Steven Spielberg is pulling out as an artistic adviser to this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing.
The Academy Award-winning filmmaker said he is unhappy with Chinese inaction on the genocide in Sudan, according to an article in Variety.
China is the largest customer for Sudanese oil, and has come under worldwide pressure to use that as leverage to persuade Sudan to resolve the Darfur refugee crisis.
“I find that my conscience will not allow me to continue with business as usual,” Spielberg said in a statement released Tuesday. “Sudan’s government bears the bulk of the responsibility for these ongoing crimes, but the international community, and particularly China, should be doing more to end the suffering there.”
China’s economic, military and diplomatic ties to Sudan give it “the opportunity and obligation to press for change,” he said.
China repeatedly has protested what it calls the politicization of the Games.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
