Steven Spielberg’s recent decision to quit his role in the Beijing Olympic Games is an important action that brings attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan.
For five years, Arab militiamen in Sudan, called the Janjiweed, have “cleansed” large areas of the western region of Darfur of black Africans. The militiamen are backed by the Sudanese government which merely admits to mobilizing “self-defense militias” against its own people. The Janjiweed is responsible for the killing of 200,000-400,000 people and the displacement of more than 2.5 million people, the equivalent of the entire populations of the Portland Metropolitan Area and Salem. The militiamen sack and burn villages, raping women and taking them for sex slaves. Meanwhile, the violence pushes refugees into the neighboring countries of Chad and The Central African Republic.
This “cleansing,” recognized as “genocide” by the United States and many other governments of the world community, is defined as the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political or cultural group. China’s role in this conflict is set by its dependence on Sudanese oil reserves which make up 7 percent of its oil imports. By buying oil, China is funding the Sudanese government and simultaneously providing the government with weapons that arm militiamen. The Chinese are arguably as responsible for the genocide in Darfur as the Janjiweed and the Sudanese government.
In the words of the charter of the Olympic Games, I am asking you to act:
“The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.”
Call the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C., at (202) 338-6688 to tell China that in order for it to host the Olympic Games, it needs to lead responsibly by stopping this humanitarian crisis. You can remain informed about this issue by visiting www.savedarfur.org where you can find other ways to help end the violence. Together we can save Darfur.
Daniel Ronan is a student at the University