New York Post, Peter Brookes

April 9, 2007 -- THE death, destruction and human misery in Sudan's western region of Darfur may now be worse than at any time since the conflict started four years ago - if that's possible.

As the world struggles to end the bloodshed in Darfur, one of the biggest stumbling blocks is China's support of Sudanese President Omar al Bashir's Islamist government.

Beijing runs interference for Sudan's repressive regime, whose armed forces and Arab-Muslim Janjaweed militias are responsible for more than 200,000 deaths and for creating 2 million refugees.

If Beijing doesn't use its influence to curb Khartoum's "ethnic cleansing" of Darfur's African Muslims, there may be little others, including the United Nations, can do to end what many are calling the 21st century's first genocide.

Snip>
The centrist candidate in this year's presidential race, Francois Bayrou, recently suggested that France should boycott China's coming-out party - the 2008 Beijing Olympics - over its support for Sudan and the resulting orgy of violence in Darfur.
Of course, Beijing lashed out, rejecting the idea of any sort of Olympic boycott as "totally wrong."
While it's a long shot, perhaps the mere threat of a major country like France skipping China's vanity games will send Beijing a much-needed wake up call - helping it to realize its continued support for Sudan is "totally wrong," too.