China slams Hollywood actress role on Darfur
April 29, 2008 (BEIJING) – Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu on Tuesday slammed Hollywood actress Mia Farrow campaign against Chinese support to Sudanese government on Darfur saying that Beijing plays a great role to put an end to this conflict.
Mia Farrow has publicly condemned China for its alleged support of genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region. Last Thursday, Mia Farrow’s activist group, Dream for Darfur, issued a report card that roundly criticized most of the major Olympic sponsors.
Jiang Yu asked the American actress to develop a better understanding of that role. She also called on Farrow to do “something real” for the people of Darfur instead of criticizing others.
Jiang made the remarks at a regular press conference after being asked to comment on Farrow, an activist on the Darfur issue, who has linked the situation in Darfur with the Beijing Olympics.
Mia Farrow, a long-time critic of Chinese support for Sudan during years of violence in its western Darfur region, will speak in Hong Kong on Friday, when the Beijing Olympic torch relay comes through the city.
Chinese spokesperson said China had been the first country to propose and promote the trilateral talks among Sudan, the African Union (AU) and the United Nations, the country that actively supported the dual strategy of peace-keeping operations and a political solution of the issue, and the first country outside of Africa to send peace-keeping troops to Darfur.
She said China has provided aid and donations to the Darfur region and the AU mission there and appointed a special representative for the Darfur issue who has maintained close contact with all parties concerned.
Jiang also added that China has given much concrete help to Darfur: food, road-building, digging wells and putting up schools and houses. She said that these things were what the Darfur people really needed, and if anyone really wanted to help, they should take similar concrete steps instead of criticizing others.
China is criticised for its blindly support to the Sudanese government in the UN Security Council preventing the international community from taking sharp measures to force Khartoum to cooperate on the deployment of international peacekeepers for many years.
Experts also say the current UNAMID mandate had been weaken by Chinese objection to the initial version.
Beijing is also blamed for providing weapons to Khartoum government.
(ST)