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There has been an unprecedented international reaction to the beatings inflicted by the Zimbabwe police on members of the opposition - including the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai.

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Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe has said Western critics of his rule can "go hang", in response to accusations of mistreatment of opposition leaders.

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Another country with significant Chinese involvement is Zimbabwe, the only African regime that has proved somewhat less amenable to Western free-market demands. But the actions of the regime of President Robert Mugabe also demonstrate the complete bankruptcy of nationalism. After following IMF directives and collaborating with the West since taking power in 1979, the Zimbabwe government faced a deepening economic crisis in the late 1990s. In order to out-manoeuvre the Western-backed opposition, Mugabe organised land seizures and drove out some of the white farmers. Tobacco production on these farms—Zimbabwe’s main export—has since virtually disintegrated.

Mugabe promised a national revival of the economy based on indigenous agriculture. But with Western banks and investors withdrawing support and run-away inflation there was no money to provide the seeds, fertilisers and expertise for the new farmers. As a result, more than half the population now face starvation and the economy is on the brink of collapse.

An article on the web site of the US-based Council on Foreign Relations, which publishes Foreign Affairs, outlines China’s close relationship with Zimbabwe:

“China is the principal supporter of the Mugabe regime, which is reviled in the international community for Mugabe’s ruthless crushing of the opposition and his most recent removal of hundreds of thousands of city residents to the rural areas, with no respect for life, health, or satisfactory alternative arrangements. China is investing in minerals, roads and farming, and supplying Mugabe with jets and other armaments. ‘Zimbabwe is all but owned by China,’ say some observers. ‘In return for a rare hand of friendship in an increasingly hostile world, Mugabe has offered Chinese companies almost anything they want, regardless of payback’”
www.cfr.org/publication/8436/chinas_rising_role_in_africa.html - _edn7).

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Originally posted by JKiddo:

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“China is the principal supporter of the Mugabe regime, which is reviled in the international community for Mugabe’s ruthless crushing of the opposition and his most recent removal of hundreds of thousands of city residents to the rural areas, with no respect for life, health, or satisfactory alternative arrangements. ”
www.cfr.org/publication/8436/chinas_rising_role_in_africa.html - _edn7).

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www.wsws.org/articles/2006/mar2006/afr2-m27.shtml

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Originally posted by ScorpionRegent:
Could Zimbabwe be the next killing fields? Imagine if Pol Pot had had international backing.

Scorpion Regent

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Originally posted by Geezer:
This used to be the breadbasket of Africa. Not looking good at all.

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Originally posted by ScorpionRegent:
Could Zimbabwe be the next killing fields? Imagine if Pol Pot had had international backing.

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