TRANSNATIONAL FAX #28

Information bulletin on the campaigns of the Transnational Radical Party

Issue #28 14 December, 1998

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* Editor's Office: Mihai Romanciuc, Via di Torre Argentina 76, 00186 Rome (IT)

Tel : +39-6-689.791

Fax : +39-6-6880.5396

E-Mail: radical.party@agora.stm.it

URL : http://www.radicalparty.org

Telnet: agora.stm.it

* Printing and Distribution: Alberto Novi(B)

* Published in English, Italian, French, Russian, and Spanish.

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In this issue:

- 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

- TRP welcomes new U.S. approach towards FRY

- Freedom for Alajdin DEMIRI and Rufi OSMANI

- China must comply with international covenants

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UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS: A NEW FRONTIER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.

On the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Radical Party joins the celebration of a document that represents a milestone for the creation of a new order, based on the force of law instead of the law of force.

The UDHR has positively affected the life and happiness of humanity, inspiring constitutions, law and policies in every corner of the world. The number of tragedies that have happened during the last 50 years testifies the need of stronger instruments of implementation of the Declaration.

On the occasion of the celebration, the Radical Party addressed the Member States of the United Nations on three specific requests, which are also TRP priorities:

1) To strengthen a universal jurisdiction for human rights

When national jurisdictions are unable or unwilling to prosecute those responsible for human rights violations, an international court should intervene. In particular we urge:

- the immediate ratification of the Treaty establishing the International Criminal Court. Sixty ratifications are needed for the coming into operation of the Court. This goal should be obtained by the year 2000;

- a wider ratification of other existing Treaties on Human Rights;

- the opening of a preliminary debate at the UN on the creation of a Universal Court of Human Rights.

2) To declare a worldwide moratorium on capital punishment

The right not to be killed by the State is a fundamental step to affirm the supreme value of life. After two years in a row of favorable pronunciations by the Commission on Human Rights, in 1999, the UNGA should finally approve a 5-year-worldwide moratorium on capital executions. This period could give the international community the time to prepare the eventual universal abolition of the death penalty.

3) To webcast live the debates on Human Rights at the UN

The possibility of publicizing the discussion on Human Rights policies could improve the legal and moral obligation of Governments in the implementation of Human Rights policies. The Commission on Human Rights, and other UN bodies dealing with Human Rights should have their public meetings broadcast live on the Internet, in order to give to millions of people the opportunity of following the debate without any mediation. A UN "trust fund" open to private contributions should cover the costs.

In Rome dozens of radical militants held a demonstration in front of the Italian Parliament urging the ratification of the Rome Treaty for the creation of the International Criminal Court and an active role in the establishment of justice in the Balkans bringing Milosevic before the Hague Tribunal.

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YUGOSLAVIA: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT DECLARATIONS SOUND LIKE A REJECTION OF THE HOLBROOKE APPROACH. A POSSIBLE NEW U.S. POLICY ON YUGOSLAVIA?

The revolutionary declarations of James Rubin, spokesman of the U.S. State Department, on Slobodan Milosevic, considering him at the center of the crises in the Balkans during the last ten years and singling him out as 'the' obstacle for the establishment of peace and democracy in the Balkans have created a new hope in the region. Mr. Rubin's statement saying that "Milosevic is not a part of the problem, but the problem itself," sounds not only like a radical rejection of the Holbrooke approach, but also like the possibility of dealing with the major question of the overthrowing of the national-communist regime of Belgrade. In fact, only this indispensable premise will allow a future for Serbs and Kosovars made of democracy and freedom. This new American attitude is an important signal, which we hope will be endorsed as soon as possible by the Prosecutor of the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

To sign the Radical international appeal for the incrimination of Slobodan Milosevic, please visit our special page at www.radicalparty.org.

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FREEDOM FOR ALAJDIN DEMIRI MAYOR OF TETOVO AND RUFI OSMANI MAYOR OF GOSTIVAR. RADICAL MEPs CALL FOR THE LIBERATION OF THE ALBANIAN MACEDONIAN POLITICIANS, MEMBERS OF THE RADICAL PARTY, IN A MOTION PRESENTED TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT.

Under the initiative of TRP Secretary Olivier Dupuis and MEP Gianfranco Dell'Alba, on behalf of the European Radical Alliance at the EP, a motion for a resolution calling for the liberation of the two Albanian Macedonian Mayors held in custody was tabled last week at the European Parliament.

The resolution, acknowledging the establishment of a new governmental majority in Macedonia, takes into consideration the sentence for Mr. Rufi Osmani and Mr. Refik Dauti respectively to 7 and 2 years in prison and the sentence of 5 May 1998, for Mr. Alajdin Demiri and Mr. Vehbi Bexheti to 2 years in prison, and calls on Macedonian authorities to positively assume the requests in favor of the release of the politicians through the adoption of an amnesty. The full text of the resolution can be found on our website at www.radicalparty.org.

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CHINA: FREEDOM FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY FOUNDERS

The recent arrests in China demonstrate that the regime of Peking is not willing to do the necessary follow up to its legal obligation derived from the signing of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Denying the fundamental rights of freedom of speech and association, China is showing its 'usual' point of view on Rights standards. Olivier Dupuis and Gianfranco Dell'Alba, members of the Radical Pary, and MEPs, have drafted a resolution in which they urge the EP to put pressure on China for the immediate release of Xu Wenli, Qin Yongmin and Wang Youcai founders of the Chinese Democratic Party. The motion also calls for the formal opening of a dialogue between Chinese authorities and the Tibetan Government in exile, questions the official EU policy towards China, which does not take into consideration violations of basic Human Rights and also denounces China's aggression against ethnic populations in Eastern Turkmenistan, inner Mongolia and Tibet. The document will be presented before the plenary next we

ek.

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