Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock)
July 5, 2007 Thursday
EDITORIALS
Genocide’s big buddy Sudan plus Red China equals Darfur
WANT TO know how to get away with murder? Here’s one way: Hide behind
a powerful protector-like, say, the government of the most populous
nation on Earth. Hey, it works for Sudan.
Black Africans in Darfur, the western region of Sudan, are being
slaughtered by the thousands. Sudanese officials deny it, but the
evidence is clear enough. The bodies keep piling up.
The world has expressed its outrage, its horror, its demand that the
killing stop, blah, blah, blah . . . . Talk, diplomats are good at.
Stopping a genocide, not so much. The world should have learned that
much long ago-at least since the Armenian massacres early in the last
century. What’s happening today in Darfur can be traced back through
a whole history of the world’s indifference to suffering.
The Sudanese government’s latest ploy in this farce and tragedy was
to agree to a large contingent of peacekeepers from the United
Nations and the African Union, then deny that force entry to Darfur.
What agreement? Who, us?
As always, Sudan is aided and abetted by its ally and trading
partner, mainland China.
When Condoleezza Rice, our secretary of state, suggested a few days
ago that it’s time for more trade and diplomatic sanctions to get
Khartoum’s attention, Chinese officials were against the idea-as
usual.
There’s been some heartening discussion of a boycott of the 2008
Olympics in Beijing, and it seems to have caught the attention of the
ChiCom bosses. They don’t like all this talk about a Genocide
Olympics. (Ah, if they could just control the Western press the way
they do their own!) Officials in Beijing don’t like to be reminded
that they’re complicit in what’s happening in Darfur, so they say the
Olympics are supposed to be non-political.
Non-political? Like the 1936 Oympics in Berlin? Or the 1980 Olympics
in Moscow that the United States boycotted? Or the 1984 Olympics the
Soviets boycotted in turn? The Olympics have been part political
since the Greek city-states vied for honors at the first one.
Pretending that everything is just swell in Beijing while its regime
is aiding and abetting this massive crime would be a political
statement, too. It would amount to endorsing the horrors in Darfur.
For silence still gives comment. Especially when the world should be
yelling bloody murder.
(Blood) Red China has been running interference for Sudan for years
now. Why? Well, Sudan provides its gigantic trading partner with lots
of oil. Why jeopardize something important, like the supply of
petroleum, for the sake of mere human life? Business is business.
Estimates of the dead in Darfur vary widely. Nobody’s really sure of
the toll to date. The consensus is that at least 200,000 have died
there since 2004; the real count could be twice that. Who really
knows?
Hundreds of thousands, millions . . . . You’d think the rest of the
world would get a little more worked up over such numbers. But the
world’s reaction could be summed up as one big yawn-despite all the
diplomatic jaw-jaw.
If Beijing can be blamed for providing political cover, let’s not
forget who’s doing the killing: the Sudanese regime.
Secretary Rice sounded tired of the old runaround when she called for
additional sanctions. It’s about time somebody ran out of patience.
Anyone with eyes to see and a heart to feel knows what needs to be
done: The UN peacekeepers need to take up their positions to protect
the refugees.
Yes, the peacekeeping force needs to have a heavily African makeup,
and it should be heavily armed. Other countries, Western countries,
can provide the logistical support the peacekeepers will need,
including enough aircraft to enforce a no-fly zone over Darfur. Put
those measures into effect, along with some meaningful economic and
political sanctions, and Sudan might begin to lose interest in
killing.
The solution isn’t really complicated. What’s missing is the will to
do what’s needed. Which means the will to show Sudan-and China’s
commissars-that the world won’t put up with games any longer. PENSION
funds in this country, tired of waiting for governments to act, are
beginning to disinvest in companies that do business with Sudan’s
murderous regime. The Arkansas Teachers Retirement System has decided
to disinvest in the Sudan. Good for the teachers. May their tribe
increase. Economic boycotts can be a powerful weapon. Khartoum may
not care about human life, but it cares deeply about its economic
interests. They need to be squeezed. Never underestimate the power of
the dollar. And after Sudan, Iran. Americans need not wait for the UN
to do right, and private funds need not wait for Washington to take
action. It’s time to put our money where our conscience is.