Parallel Olympic torch relay highlights ongoing genocide

Though China would like to be seen at the next Olympics as a major world power that stands for international peace, an Olympic-style torch relay that began in Africa this week is painting a different picture of the giant Asian nation. Come next summer when the games begin in Beijing, a series of worldwide protests are expected to highlight China's role in perpetuating the bloody conflict in the Sudanese region of Darfur. The torch relay, which was launched by actress and Darfur activist Mia Farrow at a refugee camp in Chad -- just three miles from the Darfur border -- is part of an effort to demand China withdraw its support for the Sudanese government and help enhance international efforts to restore peace in Darfur. Organizers say the torch will change hands in various cities worldwide that have experienced conflict and genocide before it reaches its culmination point in Beijing by the end of the year. Farrow was also on hand Wednesday when Rwandan genocide survivors led a torch lighting ceremony at the entrance of a school where 2,000 Rwandans were murdered in 1994. The theme for the 2008 Olympics, which is now less than a year away, is "One World, One Dream." "As China prepares to host the Olympics and waves the banner of peace and brotherhood, it is failing to help bring this dream to Darfur," according to the independent group Dream for Darfur, which organized the torch rally along with other organizations. In a statement, the group held China responsible for the deteriorating situation in Darfur because it hasn't tried to use the influence it has with the Sudanese government. Its activists believe that China can play a critical role in ending the carnage in Darfur but so far has failed to do enough. China is thought to purchase as much as 70 percent of Sudan's oil and has at least $3 billion invested in the Sudanese energy sector. As part of their efforts to remind China of its responsibility to help restore peace in Darfur, organizers said those participating in the torch relay will travel around the world, visiting sites of previous genocides in Rwanda, Armenia, Bosnia, Germany, and Cambodia. Activists from a number of organizations, including Dream for Darfur, the Save Darfur Coalition, and STAND, said next month they will start another torch journey in the United States, which will cover as many as 25 cities nationwide. In the United States, some critics of China's policy on Darfur are also calling for extreme actions including a boycott of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Early this month, a US lawmaker introduced a congressional resolution calling for the United States to withdraw its participation in the Beijing Olympics. In House Resolution 628, Rep. Maxine Waters urged President Bush to take action to boycott the games unless the Chinese government acknowledges and condemns the atrocities against blacks in Darfur, Sudan. The resolution also insists that China must withdraw all military and economic support for the government in Khartoum, which is suspected of backing Arab militias responsible for armed attacks against the indigenous communities in Darfur. In Darfur, more than 200,000 people have been killed and at least 2 million others displaced since 2003 when the armed conflict began between rebel groups from ethnic African tribes and Khartoum-backed Janjaweed militias. "We shouldn't put a price on the lives of human beings," said Tim Nonn of the Dear Sudan group, which supports Waters' resolution. "No price is high enough for a human life -- whether it's oil going to China, or slavery in America." Waters believes that China's reluctance to be tough on Sudan is linked to its long-standing military and economic ties to the regime in Khartoum. China has exported at least $24 million in arms and ammunition to Sudan, as well as nearly $57 million in parts and aircraft equipment and $2 million in helicopter and airplane parts, noted Waters' chief of staff Mikael Moore in a recent interview with Wave newspapers. "China is the world's largest provider of military arms and equipment to Sudan," Waters said in a statement. "China continues to provide... equipment to Sudan, despite the fact Sudan is using these supplies to commit genocide in Darfur." This year and before, time and again, the Bush administration tried to threaten Sudan with economic sanctions, but both China and Russia opposed such strict measures at the UN Security Council, where both countries enjoy veto powers. However, earlier this month, both China and Russia went along with the United States and other countries' proposal to send a 26,000-strong UN force to Darfur. Many observers believe China's acquiescence was due, at least in part, to the activist pressure brought to bear on the nation as it attempts to purify its image ahead of next year's Olympic Games. UN officials say the troop deployment could still take several months to implement. Meanwhile, according to the UN, while Darfuris await the troops' deployment, vast numbers of villagers -- as well as humanitarian aid workers -- continue to face armed attacks by militias.