It appears Steven Spielberg, one of the global gurus of spectacle hired to jazz up the 2008 Games, has finally submitted to pressure from Darfur activists and threatened to quit his Olympics post unless China takes a more active role in the Sudan. From ABC News:
As celebrities-cum-activists increasingly link the ongoing genocide with China’s patronage, some ” most notably and vocally, the actress Mia Farrow ” have accused Spielberg of complicity, by not using his prominence and position to pressure the Chinese government to change course.
…”Steven will make a determination in the next few weeks regarding his work with the Chinese. Our main interest is ending the genocide. No one is clear on the best way to do this,” Spielberg’s spokesman Andy Spahn told ABCNEWS.com. [Full Text]
Meanwhile, Reuters reports Beijing is continuing to insist its policy of “using influence without interference” in the Sudan is a sound one. See “China defends Darfur stance as pressure grows.”
