SAVE DARFUR

get updates!

The games China is hosting in Beijing can't hide those it's playing in Darfur

All nations share the responsibility to help bring an end to the genocide in Darfur but China has a special obligation to respond. China, more than any other government except Khartoum itself, has the ability to help bring peace to the people of Sudan.

The Save Darfur Coalition, ENOUGH Project, STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition, Genocide Intervention Network, and Dream for Darfur released a joint position paper outlining the essential steps China needs to take to help end genocide in Darfur.

Click here to read the joint statement and fill out the fields below to join activists around the world in calling on China to live up to the ideals of the Olympic Games and help end genocide in Darfur.

Subject:

Dear President Hu,

(Edit Letter Below)

I am writing to urge you to intensify your efforts to support a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Darfur.

As many as 400,000 people have already died, and 2.5 million have been driven from their homes.  The Sudanese government is not content to limit its direct and and proxy-militia-fueled violence to Darfur - they have stepped up their support of militias and rebel factions in Chad as well.

Millions of civilians are caught in the conflict on both sides of the border. They simply can't wait any longer.

All nations share a responsibility to take a stand against genocide. In Sudan, China has not only the responsibility, but also the ability to act.

Your government is Sudan's closest economic, military and political partner, making it the government most able to pressure Sudan to end the atrocities it commits in Darfur and end the violence it supports in Chad.

As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, and as acting President when the Security Council approved the UNAMID peacekeeping mission, China has a special responsibility to see that UNAMID succeeds.  And as current custodian of the universal values of peace and fraternity the Olympics represent, China has a special duty to ensure that its actions are consistent with those values.

China did take some helpful actions last year, most notably helping with the authorization of UNAMID peacekeepers.  Yet China's ties to Khartoum grew closer than ever last year, with a doubling in trade just one example.

Of greatest importance, security and humanitarian conditions on the ground in Darfur, in Sudan, and in Chad, have deteriorated substantially, and Sudan has obstructed the deployment of UNAMID to such a degree that it is now entirely unclear whether it can ever be successful.

The time for patience with Khartoum is long past gone.  Its renewed attacks in Darfur and the region, and the fate of millions of displaced Darfurians, demand otherwise.

China needs to produce results and use its influence to press Sudan to a) permit the swift, full and effective deployment of UNAMID; b) implement the North-South peace deal and participate constructively in the Darfur peace process; and c) allow the unfettered delivery of humanitarian aid in Darfur and Eastern Chad.

In particular, we call on you to:

1. Immediately provide half of the transport helicopters that UNAMID requires.

2. Support punitive measures, such as U.N. Security Council sanctions, against Khartoum, until peace and security for Darfur is achieved.  U.N. sanctions should be imposed immediately against government, rebel, or militia officials who are responsible for undermining UNAMID's deployment, the North-South peace deal, or regional stability, such as the active support of efforts to overthrow the government in neighboring Chad.

3. Verifiably suspend all military cooperation with Khartoum, including weapons transfers, until peace and security for Darfur is achieved.

4. Work with the United States, France, and the United Kingdom in a quartet supporting UN and African Union initiatives in Darfur, Southern Sudan, and Chad.  This cooperative work on the peace process needs to be comprehensive.  The problems of Darfur, Southern Sudan, and Chad are intertwined, so unless peace is advanced on all of these fronts it will be unlikely to be achieved on any of these fronts.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

Take Action on this Issue

Send this message to:

His Excellency Hu Jintao

Complete the following to send this message and sign-up to receive periodic updates. If you have participated before, just type in your email address then submit the form.

Email:*

First Name:*

Last Name:*

Address Line 1:

Address Line 2:

City:

State/ Province:

ZIP/Postal Code:

Country:

* Required Field