House Passes Lee Resolution to Pressure China on Darfur
(Washington, DC) – The House of Representatives today approved a resolution introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) calling on China to use its “unique influence and economic leverage” with the Sudan regime to help stop the ongoing genocide in Darfur.
“China is uniquely positioned to help end the genocide in Darfur and the fact is that they have been unwilling to do so,” said Rep. Lee. “This resolution sends a clear message that China needs to join the international community in working to end this genocide.”
Lee’s resolution, which has the bipartisan support of 124 cosponsors, points out that the government of China “has long-standing economic and military ties with Sudan and continues to strengthen these ties in spite of the on-going genocide in Darfur.” For example, China reportedly purchases as much as 70 percent of Sudan's oil and has reportedly cancelled approximately $100 million in debt owed by the Sudanese government. China also recently provided funds for a presidential palace in Sudan at a reported cost of approximately $20 million. In addition, the human rights organization Amnesty International recently accused China and Russia of selling weapons to Sudan that are used in violence in Darfur.
The measure calls on China to acknowledge and condemn the atrocities in Darfur, cease all military arms and related sales and suspend economic cooperation with the Government of Sudan and investment in the country. It also calls on China to urge Sudan to allow the entry of the U.N. sanctioned peacekeeping force and to comply with U.N. resolutions demanding that the Government of Sudan disarm militias operating in Darfur, to recommit a renewed peace process and to ensure the safety of civilians and humanitarian organizations.
The resolution comes as China prepares to host the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing, and Chinese diplomats have begun trying to head off efforts to tie the games to the genocide in Darfur. The resolution recognizes that the spirit of the Olympics is “incompatible with any actions supporting acts of genocide.”
“By hosting the Olympics, China puts itself in the international spotlight and invites questions about their commitment to human rights, particularly with their ongoing support for the government of Sudan, despite its campaign of genocide in Darfur,” said Rep. Lee. “To suggest that somehow it is unfair to ask those questions is ridiculous. If China doesn't like the scrutiny, they can stop tacitly supporting genocide.”
The following is her statement from the House floor today (as prepared):
“Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking Chairman Lantos and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Chairman Payne and Ranking Member Smith of the Africa Subcommittee for their leadership on the issue of Darfur and for working with me to bring this bipartisan resolution with over 123 co-sponsors to the floor today.
“I also want to thank Congressman Jerry Moran of Kansas and Congressman Jim McGovern and their staffs for working with me on this resolution.
“Thirteen years ago the world stood by as nearly one million people were slaughtered in the genocide in Rwanda. The best our country could do then was apologize for our failure to act.
“Many of us swore that another Rwanda would never again take place on our watch. But today Mr. Speaker it is happening again.
“Nearly three years ago, under the leadership of my good friend Chairman Donald Payne, on July 22, 2004 Congress formally declared that genocide was taking place in Darfur.
“Estimates indicate that nearly 450,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million innocent civilians have been displaced to date.
“I witnessed this ongoing tragedy in January 2005 when I visited the refugee camps in Chad and Darfur with two great humanitarian leaders, Don Cheadle and Paul Rusesabagina.
“In February 2006, under the leadership of our Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, I visited the refugee camps again in another region of Darfur.
“And just this past April I returned from my third trip to the region, as part of a Co-del organized by our Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.
“From what we saw, the situation in Darfur is continuing to deteriorate. More and more people are dying, and even humanitarian aid workers are at risk. The day before our delegation arrived, five African Union soldiers were killed in Darfur.
“Unfortunately for many Darfurians, the situation remains grim.
“Mr. Speaker, I and many of my colleagues have spoken out repeatedly on this floor over the last four years in condemnation of the ongoing genocide in Darfur.
“Our efforts over the last few months have only intensified as we have sought to use every tool at our disposal to bring this genocide to an end.
“In April, we passed a resolution urging our partners in the League of Arab states to exert their influence on the Government of Sudan.
“In May, we called on the Defense Department to examine the rehabilitation of the Abeche airfield in Chad to support expanded humanitarian operations in Darfur.
“Last week many of us expressed our support for the President’s announcement of additional sanctions on businesses controlled by the Government of Sudan, and on individuals in the Sudanese government.
“Today we take another step forward by calling on the Chinese to use their unique influence with Sudan to end the genocide.
“Mr. Speaker, there is no way to sugarcoat it. China is the principal trading partner of a genocidal regime that has thumbed its nose at the international community.
“China reportedly purchases as much as 70 percent of Sudan’s oil, has canceled over $100 million in debt, and has provided $20 million in funding to build a palace for General Bashir.
“China unquestionably has the unique ability to influence Khartoum in a positive manner, but they cannot do so by simply following a policy of appeasement.
“They must put real pressure on Bashir to comply with all UN resolutions and fully and unconditionally accept the UN-AU peacekeeping mission.
“They must urge Sudan to purse a renewed peace process with all parties, and they must insist that humanitarian organizations have unfettered access to the 2.5 million people who have been displaced.
“Most importantly however, they should deny Bashir the tools to continue perpetrating the genocide by cutting off all military arms sales and suspending economic cooperation with the Government of Sudan.
“Mr. Speaker, the economic costs to China for taking these steps today is minimal compared with the benefit that they would provide to the people of Darfur, and the international acclaim that China could win by helping to end the genocide.
“I urge our Chinese friends not to view this resolution today as a condemnation, but to view it instead as an opportunity to take action to end an urgent moral and humanitarian crisis.
“As we urge the Chinese to act, our own efforts to stop this genocide must also intensify.
“We have to pursue divestment from companies doing business with Khartoum.
“We’ve got to explore further sanctions and legislation that I know my colleague Donald Payne is working on.
“And we must continue to urge all parties, the rebels and the government, to lay down their arms and come to the table to negotiate a political solution – but we cannot and should not hold a ceasefire declaration hostage to a peace agreement or vice versa.
“Everyday we wait to act, the killings continue, the rapes continue, the starvation, the dislocation—they all continue.
“Mr. Speaker, genocide is happening again on our watch. But this time, with the help of our allies in the international community and the bipartisan will and determination of this Congress and the administration, we can stop it.”
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