Heavens no, not by "democratic" governments. (Where would they outsource cheap labor?) On the heels of the pathetic decision by the British Olympic association to force athletes to not say anything that might be remotely political while in China, Steven Spielberg pulled out of the Beijing Olympics as an adviser and now others are joining the protest. A group of eight Nobel laureates including Desmond Tutu are asking China to alter its position on Darfur. (Tutu is really an amazing person who continues to speak out again obvious wrongs, whether it's bad policy on AIDS, Zimbabwe, anti-gay policies in the church and now this. We need more people like him.)
The Nobel laureates state that China "has a special role to play in ensuring that its actions this year are commensurate with the Olympic ideals of peace and international co-operation... As the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games approach, we will continue to call on the Chinese government for action. We are aware of the tremendous potential for China to help bring an end to the conflict in Darfur".
China buys about two-thirds of Sudan's oil exports and sells weapons to Khartoum, many of which find their way to a conflict in Darfur which has been described by the US as "genocidal".
A total of 200,000 people are believed to have died in the region over the past five years, mostly black Africans at the hands of Arab militias alleged to operate with government backing.
