Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-drafted resolution in the UN Security Council on Friday that would impose sanctions on Zimbabwe over the country's presidential run-off election in late June. The resolution called for a travel ban and assets freeze on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his top officials, as well as an arms embargo. South Africa, Libya and Vietnam also voted against the draft resolution.
Voting with the United States were Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, Panama, Bukina Faso, Croatia and Costa Rica.
China and Russia in particular have obstructed efforts to tackle human rights violations in Zimbabwe, Burma and Sudan. Russia and China have jealously guarded their own economic interests in Sudan and Burma. Their veto of the US drafted resolution on Zimbabwe is tantamount to support for the outrages committed by Mugabe against his own people. The MDC's leader, Morgan Tsvangirai won the first election. Yet the tyrant Mugabe refused to hand over the reins of power. Mugabe and his supporters by violence and murder forced the MDC and its leader Morgan Tsvangirai to withdraw from the run off poll. China as a Communist state has no respect for democracy. I suppose it is understandable that it would sympathise with the Marxist Mugabe. We can hardly expect anything better.
And what is one to make of the cynical vote by South Africa at the Security Council. Is not the ANC Government colluding with Mugabe? The ANC in its struggle against apartheid lectured the world about inequality and the iniquities of racism. It appears incapable of admitting that African Governments can be repressive. The South Africans have disgraced themselves. Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans flood into Mozambique and South Africa in search of employment. Zimbabwe has the world's highest inflation rate of at least 355,000 percent. Inflation may be as high as 9 million percent. Mugabe has turned the breadbasket of Africa into an economic basket case.
The UN Security Council is paralysed by the veto and is a toothless tiger. Whither the UN? Perhaps the US should withdraw all financial support from the UN.
Voting with the United States were Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, Panama, Bukina Faso, Croatia and Costa Rica.
China and Russia in particular have obstructed efforts to tackle human rights violations in Zimbabwe, Burma and Sudan. Russia and China have jealously guarded their own economic interests in Sudan and Burma. Their veto of the US drafted resolution on Zimbabwe is tantamount to support for the outrages committed by Mugabe against his own people. The MDC's leader, Morgan Tsvangirai won the first election. Yet the tyrant Mugabe refused to hand over the reins of power. Mugabe and his supporters by violence and murder forced the MDC and its leader Morgan Tsvangirai to withdraw from the run off poll. China as a Communist state has no respect for democracy. I suppose it is understandable that it would sympathise with the Marxist Mugabe. We can hardly expect anything better.
And what is one to make of the cynical vote by South Africa at the Security Council. Is not the ANC Government colluding with Mugabe? The ANC in its struggle against apartheid lectured the world about inequality and the iniquities of racism. It appears incapable of admitting that African Governments can be repressive. The South Africans have disgraced themselves. Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans flood into Mozambique and South Africa in search of employment. Zimbabwe has the world's highest inflation rate of at least 355,000 percent. Inflation may be as high as 9 million percent. Mugabe has turned the breadbasket of Africa into an economic basket case.
The UN Security Council is paralysed by the veto and is a toothless tiger. Whither the UN? Perhaps the US should withdraw all financial support from the UN.
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