Russia and China cynically veto US Resolution On Zimbabwe at UN Security Council

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.

Burma: China blocks UN aid plans for victims of Cyclone Nargis

The official death toll from Cyclone Nargis in Burma has risen to 78,000. This is probably a conservative figure, yet the country's military regime continues block aid from reaching 2.5 million survivors. Diseases, such as cholera, dysentery and malaria, are spreading.

So great is the scale of the disaster that it is impossible for Burma to deal with the crisis on its own. Burma's Generals are shunning the world's offers of help. They fear that aid workers would sew the seeds of rebellion in the minds of starving people. So great is their paranoia that they are prepared to sacrifice many hundreds of thousands of Burmese citizens.

China has the capacity can make the generals change their mind. China is prepared to accept international aid for the victims of the devastating earthquake in its southwestern region yet the Burmese regime continues to block aid efforts.

China has a very strong trading relationship and friendship with Burma's generals. It supplies them with armaments, economic assistance, covert security advice and protects them at the UN Security Council. This weekend China blocked moves at the UN for a Security Council resolution telling the generals to let aid in. How can China justify its decision to accept international aid for its own victims and yet obstruct aid for Burma?

Responsibility for the huge loss of life rests not alone with the Burmese Generals but also with Communist China.

Please email China and demand that they stop blocking UN action. Your email will be sent to the Chinese representatives at the UN and in the UK.
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The Burma Campaign UK