Olympics, Mia Farrow and Darfur – what to do
PBS-TV recently carried two programs (can watch one online) reporting how the govt of Sudan is sponsoring horrific ethnic killings and rape-as-warfare in its Darfur region, shielded primarily from international sanctions by the Chinese government. China buys oil from Sudan in exchange for weapons and vetoes all U.N. resolutions demanding international supervision in Darfur. The U.S. govt (as India and others) has largely refused to intervene or pressure Sudan since it is perceived against Chinese interests, although the US govt now officially acknowledges the happenings in Darfur as genocide.
Yesteryears’ actress Mia Farrow has singlehandedly spearheaded a movement to spur action against the atrocities and it has had some effect with China yielding slightly to allow limited UN oversight in some parts of Darfur in late 2007 but 2008 has seen fresh deterioration with escalation brutality. Farrow has put pressure on China by calling the Beijing Olympics as the Genocide Olympics and urged people to dissuade its corporate sponsors from participating. If you care, you may want to consider visiting her site and pass this message along.