Genocide Olympics?

NOT ON OUR WATCH: In September 2004, President Bush declared the atrocities committed in Darfur a "genocide" - more than two years later things have only gotten worse. 3.5 million Sudanese are going hungry, 2.5 million have been displaced by violence, and as many as 450,000 have died.P (Photo Credit: Book Cover for the new book: "Not on our watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond")

To date, no country has done nearly enough for Darfur, but China has been particularly irresponsible. China has protected Khartoum at the Security Council while selling arms to the Sudanese government and buying massive quantities of its oil, which underwrites the genocidal regime in Khartoum. It is unacceptable for China to reap the rewards of a trading relationship that facilitates a genocide, while enjoying the prestige of hosting the foremost symbol of international cooperation, the Olympics.

STAND, in partnership with the Dream for Darfur campaign and the Save Darfur Coalition, is educating and mobilizing the public, policy makers and the Olympic community to focus on the uniquely constructive role that China could - and must - play, given its unrivaled leverage with Sudan and its position as Olympic host.

In light of the Games, we are asking all concerned global citizens to urge the government of China to persuade the government of Sudan to consent immediately to true UN participating in a large peace support and civilian protection operation in Darfur with an appropriate mandate for civilian and humanitarian protection. If China seizes the moment in the months before the Games to use its influence with Sudan accordingly, the '08 Olympics offers an opportunity ending the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. That is the mission of the Genocide Olympics? campaign.

China must:


• Press publicly for Khartoum to keep its multiple commitments to disarm the Janjaweed militias that are responsible for so much civilian destruction; such disarmament was also the key "demand" of UN Security Council Resolution 1556 (July 2004), from which China and Pakistan abstained;


• Press publicly for Khartoum to adhere to previous ceasefire commitments;


• Suspend all weapons transfers to Sudan;


• Suspend debt forgiveness to the Khartoum-dominated economy;


• Join with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in publicly demanding a cessation of aerial bombardment of civilian targets, and the indiscriminate use of aerial military assets;


• Join with UN Undersecretary for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes and numerous aid organizations in publicly demanding unfettered humanitarian access to all regions of Darfur;


• Publicly announce punitive actions that China is prepared to take in the event that Khartoum refuses to accept an international peace support operation, refuses to disarm the Janjaweed, impedes or harasses humanitarian efforts, or refuses to halt indiscriminate aerial attacks.