The Nation published a column today by American Jewish World Service president Ruth Messinger and Save Darfur Coalition president Jerry Fowler on the essential role that China must play in bringing peace to Darfur. Below is an excerpt from the column, which can be found here.
Beijing’s theme for this year’s Games is “One World, One Dream.” According to the official website, this theme is meant to convey China’s commitment to “peaceful development, harmonious society and people’s happiness.”
We’ll state the obvious: China’s espousal of universal brotherhood flies in the face of its policies in Darfur. But China still has time to set things right. This is why advocates worldwide are urging China to take the following steps. First, immediately stop dealing small arms in Sudan. Providing these weapons only serves to arm many of the actors that are killing, raping, and maiming at will. Second, pressure Sudan to comply immediately with all existing UN Security Council resolutions, including the deployment of African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) forces to secure the region from the government-backed Janjaweed militia. Third, if Sudan does not change its behavior, China should refrain from vetoing UN sanctions against Sudan and its officials.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Save Darfur Coalition.
