The genocide in Darfur brought to Ottawa concerned citizens to draw to the attention of our M.P's the horrors that are being committed in that South Western section of Sudan. The question is, why is the "Free World" and the U.N. not more involved in stopping the atrocities now being conducted by the Sudanese government?

The root of this problem lies with China and its desperate need for oil to feed its growing economy, now estimated at a growth rate of 11 percent annually. The World Bank has offered loans to Sudan, and other African countries, to assist in their development, especially the oil reserves but these loans come with conditions and restraints that limit what the governments can do with the money, especially the purchase of military equipment.

The Chinese offer more attractive money for development without the restraints that would protect the people from the genocide now being conducted in the Sudan. China's entry into Africa commenced in the 1950s when it supported Robert Mugabe the rebel leader's, overthrow of the Smith colonial government. Brutality and torture has followed and the economy has virtually collapsed with and inflation rate now at 2400 percent. China's flourishing economy has provided the $1 trillion in foreign currency reserves now being deployed with consummate skill, under bidding all Western contractors for projects and providing the money without the restraints and the interest rate that the World Bank demands.

The result is close to 80 percent of money advanced to these corrupt governments is used to buy arms from the nation that is the biggest exporter of military hardware in the world, namely China. That is one way that China recovers some of the loans. The primary purpose of this loan strategy is to secure control of the oil reserves in these African countries. That becomes part of the contract; build the required infrastructures, the drilling, refining and employ cheap local labour or bring in Chinese workers.

Loan repayment comes from the oil revenues as well as the arms sales. China is prepared to ignore human rights abuses I order to get the oil it so badly needs and its requirements are now at 10% annually, the world's fastest. Today China gets 31% of its oil from Africa and it is the top trading partner for many of Africa's major oil producers.

China has refused to sign arms sales agreements that ensure that human rights are not violated by the purchasers, and in 1948 refused to sign the Genocide Convention which requires all nations to protect civilian populations from genocide no matter from whom. She did not recognize the plight of the victims of genocide and insisted that no international body should interfere with a sovereign country's internal affairs.

That the 53 African countries now represent about 25% of the U.N. General Assembly and most support China and its largesse with the foreign currency it dispenses.

Because of this heavy representation China now sits on the Security Council and is in a position to veto any U.N. initiative to act effectively in Sudan. Although a 20,000 man hybrid force comprising U.N. and African troops was approved to act as peacekeepers in the Sudan.

China continues to threaten veto action to any sanctions or military intervention against the atrocities being conducted in the Sudan.

The West has threatened a boycott of the Beijing Olympics if China refuses to change its position on Darfur.

The Olympics are essential to China's future plans and this has led to the deployment of the 20,000 man force of peacekeepers to the Sudan.

It is patently clear that China must now be absorbed into the international oil market.

She must get access to the world's oil reserves if we are to keep her contained and co-operative. She tried to purchase the American giant UNOCAL for a price $1 billion higher than the closest Western bidder, but the U.S. Congress went ballistics and UNOCAL was forced to accept a bid much lower to keep China out of western oil markets.

Is it any wonder that that China is furious?

The West must design a strategy for sharing all resources with China or future conflict is inevitable. It must give China access to world oil markets. Only then will it be possible to convince China to act in concert with Western nations to halt the genocide in Darfur and any other place where such horrors occur.

For greater detail concerning this issue click on to www vanityfair.com-report by Sebastian Junger.

Ken Hayward

Mono