Chinese Arms Blocked to Zimbabwe: Let’s Do the Same for Sudan

Recently a group of South African dockworkers refused to unload a shipment of Chinese arms intended for Zimbabwe. The dockworkers were rightfully concerned that these arms would be used against those in Zimbabwe who are pressuring President Mugabe's government to publish results from the recent election there.

What struck me about this story – in addition to the remarkable act of bravery this represents – is China’s persistence in supplying arms to regimes with dubious (at best) human rights records. Human Rights First has been organizing an effort to say no to China when it comes to the shipment of arms to oppressive regimes, and we have focused our initial efforts on a campaign calling on China to stop sending arms to Sudan. As we documented in our report Investing in Tragedy, China is the largest—and at this point, almost exclusive—provider of small arms to Sudan. These weapons are clearly being used to terrorize, kill and force people to flee their homes in Darfur. HRF’s Crimes Against Humanity program is working to expose China’s problematic role as an enabler of human rights violations around the world (as well as in its own backyard) and nowhere is this more clear than in Darfur.

Since 2003, the government of Sudan has orchestrated a campaign of terror in Darfur, leaving more than 300,000 people dead and at least 2.5 million homeless. During this period, China has strengthened its political, economic, and military relationship with the government of Sudan, supporting a regime committing mass atrocities against its people. The relationship is both simple and complex: simple because China buys Sudan’s oil (over 90% of it), which provides the Sudanese government the means to buy small arms and ammunition (over 90% of its small arms sales come from China). China sustains its economic growth, and agents of the Sudanese government continue to wreak havoc in Darfur. The complexity comes in because China, while publicly proclaiming its commitment to peace in Darfur, quietly provides political cover to Sudan at the U.N. and elsewhere, enabling Sudan to continue its abuses.

Through our Made In China campaign, Human Rights First is doing all it can to end this destructive relationship by calling on the U.S. government and the international community to tell China it must stop the flow of arms to Sudan if a real peace in Darfur is to be achieved.

On a dock in South Africa, individuals, backed by labor unions and civil society organizations, managed to speak truth to power and stand up against forces seemingly greater than themselves. This was a powerful movement that resulted in a real suspension of weapons transfer to Mugabe’s repressive government. It is now time that the U.S. government and the international community act, on behalf of the people in Zimbabwe as well as Darfur, to ensure that arms do not get put into the hands of regimes committing human rights abuses.

Will the Bush Administration Get the Message on Pakistan?

It amazes me that after all that has happened over the past few months, the State Department still can’t get it right when it comes to the rule of law in Pakistan and supporting those who are fighting for it. Last week the New York Times reported that Aitzaz Ahsan, the President of the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association, told Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte that “the most effective weapon on the war against terror is a people who have enforceable rights—then they have a stake in the system.” Human Rights First has been advocating a rights-respecting national security policy here at home for years. It doesn’t surprise me that Mr. Ahsan is making the same argument to our own State Department officials during their visit to Pakistan. He is right and they just don’t seem to get it.

I tried to visit Mr. Ahsan at his home in Lahore when I was in Pakistan in December but never got to see him. He was under house arrest and barred from seeing me—or anyone else for that matter. In fact, when I got to his house there was a sign posted on the gate that read “Sub Jail.” I was able to meet with one of the fired judges whose house arrest had been lifted just days before my visit. When I arrived I discovered he was reading a book about Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. I remember thinking how is it that my own government won’t stand up for this gentleman who has been fired from the bench, yet he looks to our Supreme Court and Justice Marshall for his inspiration.

Back in December the lawyers and judges I met with could not understand the U.S. silence on the fired judges and the need for an independent judiciary to guarantee a stable Pakistan. Today it is still hard to understand why the Bush Administration won’t say more and frankly do more to support those who understand that respect for the rule of law and human rights is essential to the stability and future of Pakistan. The unwillingness of our government officials to make human rights a central piece of U.S. policy in Pakistan is duly noted by the Pakistani people and was made clear by the tense exchanges during Mr. Negroponte’s recent visit.

Human Rights First works to promote rights-respecting approaches to national security that protect the dignity of each individual through the rule of law. Some governments have relied cynically on the U.S. “war on terrorism” as a basis for internal repression of domestic opponents. The current situation in Pakistan presents the United States government with the option of continuing to turn a blind eye to these abuses – or to return to our proud tradition of using our influence to press other countries to observe basic human rights protections. Let’s hope that Mr. Negroponte, and the administration, get the message: national security depends on the rule of law.