[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 16, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6198-S6201]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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   SENATE RESOLUTION 203--CALLING ON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S 
REPUBLIC OF CHINA TO USE ITS UNIQUE INFLUENCE AND ECONOMIC LEVERAGE TO 
              STOP GENOCIDE AND VIOLENCE IN DARFUR, SUDAN

  Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Feingold, Mr. 
Lautenberg, Mr. Casey, Mr. Lieberman,

[[Page S6199]]

Ms. Mikulski, Mrs. Dole, Ms. Collins, and Mr. Dodd) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations:

                              S. Res. 203

       Whereas since the conflict in Darfur, Sudan began in 2003, 
     hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more 
     than 2,500,000 displaced as a result of the ongoing and 
     escalating violence;
       Whereas on July 23, 2004, Congress declared, ``the 
     atrocities unfolding in Darfur, Sudan, are genocide'' and on 
     September 23, 2004, then Secretary of State Colin Powell 
     stated before the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
     Senate that, ``genocide has occurred and may still be 
     occurring in Darfur,'' and ``the Government of Sudan and the 
     Janjaweed bear responsibility'';
       Whereas on October 13, 2006, the President signed the 
     Darfur Peace and Accountability Act (Public Law 109-344), 
     which identifies the Government of Sudan as complicit with 
     the forces committing genocide in the Darfur region and urges 
     the President to, ``take all necessary and appropriate steps 
     to deny the Government of Sudan access to oil revenues'';
       Whereas President George W. Bush declared in a speech 
     delivered on April 18, 2007, at the United States Holocaust 
     Memorial Museum that no one ``can doubt that genocide is the 
     only word for what is happening in Darfur-and that we have a 
     moral obligation to stop it'';
       Whereas the presence of approximately 7,000 African Union 
     peacekeepers has not deterred the violence and the increasing 
     attacks by the Government-sponsored Janjaweed militia and 
     rebel groups.
       Whereas the Government of Sudan continues to refuse to 
     allow implementation of the full-scale peacekeeping mission 
     authorized under United Nations Security Council Resolution 
     1706;
       Whereas former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan 
     subsequently negotiated a compromise agreement with the 
     Government of Sudan for a hybrid United Nations-African Union 
     peacekeeping mission to be implemented in three phases;
       Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China 
     has long-standing economic and military ties with Sudan and 
     continues to strengthen these ties in spite of the on-going 
     genocide in Darfur, as evidenced by the following actions:
       (1) China reportedly purchases as much as 70 percent of 
     Sudan's oil;
       (2) China currently has at least $3,000,000,000 invested in 
     the Sudanese energy sector, for a total of $10,000,000,000 
     since the 1990s;
       (3) Sudan's Joint Chief of Staff, Haj Ahmed El Gaili, 
     recently visited Beijing for discussions with Chinese Defense 
     Minister Cao Gang Chuan and other military officials as part 
     of an eight-day tour of China; Cao pledged closer military 
     relations with Sudan, saying that China was ``willing to 
     further develop cooperation between the two militaries in 
     every sphere'';
       (4) China has reportedly cancelled approximately $100 
     million in debt owed by the Sudanese Government; and
       (5) China is building infrastructure in Sudan and provided 
     funds for a presidential palace in Sudan at a reported cost 
     of approximately $20,000,000;
       Whereas given its economic interests throughout the region, 
     China has a unique ability to positively influence the 
     Government of Sudan to abandon its genocidal policies and to 
     accept United Nations peacekeepers to join a hybrid United 
     Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission;
       Whereas the President's Special Envoy to Sudan, Andrew S. 
     Natsios, further said in testimony on April 11, 2007, that 
     ``China's substantial economic investment in Sudan gives it 
     considerable potential leverage, and we have made clear to 
     Beijing that the international community will expect China to 
     be part of the solution'';
       Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China 
     has previously influenced the Government of Sudan to take 
     steps toward reducing violence and conflict by--
       (1) abstaining from, and choosing not to obstruct, several 
     important votes in the United Nations Security Council on 
     resolutions related to Sudan, including Resolution 1556, 
     which demanded Sudan disarm militias in Darfur, and 
     Resolution 1706, which called for the deployment of 
     additional United Nations peacekeepers, including up to 
     17,300 military personnel and up to 3,300 civilian police;
       (2) helping to facilitate the Addis Ababa framework reached 
     on November 16, 2006, which provides for a joint United 
     Nations-African Union peacekeeping force;
       (3) sending high-level delegations, including Chinese 
     President Hu Jintao, to Sudan, and encouraging President 
     Bashir to show flexibility and allow the joint United 
     Nations-African Union peacekeeping force to be deployed;
       (4) making frequent public statements that the Government 
     of Sudan must carry out agreements made within the Addis 
     Ababa framework of November 2006 to admit United Nations 
     peacekeepers to join the United Nations-African Union 
     peacekeeping force in Darfur;
       (5) pledging to provide military engineers to support 
     African Union peacekeeping forces in Darfur; and
       (6) announcing on May 10, 2007, the appointment of a senior 
     diplomat as China's special representative on African affairs 
     who is to focus specific attention on the Darfur issue.
       Whereas due to its vast population, its rapidly growing 
     global economy, its large research and development 
     investments and military spending, its seat as a permanent 
     member of the United Nations Security Council and on the 
     Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, China is an emerging power 
     that is increasingly perceived as a leader with significant 
     international reach and responsibility;
       Whereas in November 2006, China hosted its third Forum on 
     China-Africa Cooperation with more than 40 heads of state in 
     attendance and which focused heavily on trade relations and 
     investment on the African continent as it is expected to 
     double by 2010;
       Whereas China is preparing to host the Olympic Summer Games 
     of 2008, the most honorable, venerated, and prestigious 
     international sporting event;
       Whereas China should be held accountable to act 
     consistently with the Olympic standard of preserving human 
     dignity in Darfur, Sudan and around the world; and
       Whereas China has been reluctant to use its full influence 
     to improve the human rights situation in Darfur: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the close relationship between China and 
     Sudan and strongly urges the Government of the People's 
     Republic of China to use its full influence to--
       (A) urge the President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, to allow a 
     robust peacekeeping force as described in United Nations 
     Security Council Resolution 1706;
       (B) call for Sudanese compliance with United Nations 
     Security Council Resolutions 1556 and 1564, and the Darfur 
     Peace Agreement, all of which demand that the Government of 
     Sudan disarm militias operating in Darfur;
       (C) call on all parties to the conflict to adhere to the 
     2004 N'Djamena ceasefire agreement and the recently-agreed 
     United Nations communique which commits the Sudanese 
     Government to improve conditions for humanitarian 
     organizations and ensure they have unfettered access to the 
     populations they serve;
       (D) emphasize that there can be no military solution to the 
     conflict in Darfur and that the formation and implementation 
     of a legitimate peace agreement between all parties will 
     contribute toward the welfare and stability of the entire 
     nation and broader region;
       (E) urge all rebel groups to unify and assist all parties 
     to come to the negotiating table in good faith;
       (F) urge the Government of southern Sudan to play a more 
     active role in pressing for legitimate peace talks and take 
     immediate steps to support and assist in the revitalization 
     of such talks along one single coordinated track;
       (G) engage collaboratively in high-level diplomacy and 
     multilateral efforts toward a renewed peace process; and
       (H) join the international community in imposing economic 
     and other consequences on the Government of Sudan if that 
     Government continues to carry out or support attacks on 
     innocent civilians and frustrate diplomatic efforts; and
       (2) recognizes that the spirit of the Olympics, which is to 
     bring together nations and people from all over the world in 
     peace, is incompatible with any actions, directly or 
     indirectly, supporting acts of genocide.

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, as I rise today to talk about the 
genocide in Darfur, I ask myself: How long will we wait until we invoke 
real sanctions on the Sudan? How long will we wait until a hybrid 
African Union/United Nations peacekeeping force is in place? And how 
many more reports must we read about how the African Union troops are 
overstretched, underfunded, and ill-equipped before the international 
community provides them with the support they need to be effective?
  How many more people from Darfur must be driven from their homes and 
forced to give up their livelihoods before the world says enough is 
enough? How many more hundreds of thousands of people must die before 
we do everything--everything--in our power to stop the atrocities? When 
will we give real meaning to our commitment to the phrase ``never 
again?''
  After 4 years, hundreds of thousands of Darfurians killed, more than 
2.5 million people displaced, and some 80,000 people in Darfur who have 
spilled into refugee camps this year alone, it is time that we act more 
strategically and effectively to stop the genocide in Darfur.
  Despite our efforts thus far, it is clear that we have seen no real 
change for the people of Darfur who continue to be attacked and killed. 
It is time to stop wringing our hands. We must take a hard look at our 
current policy and ask ourselves: Why, after years of international 
engagement, has the genocide not stopped in Darfur, and what can we do 
differently now?

[[Page S6200]]

  The simple answer is: We must deal with Darfur's economic lifeline, 
China. Right now, China has unique ties, influence, and leverage over 
the Sudanese Government. Here we see the Chinese Prime Minister meeting 
with the Sudanese President in Beijing, the capital of China.
  China has unique ties, influence, and leverage over the Sudanese 
Government. Because of China's close economic relationship with 
Khartoum, Sudan is able to expand its infrastructure, increase its 
defense budget, and profit from its oil exports. It is time to diminish 
the strength of this lifeline.
  Over the last decade we have watched China and Sudan forge a strong 
economic partnership. We have here, as I said, a picture of the Chinese 
Premiere meeting with the Sudanese President last November. China 
currently has at least $3 billion invested in the Sudanese energy 
sector for a total of $10 billion since the 1990s.
  China reportedly buys as much as 70 percent of Sudan's oil. They 
recently canceled over $100 million in Sudanese debt, and they are 
building vast infrastructure and new government offices for Sudan.
  China has even committed to providing funds so that Khartoum can 
build a new $20 million Presidential palace. A Presidential palace.
  The fact is, with China as their friend, the impact of international 
action against the Sudanese Government has been diluted, and the 
genocide has continued. Because of China's investment and attention, 
Sudan has reportedly been able to double--double--its defense budget. 
In fact, according to the Heritage Foundation, Sudan is spending 
between 60 percent to 80 percent of its oil revenue, its national 
treasure, on what? On weapons.
  A report by Amnesty International released last week concluded that 
these weapons come from--guess where--China, which has continued its 
arms sales to the Sudanese Government despite the March 2005 arms 
embargo imposed by the United Nations Security Council.
  Simply put, Chinese investment fuels the atrocities taking place in 
Darfur. It is time that China uses its power and influence over 
Khartoum to do more than fill its own pocketbook. China is an emerging 
power on the world stage, and it is time they act accordingly with this 
responsibility.
  Because of their close economic ties with the Sudan, China is in the 
position to significantly influence Khartoum, and it must use its clout 
to convince President Bashir to allow a hybrid African Union/United 
Nations peacekeeping force into Darfur.
  This is one of the most pressing actions to help stop the genocide in 
Darfur. Last year, Chinese President Hu mentioned the peacekeeping with 
Sudan's President when the two met in Khartoum. But talk is cheap. It 
is time for real action.
  As John Prendergast, the senior adviser to the International Crisis 
Group, said a few weeks ago in testimony before Congress, ``Barking 
without biting is the diplomatic equivalent of giving comfort to the 
enemy.''
  Now is the time to bite. Now is the time for China to use the full 
weight of its economic influence to change Khartoum's policies. Now, I 
know China has taken some positive steps in the past to address the 
crisis in Darfur. They helped facilitate the Addis Ababa framework in 
November of 2006; they have pledged to provide military engineers 
to support African Union peacekeepers in Darfur; and they have 
appointed a special Africa envoy to focus on Darfur.

  While we are certainly happy to see those positive measures, I am 
still concerned that China will continue its habit of taking small 
steps each time the international community turns up the heat but will 
not take major steps that will affect Darfur in the long run.
  The simple fact is, China needs to do more to be actively involved in 
the solution. Next year, we will see China take center stage when it 
hosts the 2008 Olympic games. Frankly, I find it shocking that China is 
going to host an Olympics under the theme ``One World and One Dream'' 
while they help fuel the economy of a nation that has allowed genocide 
to ravage its country for some 4 years.
  This is certainly not the ``One World One Dream'' we share. That is 
why today I am introducing a bipartisan resolution with Senator 
Brownback, Senator Feingold, and others, a version of which is also 
being introduced in the House, to let China know that as much as it 
cherishes its Olympic moment, the country should be held accountable to 
act consistently with the Olympic standard of preserving human dignity 
around the world, including in Darfur.
  The resolution recognizes that the spirit of the Olympics, which is 
to bring nations and people from all over the world in peace, is 
incompatible with any actions to support acts of genocide. This 
legislation specifically calls on China to use its full influence to 
urge the President of Sudan to allow a robust peacekeeping force into 
Darfur; to comply with past United Nations Security Council resolutions 
and the Darfur Peace Agreement, which demand that the Government of the 
Sudan disarm militias in Darfur; and to improve the conditions for 
humanitarian organizations.
  It also calls on all parties involved in the conflict to adhere to 
the 2004 ceasefire agreement and to work toward a legitimate peace 
deal.
  This resolution I am submitting is only a first step. It is an 
invitation to the Chinese Government to take more of an initiative to 
set President Bashir on a straight path and allow a hybrid African 
Union/United Nations force into the country. I hope China takes this 
opportunity to act now, and that they understand Congress will be 
watching very closely to see what they actually do.
  Our message for today is clear. We need to see real progress from 
China on this issue. We need to see it now. Along with stronger 
measures by the Chinese Government, the United States must continue in 
its efforts to end the genocide in Darfur.
  After threatening more punitive measures for months, the 
administration must stop talking about what they define as plan B, 
which is more significant sanctions, and start enacting plan B. If we 
were stuck in the refugee camps in Darfur in the Sudan, being attacked 
by the jinjaweit, with our children slaughtered, seeing women raped, 
who among us would be content with those who counsel patience and 
delay?
  Plan B's tightening sanctions against Sudan, targeting individuals 
responsible for the atrocious acts, and negotiating a new United 
Nation's Security Council resolution is the right thing to do now.
  Finally, the fact is, the situation in Darfur is a timebomb that 
could explode at any moment. The humanitarian crisis has become ever 
more perilous. As we speak today, the number of dead and displaced 
persons continues to grow, and women and young girls continue to be 
raped. The refugee crisis continues to worsen. This year alone, at 
least 80,000 people in Darfur have spilled into refugee camps. The 
atrocities against these innocent refugees are no longer contained 
within Sudan, as refugees spill across borders into eastern Chad and 
the Central African Republic. The lives of these millions of displaced 
persons hang in a delicate balance between life and death. The world's 
largest humanitarian effort has been keeping that balance from tipping 
completely toward death.
  The new United Nations Humanitarian chief, John Holmes, has warned 
that if the situation does not get better or if there are more serious 
incidents involving humanitarian workers, some organizations could 
start to withdraw and the humanitarian operation could start to 
unravel. I am deeply concerned we could soon begin to witness a 
catastrophic collapse of the humanitarian aid effort. Several 
international aid agencies, including the British group Oxfam, Save the 
Children Spain, and the United States-based Mercy Corps, reported in 
April that they were temporarily suspending their work in Darfur 
because of attacks. They reported attacks on their operations had 
increased over the past 3 weeks. Soon only a small number of aid 
workers may be left in this region, which could result in unimaginable 
destruction and death. Who would be there to protect these innocent 
victims? The overstretched and inadequately funded African Union 
Mission in Sudan?
  Recently, chairperson of the African Union Commission said that if 
the current trend continues, the peacekeeping operation in Darfur will 
be in serious jeopardy. In reality, the African Union Mission may 
already be in deep jeopardy. According to a Washington Post article 
published last Sunday:


[[Page S6201]]


       The African Union's first major peacekeeping mission--once 
     considered the last line of defense for Darfur civilians--has 
     been crippled by funding and equipment shortages, government 
     harassment and an upsurge in armed attacks by rebel forces 
     that last month left seven African troops dead.
       The setbacks have sapped morale among peacekeepers, many of 
     whom have not been paid for months. It has also compelled the 
     force--which numbered 7,000 troops at its peak--to scale back 
     its patrols and has diminished its capacity to protect 
     civilians, aid workers and its own peacekeepers.

  Simply put, the African Union force alone cannot end the violence in 
Darfur.
  That is why it is imperative that the international community, with 
the explicit help of the Chinese Government, convince Sudan to allow a 
hybrid African Union-United Nations peacekeeping force into Darfur. 
Unfortunately, Khartoum continues to be complicit in allowing the 
destruction to continue. A recent United Nations report, described in 
the New York Times, detailed how the Government of Sudan is flying arms 
and heavy military equipment into Darfur in clear violation of Security 
Council resolutions. Even more egregious, the report describes how the 
Sudanese Government is painting their military planes white to disguise 
them as United Nations or African Union aircraft. President Bashir has 
toyed with the international community for long enough. Time and time 
again he has balked at agreements and promises. Time and time again he 
has manipulated the international community with last-minute agreements 
that he reneges on only a minute later. It is time for the games to 
end.
  Because in this respect, silence in the face of genocide is 
complicity, we must continue to speak out. ``Never again'' is an empty 
promise if we do not take action to stop the murder of innocent people 
when we know it is happening. Once again, we find ourselves in a 
position to make that choice. We must choose to exhaust all options 
until our collective voices are heard and murder ends. We must convince 
China to use its power and influence over Khartoum to do more than fill 
its own pocketbook. We must ensure that rather than standing here a 
year from now talking about ending genocide in Darfur, we are 
celebrating a peaceful solution to the 21st century's first, and 
hopefully last, genocide.
  We must choose--I urge members of the Senate to join us in this 
regard--to make sure that when we say ``never again,'' we mean never 
again.

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