead to increasing tension, polarization, politicization and even militarization."
The U.N. World Food Program announced last week that it will have to halve the amount of food provided to Darfur's needy next month because humanitarian convoys are being attacked. The cut "could not come at a worse time ... as the rainy season approaches," Holmes said.
Egeland, the former U.N. humanitarian chief, estimated in 2006 that 200,000 people had lost their lives because of the conflict, from violence, disease and malnutrition. He said this was based on an independent mortality survey released in March 2005 by the U.N. World Health Organization.
"That figure must be much higher now, perhaps half as much again," Holmes said Tuesday.
Sudanese Ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamed countered that "in our own calculations, the total number does not exceed 10,000."
He said his government counts only people killed in fighting, saying there are no dead from malnutrition and starvation "because in Darfur there is no epidemics, no starvations."
"The exaggerated number given is to serve political ends," Mohamed said. "It is only to give the impression that the government is not doing much in the peacekeeping to save its own people."
Queried by reporters, Holmes said the estimate of 300,000 dead "is not a very scientifically based figure" because there have been no new mortality studies in Darfur, but "it's a reasonable extrapolation."
"What I'm saying is if that figure of 200,000 was anything like right in 2006, then that figure must be much higher now," he said.
Egeland told AP last month that he estimated the toll had risen to around 400,000.
Western officials have blamed Sudan's government for the delay in deploying peacekeepers and key military equipment. Sudan denies that, but it has vetoed troop contributions from some non-African or non-Muslim nations.
Two interesting pieces
Amnesty International Calls for Release of Recent LRA Abductees; http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-04-22-voa12.cfm>
Voice of America - USA
The abductions of more than 350 men, women and children occurred in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Southern ..
+++++++
Nasty Neighbors: Resolving the Chad-Sudan Proxy War; http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/04/nasty_neighbors.html>
Center For American Progress - Washington,DC,USA
Meanwhile, conflict and organized banditry is engulfing northern Central African Republic and the Chadian rebels, armed with heavy weapons provided by the ...
Olympics brass ignore China's role in ongoing Darfur genocide
By Mia Farrow and Ellen Freudenheim
Sunday, April 20th 2008, 4:00 AM
There are few institutions in the world that claim to embody and protect humanity's highest dreams and values. The International Olympic Committee, custodian of the Olympic Games, is one of them.
Any organization that lays claim to the lofty moral goal of protecting mankind's universal dreams and aspirations should, from time to time, be subject to a reality check: rhetoric of morality and peace is without substance if words are not matched by deeds.
There is a direct connection - financial, military, political and strategic- between this year's Olympic host, China, and the humanitarian catastrophe in Darfur that has been called the first genocide of the 21st century.
Entering its sixth year, it is unclear how many have died from the violence inflicted by the Arab-dominated government in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, against the non-Arab tribes of the region of Darfur. Hundreds of thousands by any estimate. More than 2.5 million people have been displaced.
As we speak, humanitarian aid is scaling back because the situation on the ground has become so dangerous for aid workers. Without security food delivery cannot continue.
And so, in addition to the recent spike in government and Janjaweed attacks, Darfurians are also dying a slow death of starvation and disease.
What does Darfur have to do with the International Olympic Committee? The IOC chose this year's Olympic host, China. China is underwriting the genocide in Darfur. While the IOC remains silent.
"Respect for universal fundamental ethical principles" is what the IOC's Charter demands. When awarding the Olympics to China, the IOC said the Games would serve to "open up" China to the world on human rights issues. In fact, China's promise to improve its record on human rights issues was reportedly part of Beijing's pitch to the International Olympic Committee to win the privilege of hosting the Games.
Yet as the Games approach, the IOC has proven reluctant to mention, much less address, the human rights complaints about China. It was only recently, following large protests that dogged the Olympic Torch Relay in London and Paris, that the IOC President Jacques Rogge called for the peaceful resolution of the Tibet issue. Responding only to the squeakiest wheel, Rogge ignored the plight of Darfur.
And so has China. Despite intense international scrutiny, Beijing has. done pathetically little to use its considerable leverage with Khartoum to bring desperately needed security to the people of Darfur.
This is SO important!
Statement of Senator Barack Obama on negotiations with the Government of Sudan
Chicago, IL | April 18, 2008
"I am deeply concerned by reports that the Bush Administration is negotiating a normalization of relations with the Government of Sudan that would include removing it from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. This would reportedly be in exchange for Khartoum's agreement to allow Thai and Nepalese troops to participate in the joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping force in Darfur.
"This reckless and cynical initiative would reward a regime in Khartoum that has a record of failing to live up to its commitments. First, no country should be removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism for any reason other than the existence of verifiable proof that the government in question does not support terrorist organizations. Second, the Bush Administration should be holding the Government of Sudan accountable for its past promises to let UN peacekeepers operate within its borders - Khartoum's record of inaction and obstruction when it comes to the deployment of the AU-UN force must not be rewarded. Third, the Bush Administration should be holding Sudan accountable for failing to implement significant aspects of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), imperiling the prospects for scheduled multiparty elections in 2009. Finally, Khartoum has yet to fully account for the murder of John Granville, the American citizen and USAID official gunned down on New Year's Eve.
"A grassroots movement of Americans has joined with Congress to push for implementation of the CPA, and to push the Bush Administration to acknowledge that the Government of Sudan has pursued a policy of genocide in Darfur. Hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children have been killed in Darfur, and the killing continues to this very day. Meanwhile, lasting peace will not come without implementation of the CPA. The Bush Administration and Congress have imposed sanctions in an effort to change Khartoum's behavior; to suddenly offer to normalize relations before that change takes place, particularly without close consultation with Congress, makes no sense.
"Washington must respond to the ongoing genocide and the ongoing failure to implement the CPA with consistency and strong consequences. For years, the Government of Sudan has thwarted the will of the United States and the international community, and offended the standards of our common humanity. Before we improve our relationship with the Government of Sudan, conditions must improve for the Sudanese people. We cannot stand down - we must continue to stand up for peace and human rights."
China's support for Mugabe despotism via arms
The US sells arms to a lot of unsavory nations including the Saudis, the Ethiopians. But neither is in a class with Mugabe of Zimbabwe.
There are very few places comparable to Zimbabwe under Mugabe.
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NY Times
April 19, 2008
Zimbabwe Arms Shipped by China Spark an Uproar
By CELIA W. DUGGER
JOHANNESBURG - A Chinese ship loaded with armaments for Zimbabwe steamed into the port of Durban this week and set off a political firefight, putting newfound pressure on South Africa- and now China- to reduce support for Zimbabwe's government as it cracks down on its rivals after a disputed election.
Dock workers at the port, backed by South Africa's powerful unions, refused to unload the ammunition and weapons on Friday, vowing protests and threatening violence if the government tried to do it without them.
Meanwhile, the Anglican archbishop of the province appealed to South Africa's High Court to bar transporting the arms across South Africa, arguing that they were likely to be used to repress Zimbabweans. The court agreed, and by late Friday the ship had pulled up anchor and set sail.
The arms shipment was ordered from China before the elections, but its arrival amid Zimbabwe's political crisis illuminated deep fissures within South Africa over how to respond, and brought new scrutiny on China at a time when its human rights record is already under fire for suppressing protesters in Tibet and supplying arms to the government of Sudan.
Three weeks after Zimbabwe's presidential election, officials there have yet to announce the outcome. Independent monitors believe the governing party trailed behind its main rival, the Movement for Democratic Change, but the government has responded by systematically beating, arresting and harassing its opponents, human rights groups say.
The Chinese ship, packed with ammunition, rockets and mortar bombs, quickly became a symbol of clashing approaches to the Zimbabwean dilemma: Should South Africa confront Zimbabwe's autocratic president, Robert Mugabe, in power for 28 years, or continue to pursue the policy of quiet diplomacy that has drawn international criticism?
For China, long an ally of Mr. Mugabe's, the opening of a new front of controversy is equally thorny. Despite its sensitivity to criticism as it prepares to hold the Olympic Games this summer, it is wooing African nations in hopes of building its diplomatic clout and securing access to minerals and other resources.
For the union, though, the matter seemed clear. Randall Howard, general secretary of the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union, said the dock workers had no intention of allowing the cargo to be unloaded.
"If they bring in replacement labor to do the work, our members will not stand and look at them and smile," he said.
But the government, led by the African National Congress, a party that counts the trade unions among its most important partners, took a far more conciliatory approach, giving Zimbabwe's military a helping hand at the border.
In fact, the South African government on Friday was actively helping Zimbabwe to clear the shipment through customs. South Africa's defense secretary, January Masilela, said in an interview on Friday that the National Conventional Arms Control Committee's scrutiny committee, of which he is the chairman, had issued a permit to move the goods from Durban to Harare.
With a go-ahead from superiors, Armscor, South Africa's arms procurement agency, was busy lining up the needed documentation. "We are sorting out the paperwork necessary to get the consignment cleared by customs, like a normal shipping clearance agent," said Armscor's spokesman, Bertus Celliers.
China took a somewhat similar stance, describing the shipment as standard business with Zimbabwe. "China has always had a prudent and responsible attitude toward arm sales," its Foreign Ministry told Reuters. "One of the most important principles is not to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries."
But as the clashing views over the arms shipment show, the political conflict in Zimbabwe has spilled well over its border with South Africa to become a highly charged moral and political issue.
The South African government's handling of the arms shipment has intensified questions about whether President Thabo Mbeki, the region's official mediator in the Zimbabwean crisis, has the credibility to negotiate a way out of a deepening stalemate.
Morgan Tsvangirai, the presidential candidate of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, said Thursday that Mr. Mbeki should be replaced. Mr. Mbeki stirred outrage and ridicule in South Africa when he said last Saturday, just before an emergency meeting of regional leaders on Zimbabwe, that there was no crisis there - a remark he offered while he affectionately held hands with the 84-year-old Mr. Mugabe in Harare.
Mr. Tsvangirai's prospects dimmed further on Friday when the opposition's court case to bar a recount of crucial parliamentary seats failed. That set up the possibility that the only victory the opposition had been able to secure in the elections - winning control of Parliament's lower house - would now be overturned in a recount.
The brouhaha over the arms shipment started with a phone call on Monday from what Martin Welz, editor of Noseweek, a monthly, Cape Town-based investigative magazine, described as "a whistle blower of conscience."
The caller provided Noseweek with what Mr. Welz identified as the commercial invoice, bill of lading and packing list for the shipment. The documents show that Poly Technologies Inc., a Chinese, state-owned arms company, was shipping ammunition, as well as rockets, mortar bombs and mortar tubes, to Zimbabwe's Ministry of Defense.
The shipment weighed 77 tons and was valued at $1.245 million. The invoice was dated Jan. 21, and the goods apparently left the China on March 15.
On that same date, South African officials say they received written notification from the shipping company that the ship, called An Yue Jiang, was coming from China to Durban carrying restricted goods.
In recent days, the clamor about the arms shipment has grown ever louder.
On Friday afternoon, Rubin Phillip, the Anglican archbishop of KwaZulu-Natal, and Gerald Patrick Kearney, who formerly headed a public interest foundation, assisted by the Southern African Litigation Center, urgently appealed to South Africa's High Court to temporarily prohibit transporting the arms across South Africa.
"For the South African government to actively facilitate the transfer of arms in these circumstances is a violation of its constitutional obligations and an abdication of its regionally mandated role to bring about a peaceful resolution of the crisis," said Nicole Fritz, who heads the litigation center.
Mr. Phillip, Mr. Kearney and the lawyers argued that South Africa's 2002 law on conventional arms included guidelines that directed the government to consider, in deciding whether to give permits for the transport of weapons, whether the government receiving the arms was committing human rights violations.
Late Friday afternoon, a judge in Durban granted their request. But on Friday evening, when the authorities drove out to the Chinese ship, An Yeu Jiang, to serve the court order, it pulled up anchor and moved off, according to a South African government official and Ms. Fritz.
According to Ms. Fritz, the last radio transmission the authorities heard from the ship was this: "Next port, Maputo," referring to the capital of Mozambique.
Another cancer has grown on the UN
 Dear Friends:
Look at this, below; and then, for context, do read my son Ronan's WSJ article of last January which I am re-running here to accompany these outrageous comments by members of the UN Human Rights Council:
UN Watch Challenges UN Praise of Sudan's 'Cooperation'
April 18, 2008
Darfur Survivor Speaks for UN Watch at Human Rights Council
Despite continuing reports of Sudanese involvement in the killing, rape, and displacement of many thousands in Darfur, the Khartoum regime was celebrated for its "cooperation" at the recently concluded session of the UN Human Rights Council.
Sudan's allies from the African, Islamic groups and Non-Aligned blocs lined up to praise Khartoum, a position that was formalized in a consensus resolution welcoming the "collaboration of the government of Sudan."
Gibreil Hamid, a survivor from Darfur, took the floor on behalf of UN Watch to confront the impunity granted to Sudan. See text below.
UN Watch Takes on Sudan and its Allies
UN Human Rights Council, 7th Session
Interactive Dialogue with UN Special Rapporteur on Sudan
UN Watch Statement Delivered by Gibreil Hamid, March 17, 2008
Thank you, Mr. President.
I speak on behalf of UN Watch. We thank the Special Rapporteur for her excellent work for the victims of Darfur.
Mr. President, I am from Darfur, and I know the truth about what is happening there.
The truth can be found in today's report.
The report shows how the Government of Sudan is violating human rights and international humanitarian law, with physical assaults, abductions and rape.
In October, Government forces attacked Muhajiriya. People praying in a mosque were rounded up, and forty-eight civilians were killed.
In November, Government planes dropped bombs on Habila. The attackers entered the villages, shooting, stealing animals and setting fire to houses.
On 2 December, in West Darfur, armed men attacked a group of ten women and girls. A sixteen-year-old girl from the group was gang raped, and at least three other women were whipped and beaten with axes. Police and soldiers refused to help.
Today's report says that violence against women in Darfur is continuing. There is no improvement. There is no justice. The attackers enjoy immunity.
Mr. President, in the name of basic human rights, UN Watch urges Sudan to end these attacks against innocent civilians.
UN Watch asks this Council to please stop praising Sudan for its "cooperation." Mr. President, attacking little girls is not "cooperation."
We wish to ask the rapporteur: What further action is she planning to protect the victims of Darfur?
Thank you, Mr. President.
-----------------------------
In Praise of Sudan's 'Cooperation'
- "It is an honor to speak on behalf of the Arab Group and our country considers that reaching a peaceful solution in the south of Sudan has reached to the stability of the situation and Sudan is committed to this treatment, and it has taken the steps in order to achieve this peaceful solution." -- Palestine on behalf of the Arab Group, March 17, 2008
- "Our delegation also appreciates the cooperation by Sudan with the former Commission on Human Rights and with the Human Rights Council. Sudan has thus recognized all the resolutions of the Commission and the Council." -- Qatar, March 17, 2008
- "The African Group expresses its hope that this session of the Council will mark the continuation of the cooperative spirit, which has reigned so far in the Council on Sudan..." -- Egypt on behalf of the African Group, March 17, 2008
- "We believe that this is a reflection of the openness of the government of Sudan and its commitment to cooperate with this Council for the promotion and protection of human rights." -- Egypt on behalf of the African Group, March 17, 2008
- "The African group expresses its appreciation to the government of Sudan for the efforts undertaken thus far in the implementation of peace agreements..." -- Egypt on behalf of the African Group, March 17, 2008
- "Sudan's efforts are noteworthy and must be encouraged." -- Pakistan, March 17, 2008
- "Sudan has completely cooperated with the former Commission on Human Rights as well as the current Council with the fact that both the Council and the Commission have admitted that." -- Palestine on behalf of the Arab Group, March 17, 2008
- "We appreciate the consistent efforts of the government of Sudan to remove obstacles to the implementation of all national, regional, and international agreements." -- Pakistan, March 17, 2008
- "The government of Sudan will also require international support and encouragement, which must be provided without political qualification." -- Pakistan, March 17, 2008
- "The Sudan has always cooperated with the Human Rights Council in order to implement its resolutions. President, we welcome Sudan's cooperation with the Council...."-- Syria, March 17, 2008
- "The Sudanese government is cooperating fully with all international, regional initiatives to put an end to the crisis...."-- League of Arab States representative, March 17, 2008
- "Malaysia welcomes the progress achieved by the government of the Sudan in improving the legislation, mechanism, and rule of law in the country...."-- Malaysia, March 17, 2008
- "We praise the positive steps taken by and taken in the past and which continue to be taken by the government of Sudan to deal with the situation in Darfur...."-- Saudi Arabia, March 17, 2008
- "The report of the Special Rapporteur reflects the cooperation of the Sudan government and the progress made in improving the situation in that region by the attempt of the Sudanese government to lift all the obstacles to carrying out all the provisions of regional and international agreements." -- Saudi Arabia, March 17, 2008
- "We also recognize the determination of the Sudanese government to try and solve the complex situation effecting Darfur. Cuba welcomes the manifest cooperation of the Sudanese authorities with the work of this Council and its decisions." -- Cuba, March 17, 2008
- "Thanks to the considerable efforts of the UN, the African Union, the Sudanese government and other interested parties we have seen positive developments in the search for a solution to the Darfur issue." -- China, March 17, 2008
- "We are confident that the government of Sudan will continue its cooperation with the Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights...." -- Indonesia, March 17, 2008
- "Sudan has fully cooperated with the UN peacekeeping forces. This has shown the good intentions of the Sudanese government's determination to restore peace and security." -- United Arab Emirates, March 17, 2008
- "The Sudanese government has demonstrated its determination to positively work toward satisfactory solutions...." -- Jordan, March 17, 2008
- "We are satisfied to note the high level of cooperation between the Sudanese government and the Special Rapporteur, and the willingness of the government to pursue a dialogue...." -- Russian Federation, March 17, 2008
- "My country's delegation praises the efforts of the Sudanese government to improve the human rights situation..." -- Bahrain, March 17, 2008
- "The government of Sudan is cooperating positively...." -- Bahrain, March 17, 2008
- "We appreciate the cooperation of the government of Sudan to facilitate the work of the Special Rapporteur and to follow closely matters in the field." -- Yemen, March 17, 2008
- "We are particularly heartened by the openness and the cooperative spirit with which the government of Sudan has welcomed the SR and facilitated her mission." -- Djibouti, March 17, 2008
- "The delegation also notes the cooperation afforded to the Special Rapporteur by the government of Sudan, which is reflective of an attempt to unravel the complex situation and resolve it." -- Zimbabwe, March 17, 2008
- "We particularly welcome the cooperation extended by the government of the Sudan to the Special Rapporteur as well as to the group of experts on Darfur. We also appreciate the government of Sudan's willingness to remain engaged with the international community." -- Pakistan on behalf of the Islamic Group, March 27, 2008
- "There has been an acknowledgment of the improvements of the situation of human rights in Darfur and of the steps taken by the government of the Sudan...." -- Sudan, March 27, 2008
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The U.N.'s Human-Rights Sham
By RONAN FARROW
January 29, 2008; Page A16
Last week the U.N. Human Rights Council held an emergency session, organized by Arab and Muslim nations, to condemn Israel for its military actions in the Gaza strip. That the council is capable of swift and decisive action is a welcome surprise; that Israel remains the only nation to provoke such action is not. In the 17 months since its inception, the body has passed 13 condemnations, 12 of them against Israel.
The council replaced what was widely viewed as a cancer on the United Nations -- an ineffectual "Commission on Human Rights" that also had a single-minded focus on Israel. According to former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, "the selectivity and politicizing of its activities [were] in danger of bringing the entire U.N. system into disrepute."
The removal of the diseased commission two years ago was heralded by U.N. officials as "the dawn of a new era." Its replacement was designed to have stricter standards for membership, and rules to prevent politicized voting. But such safeguards were neutered by the time the new Human Rights Council was approved, and the results are agonizingly apparent. The council is no better than its predecessor.
The problems begin with the council's composition. Only 25 of its 47 members are classified as "free democracies," according to Freedom House's ranking of civil liberties. Nine are classified as "not free." Four -- China, Cuba, Russia and Saudi Arabia -- are ranked as the "worst of the worst." These nations are responsible for repeated violations of the U.N.'s own Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Yet it is they who dominate the council, leading a powerful bloc of predominantly Arab and African nations that consistently vote as a unit.
These regimes have repeatedly used the council as a powerful tool for shielding themselves from scrutiny and meting out criticism along stark political lines. According to Human Rights Watch, the council has turned a blind eye to at least 26 countries -- the sites of some of the world's worst human-rights crises.
In some cases, the council has actively eroded the level of monitoring. Last year, when Cuba drew fire for persecuting journalists, and Belarus for political imprisonments and rigged elections, the council responded by removing monitors from both countries.
As fresh waves of violence convulsed Darfur in December, the council responded by dismissing the team of experts tasked with monitoring atrocities in that region. Sudan's closest allies, Egypt and China, have led the council in shielding the Sudanese regime.
Even mild resolutions, like a Canadian proposal requesting the prosecution of those responsible for abuses in Darfur, have been rejected. Reports from U.N. fact-finding missions implicating Sudan's government in torture, rape and mass murder -- including one led by Nobel Peace laureate Jody Williams earlier this year -- have been discarded. And while world leaders labeled the Sudanese regime's actions as genocide, the council continued to commend Sudan's conduct and assign blame to "all parties" involved. In the face of the world's worst human-rights crisis, it has refused to issue a single condemnation.
The council's defenders point out nominal improvements over the old commission. More of its seats are held by free democracies. However, these nations have performed anemically, remaining too quiet and acquiescing too frequently. Democratic members such as Canada, France, Germany and Britain must do more to make their presence felt, and work harder to prevent abusive regimes from commandeering the council.
Powerful democracies not on the council -- including the United States -- should press those who are to use their positions within the body to the fullest extent. But given their track record thus far, the chances of democracies finding their voice seem slim.
The best hope for recovery lies in a system of "universal periodical review" slated to begin in April. This would compel the council to review the human rights records of all U.N. states, not just a narrow selection of their choosing. Council members should work to ensure that the system is implemented with impartiality and rigor. But if the council's reviews of Sudan are any indicator of the quality of assessments to come, then even periodical reviews may make little difference.
Another cancer has grown in the old commission's place, and it is just as malignant. U.N. member states should be prepared to call for a fresh start. A new body should be built, with the safeguards initially proposed for this one -- such as the required approval of two-thirds of the U.N. to attain membership -- left intact. A forum that serves as a real tool in service of human rights is worth fighting for.
Mr. Farrow, a student at Yale Law School, is a UNICEF spokesperson and has worked on human-rights issues at the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
ALARMING!!! If you agree contact the White House and your legislators asap (1800 genocide)
 President Bush has labeled the on-going atrocities in Darfur 'genocide' yet he is negotiating to normalize relations with Sudan. And for little in return. The US is prepared to lift sanctions in return for what has already been agreed to by Government of Sudan .
NYTIMES
WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration could remove Sudan from an American list of state supporters of terrorism and normalize relations if the Sudanese government agreed, among other steps, to allow Thai and Nepalese peacekeepers in its Darfur region, says a document outlining the American negotiating position for talks with Sudan that began Wednesday.
The document was part of a series of negotiating papers exchanged between the governments in preparation for talks in Rome. They were provided to The New York Times by an American government official critical of the administration's position.
Sudan has already promised to let United Nations peacekeepers operate within its borders, and human rights advocates and others say it would be a mistake for the United States to offer any new incentives until Sudan carries out that and other pledges.
"Given the fact that Khartoum has been involved in negotiations repeatedly over the years regarding Darfur and the comprehensive peace agreements and has signed documents and consistently failed to implement what they've signed, why are we discussing normalization with them?" said Roger Winter, a former Sudan negotiator at the State Department. Richard Williamson, the United States envoy to Sudan, is in Rome for the talks with Sudanese officials. The broad thrust of the American position has been known, but the negotiating papers provide new details about the positions staked out by each side as they try to resolve differences over Darfur.
At least 200,000 people have been killed there since the Arab-dominated government of Sudan unleashed tribal militias known as the janjaweed on non-Arab rebel groups and civilians.
The papers show that the United States is demanding that Sudan speed up visas for humanitarian workers and allow private aid organizations to work in Darfur.
Sudan wants an end to economic sanctions imposed by the United States since 1997. Sudan complained in the negotiating papers that sanctions had continued "despite the many positive achievements" by its government in Khartoum.
In addition, Sudan wants United States backing for its membership in the World Trade Organization, American support for the cancellation of Sudan's foreign debts and "the immediate release of the Sudanese detainees at Guantanamo".
Sudan is further seeking a formal apology for the Clinton administration-era strike on the Shifa pharmaceutical plant in Khartoum. It was destroyed by American cruise missiles in 1998 in the days after the terrorist attacks on the American Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
American officials have acknowledged over the years that the evidence that prompted President Clinton to order the missile strike was not as solid as first portrayed, and have said that there was no proof that the plant had been linked to Osama bin Laden, a resident of Khartoum in the 1980s. But the United States has not ruled out the possibility that the plant did have some link to chemical weapons production.
Bush administration officials have acknowledged in the past that they have offered to restore full diplomatic ties, lift economic sanctions and remove Sudan from the American list of state sponsors of terrorism in exchange for concessions on Darfur.
The Sudanese government says the death toll in Da | |
