BULLETIN OF INFORMATION AND ACTION ON THE CAMPAIGNS OF THE TRANSNATIONAL RADICAL PARTY

N·12, May 27th, 1997

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* Editor: Sandro Ottoni, Ilica 8 - 10000 Zagreb (Croatia)

Tel/Fax. +385-1-277.959 - e-mail S.Ottoni@agora.stm.it

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Dear friends,

The Transnational Radical Party, as a Class One Non Governmental Organization, was able to intervene with a consistent delegation in the works of the 53rd General Assembly of the United Nations Human Rights Commission which convened in Geneva last month. In this issue, as with the preceding issues, we publish a synthesis of the various speeches and a list of documents.

In this issue we also report on the various initiatives undertaken in the European Parliament for the promotion of an international labor language, on the relations between Taiwan and Europe, and the creation of a civilian and military force dedicated to peace keeping and restoration.

We are currently going through a difficult and complex phase; many initiatives have only just begun, and others have only started to gain momentum thanks to the work of organizations federated to the TRP. A larger and more militant organization of the party is necessitated by these circumstances, of dimensions that are capable of succeeding regardless of the nature of the initiative. This is essential: in order to sustain them, but also to increase awareness of the ideas and actions that motivate our party, and inform the world that this unique party exists, operating on a transnational level, through the use of every means available to us.

To this end we are preparing a newspaper in various languages that will be sent to a vast number of people for the relaunching of the party. It is an important project that, as always, must be balanced with our slim financial resources. Even on this front, anyone can help by simply joining the party, or by collecting contributions that are destined for the party's campaigns.

Good Work!

===>>> UNITED NATIONS

>>>THE TRANSNATIONAL RADICAL PARTY ATTENDS THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MEETING IN GENEVA. A LIST OF ITEMS.

Geneva, March 10th/April 18th, 1997. Speeches delivered by the Transnational Radical Party at the 53rd meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

- The right to economic, social, and cultural development (5th point of the Order of the Day)

Subject: Economic, social, and cultural rights of indigenous populations (Bougainville, Ogoni, Western Papua); presented by Veronique de Weichs de Wenne.

- The right to auto-determination (7th point of the Order of the Day)

Subject: general (Tibet, Eastern Turkistan, Inner Mongolia, Ogoni, Bougainville, Western Papua...); presented by Michael C. van Walt van Praag (Secretary General of UNPO).

- Prisoner' s Rights (8th point of the Order of the Day)

Subject: Chinese political prisoners (Wei Jingsheng); presented by Wei Shanshan (sister of Wei Jingsheng).

- Assistance services, increased promotion and protection of human rights (9th point of the Order of the Day)

Subject: discrimination against persons who are HIV+; presented by Olga Cechurova (TRP).

- Status of the international instruments for Human Rights and the effective functioning of treaties (14th point of the Order of the Day)

Subject: Capital punishment; presented by William Shabas (President "Hands of Cain," Professor at the University of Montreal).

- Situation in certain nations (10th point of the Order of the Day)

Subject: Hong Kong; presented by Marino Busdachin (President of the TRP delegation).

- The rights of Minorities (17th point of the Order of the Day)

Subject: Eastern Turkistan; presented by Erkin Alptekin (President of the Allied Committee for Eastern Turkistan, Tibet, and Inner Mongolia).

-The rights of children (21st point of the Order of the Day)

Subject: violation of children's rights (Burma, China); presented by Beatrice Laroche (Human Rights in China, TRP).

===>>> UN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

>>> THE ALIBI OF THE "THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY." WEI SHANSHAN'S SPEECH.

Geneva, March 27th, 1997 - The sister of imprisoned Chinese dissident WEI Jingsheng, speaking in the name of the TRP, called attention to the ambiguous concept of the "threat to national security" that is invoked by certain nations, among them china and the Republic of Korea, and introduced into legislation in order to justify arbitrary and incorrect legal procedures designed to limit the freedom of expression and association.

Wei described the difficult prison conditions Wei Jingsheng and other Chinese political prisoners are forced to endure for crimes of expression. Wei Shanshan concluded by soliciting the UN work group on arbitrary detainment and the Special Investigator on rights of freedom and expression to broaden the investigation in China and other nations, and she invited the authorities of these countries to reconsider the concept of the "threat to national security" through a more precise definition of it, as well as to release those persons who are detained because of the abusive fallout of such laws.

>>> UN/HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION: REPORT ON POLITICAL PRISONERS IN TIBET. WRITTEN DOCUMENT.

Geneva, April 2nd, 1997 - In an articulate document, the TRP has condemned the detention, adjourned in 1996, of 1,018 political prisoners with pluriannual sentences who are for the most part Mongols, and many of whom are under 18 years of age. All of the reasons for their detention can be traced to their actions of free expression in support of the cause of Tibet and its religion. The report illustrates many cases of torture. It also reminds us that these violations of human rights are increasing exponentially, and the TRP report concludes with an invitation to the Commission so that it may adopt a firm resolution on China during the current session.

As was announced in the last issue, this proposed resolution was not passed due to opposition from the French and an ambiguous Italian reaction.

>>> UN/HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION- MINORITY RIGHTS: THE CASE OF THE UIGURI. SPEECH BY ERKIN ALPTEKIN

Geneva, April 2nd, 1997 _ Erkin Alptekin, member of the radical delegation to the work session of the Human Rights Commission in Geneva, delivered a speech reminding the commission that the treatment of minorities on behalf of a state cannot be disregarded as a strictly internal affair. The very same work of the Commission demonstrates, with the adoption of treaties and declarations on the subject of minority rights, the involvement of the international community on this matter. The treatment of the Uigura population in Eastern Turkistan, and the repression and murder of thousands of its members, the systematic destruction of its cultural and religious identity, and the massive relocation of Chinese citizens into the territory, illustrates a typical situation, and one that is analogous to that of Tibet and other peoples, in which the international community has the right to intervene.

===>>> INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

>>> THE HAGUE: CONVICTION OF DUSAN TADIC BY THE AD HOC TRIBUNAL ON EX JUGOSLAVIA. A FIRST STEP TOWARDS INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE. STATEMENT BY OLIVIER DUPUIS.

Rome, May 9th, 1997- Keeping in mind that after four years in existence the International Court on ex jugoslavia succeeded in arresting only eight of the seventy four people incriminated and that the actual conviction of Dusan Tadic is, after the Nuremburg Trials, the first sentence delivered by an international body of justice, Olivier Dupuis declared:

" The world can no longer pretend that these instruments of justice don't exist: the mandates for capture must be obeyed, trials must be just, and they must be timely. The United Nations must empower the ad hoc Tribunals, but also work quickly towards the realization of the International Criminal Court which will judge on crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocides. Only a court that is just, efficient, and international can bring an end to the impunity of criminals that is the other face of peace after war, as well as an encouraging factor to the criminals while the wars persist. This is a political decision of the type that would change the destiny of the world, and one which can no longer be delayed."

===>>> INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE

>>> EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: AMENDMENTS TO THE "TODINI REPORT" ON TRANSNATIONAL MOBILITY, PRESENTED BY OLIVIER DUPUIS AND GIANFRANCO DELL'ALBA (ARE).

Strasburg, May 13th, 1997. The question of linguistic communication was brought up with great strength by the Parliamentarians of the radical group in a series of amendments to the final document of the Green Book: The obstacles to transnational mobility (presented by the rapporteur Luisa Todini of the Education-Formation-Research Commission (COM(96)0462-C4-0580/96). The amendments, which reveal the absence of the question of linguistic communication on a global scale in the document, emphasize that "the European Union cannot confront the question of the circulation of its citizens and equal opportunity with any validity in terms of education, work, and leisure time until it confronts the question of linguistic communication."

..."Such equality in terms of opportunity cannot be valid or permanently guaranteed unless the member states of the Union do not decide to introduce, at different levels of the education system, of a "primary second language of communication that is neutral and common."..." Esperanto not only satisfies the criteria of neutrality..., guaranteeing equality of opportunity by consequence for all European citizens, it also equally guarantees the preservation of every language spoken in the European Union, as well as facilitating the learning of other languages.".."We invite the Commission to rapidly approve a study of the feasibility of the introduction of a primary second language of communication that is neutral and common at every level of education among the member states of the Union."

>>> EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: DEBATE ON THE TODINI REPORT. SPEECH BY OLIVIER DUPUIS

Strasburg, MAy 13th, 1997 - "Mister President (...) I believe that there is a massive objection which the rapporteur attempted to calm by accepting one of the deposited amendments, yet I also believe that this is not enough. This objection regards linguistic communication. In a European Union which today numbers 15 members and eleven languages, and which tomorrow will include 25 members and 20 languages, I don't believe it is possible to continue pretending that a problem of linguistic communication does not exist; nonetheless, we confront problems of translation in this Parliament everyday, as we did today, with the English cabinet which "jumped." We are part of a closed world, which represents less than 1% of the European Union, and which speaks a second language and has the capacity to understand others, but it is also a world that does not realize that for the other 99% of the European Union the problem of linguistic communication is real, and that when people move to other countries, go on vacation, or

look for work in new places and situations, this represents a fundamental problem. I therefore believe that we can no longer close our eyes before this problem, and that we must approach the prospective we can offer to all citizens, and not only those who can afford to go to Oxford or Harvard to study a foreign language: that is the prospective of sharing a common language.

This is a taboo which must be broken; I say taboo because the concept of a neutral language is named Esperanto, which is an old invention that does not enjoy a good reputation, but which nonetheless represents the only way for a Union of 25 different nations and 20 languages to provide everybody, even those who are less favored, those who do not have the money to go to the United States or study in the best universities, the possibility to communicate with other citizens of the Union."

===>>> VARIOUS

>>> EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: INTERROGATION ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TAIWAN AND THE EUROPEAN UNION PRESENTED BY OLIVIER DUPUIS (ARE) AND RESPONSE BY LEON BRITTAN FOR THE COMMISSION.

Strasburg, May 13th, 1997 - In an inquiry written by radical EuroParliamentarian Olivier Dupuis, the Commission was asked to relate at what point the relationship with Taiwan had progressed, in actuation of a preceding resolution and approval of a line of finance by the EP. Sir Leon Brittan, responding in the Commission's name, confirmed the intention to proceed with commercial and scientific consultations despite the absence of diplomatic recognition. In regards to the proposal to open a office of information of the European Union in Taiwan, according to Brittan, it would be developed within the frame of the commercial inclusion of Taiwan in the OMC. The 1997 budget has remained silent thus far concerning this title, and no action has been taken as of yet in relation to it.

>>> EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: CREATION OF A EUROPEAN MILITARY AND CIVILIAN CORPS OF OPERATIONS FOR PEACE KEEPING AND RESTORATION. DECLARATION BY RADICAL SECRATARY OLIVIER DUPUIS.

Strasburg, May 14th, 1997 - Adopting a large segment of the Tindemans report on the "development of a politics of common security," the European Parliament announced itself particularly in favor of the creation of a European military and civilian corps that would be responsible for peace keeping and restoration operations.

Olivier Dupuis, European Deputy (ARE) and Secretary of the Transnational Radical Party, commented by saying that: "While consensus exists among the member states for the necessity of the Union's ability to effect operations such as those of Petersberg, it has become increasingly urgent to think of the operative instruments that would realize such operations. In the absence of such instruments, Europe is condemned to an inability, as was the case for too long in Bosnia, or a relative efficiency, as is the case today in Albania."

>>> ANTIMILITARISM: THE POSTAL "OFFENSIVE" CONTINUES IN SUPPORT OF THE ADOPTION OF CIVIL SERVICE IN RUSSIA.

As of May 13th, 1997, 414 postcards have been mailed from every part of the nation to the Duma, the Russian Parliament, in favor of the introduction of civil service. The initiative has been promoted by the Radical Antimilitarist Association (ARA).

For more information on the Antimilitarsim Conference on the Internet: http://www.agora.stm.it/pr/news/htm.

===>>> THE NIKITN CASE

>>> THE BELLONA FOUNDATION, A RUSSIAN ENVIRONMENTALIST GROUP, CONDEMNS THE FACT THAT THE PERSECUTION OF ALEXANDER NIKITIN HAS NOT CEASED.

The case of the ex-officer and Russian engineer Alexander Nikitin, who has been accused of espionage as a result of his environmentalist criticism, imprisoned for ten months without any formal charges against him, and finally released last December, is far from closed. According to recent information made public by the Bellona Foundation, the environmentalist organization which Nikitin belonged to, the engineer, is being investigated on charges of high treason and espionage and is confined, contrary to Russian law, in Saint Petersburg. He is not allowed to meet other members of the Foundation. The Bellona Foundation, which has condemned a number of violations of Nikitin's rights, invites the mobilization of the international campaign in support of Nikitin's case as well as the state of Russian law (which has seen various interventions by the TRP) to continue.

For more information: The Bellona Foundation

Fax: +47 22383862 Phone: +47 22382410

Postal Address: Bellona, Box 2141, Grunerlokka, N-0505, Oslo, Norway - e-mail: bellona@sn.no (bellona@euronetis.no is obsolete)

WWW: http://www.grida.no/ngo/bellona/ (ends with a slash)

Nikitin: http://www.grida.no/ngo/bellona/nikitin.htm

===>>> DRUG ANTIPROHIBITIONISM

>>> THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RETURNS TO THE DISCUSSION OF INTERNATIONAL PROHIBITIONIST POLITICS. THANKS TO THE PROPOSALS ADVANCED BY CORA A NEW FRONT LINE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THE LIBERTARIAN STRUGGLE IN EUROPE.

Brussels, May 21st, 1997 - The debate over the eventual harmonization of the national politics in relation to drug laws has opened in the European Parliament after the deputies aligned with the CORA "PAA" campaign (Parliamentarians for Antiprohibitionist Action) succeeded in mustering the support of 61 deputies belonging to 6 political groups in favor of a recommendation which asked that the Council of European Ministers revise the international conventions and end prohibitionist strategies in Europe. In his introductory speech, the PRESIDENT of the Commission, Dutch ex-minister of health Heady d'Ancona, announced her support of the revision of the UN conventions on drugs so that any type of experimentation with new solutions could be undertaken at even the local level, including the decriminalization of cannabis and the controlled distribution of heroin by doctors. It is the first time that a President of the European Commission of the European Parliament has officially expressed him or herself in support o

f the revision of prohibitionist drug laws during the course of a Parliamentary session.

For more information on the ANTIPROHIBITIONIST FAX: Tel: +32-2-2303670 - e-mail:cora.belgique@agora.stm.it - cora.italia@agorastm.it (tel: ++39-6-689.791)

>>> A NEW MEMBER OF THE TRANSNATIONAL RADICAL PARTY

Giovanni PIATTELLA, Italian MP, Democratic Left Party.

In an interview given to Radio Radicale Mr. Piattella said: "I am a socialist member of the Democratic Left, and in every socialist there is a radical vein. I believe that among the principles of the humanitarian socialism the defense of civil rights - that is attention to the condition of the humanity as a whole - has a priority. Therefore a Global, transnational condition, a dimension that can bring together the whole world for the respect of civil rights. [...] It is without hesitation that I have supported the many initiatives undertaken at the European Parliament, the various motions adopted, the international appeals; I think that a socialist, as I am, and a libertarian, as I sometime consider myself, cannot endorse other initiatives than these.

>>> FREEDOM FOR TIBET/DEMOCRACY IN CHINA

For more information on the: FREEDOM FOR TIBET/DEMOCRACY IN CHINA FAX, please call: Tel. +36-1-266.34.86 - Fax. 11.87.397 - email M.Lensi@agora.stm.it - URL: http://www.agora.stm./pr/

>>> UNIVERSAL ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY

For more information on the bimonthly "Hands Off Cain" contact:

hands.off.cain@agora.stm.it - URL: http://agora.stm.it/ntc

=== >>> MEMBERSHIP AND CONTRIBUTION FORM <<< ===

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SUBSCRIPTION FEES 1997: The subscription fes vary from nation to nation, according to the criteria of 1% of the PIL. They follow the fees relative to the distibution of the bulletin in the nations where it is most diffuse. For the missing nations, please contact the editorial office.

Albania 5 USD - Austria 2.400 ATS - Azerbajian 3 USD - Belgium 7.000 BEF - Bulgaria 8 USD - Canada 285 CAD - Czech Republic 27 USD - Croatia 35 DEM - Denmark 1.800 DKK - France 1.300 FRF - Germany 460 DEM - Hungary 27 USD -Ireland 78 IEP - Italy 365.000 LIT - Netherlands 370 NLG - Poland 23 USD - Portugal 11.600 PTE - Rumania 12 USD - Russia 19 USD - Slovenia 85 DEM - Spain 17.600 ESB - Switzerland 500 CHF - Ukraine 13 USD - United Kingdom 129 GBP - United States 260 USD

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