Eric's Blog

The people of Darfur are fighting the government of Sudan. The people of Darfur believe that their government is trying to kill them all and take away their lands. Over 400,000 people of Darfur have been killed and two and one- half million have lost their homes. For two years, China has prevented the United Nations from going into Sudan to protect the people of Darfur. China buys 20% of its oil from Sudan and has many other business dealings with Sudan. Now China has sent a senior official, Zhai Jun, to Sudan. Mr. Zhai asked the Sudanese government to allow the UN to send soldiers to Darfur to bring peace. Mr. Zhai visited three refugee camps in Darfur. This is very unusual for China’s government. China’s official policy is to stay out of other government’s affairs. Why has China made this change? Many people believe that the 2008 Olympics in Beijing is the reason. Groups that help the refugees in Darfur are telling the world that China is to blame for the continuing problems of Darfur. Now newspapers and television are telling this story to the world. China wants the 2008 Olympics to be a big world success and is afraid that this story will hurt the Olympics in Beijing. The two people most responsible for changing China’s policy are the actress, Mia Farrow, and the film producer, Steven Spielberg. Mr. Spielberg, a Jew, is the artistic advisor to China for the Olympic Games. Mr. Spielberg produced the movie ‘Schindler’s List’ about the killing of millions of Jews by the Germans in World War 2. The Germans tried to kill all of the Jews in the world. Ms. Farrow said that Mr. Spielberg was helping the government of Sudan kill all of the people of Darfur because he was helping the Chinese government. In the Wall Street Journal, Ms. Farrow called Mr. Spielberg the ‘Leni Riefenstahl of the Beijing Games’. Leni Riefenstahl helped the Germans with the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Four days after the article in the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Spielberg sent a letter to President Hu Jintao asking the Chinese government to help ‘bring and end of suffering’ in Darfur. He asked President Hu to talk to the government of Sudan and ask them to let the UN come to Darfur to stop the war. Soon after, China sent Mr. Zhai to Sudan. Many groups have asked China to help with Darfur. These groups have said that they will tell people to stay away from the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. So far, the government of China has ignored them. Mr. Zhai said that these people are ‘ignorant or ill -natured‘ but that ‘the Sudan side show flexibility and accept’ UN soldiers to keep the peace. Officially, China says that Mr. Zhai’s visit to Sudan had nothing to do with the 2008 Olympics. Yet many believe that the Olympic Games are so important to China that they will do many things to protect them. Your Opinion Please Why are the Olympic Games so important to China? Why did China avoid asking Sudan to stop the war in Darfur? Why do you think Mr. Zhai visited Sudan? What do you know about Mr. Spielberg, Ms Farrow or the movie ‘Schindler’s List’? What do you know about the Holocaust of World War 2? Vocabulary Words advisor: one who gives advice artistic: a person who is an artist dealings: buying and selling flexibility: move around easily ignorant: does not know ignored: do not listen to movie: motion picture natured: how a person behaves policy: a way of doing things producer: maker refugee: someone who has lost their home refugees: someone who has lost their home senior: top