Letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao on the Crisis in Darfur

Jan 29, 2007 (NEW YORK) — In a letter sent today marking Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to Sudan, Human Rights Watch called on China to continue encouraging the Government of Sudan to accept a United Nations peacekeeping force in Darfur. However, Human Rights Watch also noted that if China is to fulfill its international obligations and be seen as a responsible international power, it should:

– consider the important step of supporting through the UN the imposition of targeted sanctions on key Sudanese officials responsible for Darfur policy;

– in cooperation with other Security Council members, authorize the establishment of a United Nations-administered trust fund for the victims of atrocities;

– establish new mechanisms to monitor the end-use of its weapons; and,

– examine the connection between Sudanese oil development and human rights abuses.

Undertaking these steps will help demonstrate that China’s interest in Sudan is not merely about ensuring its access to oil supplies but also about the welfare of the Sudanese people so devastated by the ongoing conflict. Moreover, it will serve as an important signal to the international community that China takes seriously its obligations to uphold human rights.

To view the Human Rights Watch letter to China on the crisis in Darfur, please visit:

In English: http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/01/29/sudan15189.htm

In Arabic: http://hrw.org/arabic/docs/2007/01/29/sudan15196.htm

In Chinese: http://hrw.org/chinese/docs/2007/01/29/sudan15208.htm