Calling On The Government Of China To Stop Genocide And Violence In Darfur, Sudan

Floor Speech

CALLING ON THE GOVERNMENT OF CHINA TO STOP GENOCIDE AND VIOLENCE IN DARFUR, SUDAN -- (House of Representatives - June 05, 2007)

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Mr. GOODLATTE. I thank the gentlewoman, and I thank her for her leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this year I had the opportunity to travel with Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, Majority Leader Hoyer and other members of a bipartisan congressional delegation to the war-torn nation of Sudan and see firsthand one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent times.

As a Nation dedicated to freedom and the rights of the individual, the United States has a responsibility to speak out when those rights are violated. While in Darfur, we saw directly the atrocities in this besieged nation. We toured the Alsalam Internally Displaced Persons Camp, where 47,000 people seeking food, water and safety live in crowded, deplorable and often still unsafe conditions.

This is one of nearly 100 such camps which collectively have more than 2 million people. They live in small, makeshift twig huts, many only the size of a pup tent. On numerous occasions, the IDP camps themselves have been attacked. And this is just one of many examples of the deplorable situation in Darfur.

There is no doubt that the ongoing crisis in Darfur has led to a major humanitarian disaster. We along with the rest of the world must band together to bring change to this horrible situation. Next year the world will join together to celebrate the Olympic Games. The Olympic spirit brings together nations and people from all over the world in a spirit of peace. The People's Republic of China as the Olympic host country has a profound responsibility to ensure that spirit of peace will be celebrated throughout the games. However, I am deeply worried that this spirit will be deeply compromised due to China's implicit acquiescence to the atrocities being committed in Darfur.

The People's Republic of China has a deep relationship with Sudan and has substantial economic investment there. China's connection to Sudan, a country that supports the genocide of its own people, is troubling and seriously undermines the spirit of the Olympic Games.

There is no question that China is in a position to help improve the situation in Darfur. As an economic partner to Sudan, China must use all means possible to help bring an end to this genocide. As they seek to host the world, they must show the true extent of their leadership and call for an end to this genocide.

House Resolution 422 rightfully calls on the People's Republic of China to end military and economic assistance to Sudan until Sudan ceases attacking civilians and promotes the humanitarian and peacekeeping efforts going on in Darfur in its own country. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and call on China to fully support the Olympic spirit by calling on Sudan to end the genocide in Darfur.

While I have never seen anything like what I saw in Darfur, the situation is not completely hopeless. The humanitarian assistance the United States is providing is helping millions of people in desperate circumstances. But we must continue to do more and we must urge the international community to join with us to bring an end to the genocide. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in a bipartisan spirit to bring an end to this international crisis.

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