Extensions of Remarks
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17614 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS June 20, 1984 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHILE IN The aging Chilean dictator has turned a straints" of the Chilean certification re 1983 deaf ear to internal critics of the military quirements. government, including the Catholic Church, The following report details only some of labor organizations and political parties, the most significant human rights violations HON. GARY L. ACKERMAN who demand an accelerated transition to committed by the Pinochet regime during OF NEW YORK democratic rule. The country's political the past year. It is clear from this record IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES stalemate, and Pinochet's adamant refusal that in 1983, the Reagan administration's Wednesday, June 20, 1984 to depart from a time table for a political "quiet diplomacy" had no noticeable impact opening that would leave him in power until in lessening the Chilean military govern e Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, as a the end of the decade, are, in part, to blame ment's violation of its citizens' human rights result of my involvement in the effort for the series of terrorist bombings and at and civil guarantees. And while there is to seek justice in the case of the re tacks on police stations that have occurred little reason to believe that the inconsistent cently deceased Nazi war criminal this year. U.S. criticism of the Pinochet regime in Walter Rauff, I have become increas In reaction to this surge of leftist violence, 1983 altered the behavior of the Chilean ingly concerned about the human the ruling military junta has proposed an government, there is no indication whatso rights situation in Chile. Unfortunate anti-terrorist act that would reenact several ever that ending the U.S. ban against mili provisions of the "state of emergency" that tary assistance will improve conditions in ly, in the past year we have witnessed was lifted in August 1983. Under the pro a further deterioration of human that country. posed law, authorities conducting investiga The Chilean people paid dearly in 1983 for rights conditions in that country. At tions of terrorist activities-which are de expressing their opposition to the military the same time, there have been signals fined in very broad and vague terms- would government. The Pinochet regime's efforts from the administration regarding its be allowed to make arrests, as well as to to combat a growing popular opposition desire to restore military ties with search for and seize evidence, without a ju movement, composed of multi-party politi Chile. Any individuals who takes the dicial warrant, "in cases in which the re quest for a warrant would jeopardize the cal coalitions, labor unions, the Catholic time to read the reports on Chile of success of the operation." As well, the act Church, human rights organizations, and various human rights groups will get a would empower courts to request that ac other sectors of the population which chilling look at the brutality and op cused persons be held incommunicado for united to hold monthly days of national pression meted out by the Pinochet up to ten days, and to call for the intercep protest, produced a rapidly mounting toll of regime. At this time, I would like to tion and inspection of private mail. security force killings, arbitrary arrests, tor On May 25, eight days after the anti-ter ture of detainees and internal banishment. commend to my colleagues a study Not since the 1973- 1974 post-coup era has written by David B. Lawrenz at the rorist act was made public, Gen. Pinochet told a rally of government supporters that official repression and the violation of Council on Hemispheric Affairs, which human rights reached the levels of the past sheds additional light on the human "this new law will allow us to use the strong hand you demand, and we will use it." year. rights abuses in Chile today. International pressure has mounted Throughout 1983 the Chilean government The article follows: against Pinochet since the beginning of the sought to keep a tight lid on labor unions HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHILE IN 1983 year. The foreign ministers of the European and their most active leaders, who rallied to <By David B. Lawrenz) Economic Community recently condemned transform proposed union strikes into the regime's stepped up press restrictions broad-based popular protests. Beginning in In the aftermath of two national demon April 1983, when the Congress of the 23,000- strations in Chile, on March 27 and May 11, and heavy-handedness during the March rallies. member Confederation of Copper Workers President Gen. Augusto Pinochet seems de [CTCl approved a proposal to call for a na termined to repeat a tragic pattern of Unfortunately, Reagan administration of human rights violations and violent repres ficials seem intent on maintaining a two tional strike on May 11, labor unions provid sion. track policy toward Chile, one that encour ed much of the leadership and support for The military regime mobilized riot police ages respect for human rights and the resto 1983's eight days on national protest, held armed with tear gas and water cannons to ration of an elected civilian government monthly starting that month. preserve peace during the March rally, while expressing skepticism about the con On May 1, plain-clothes police violently which had the support of a broad range of tinued effectiveness of the existing prohibi disbanded a gathering of union groups in social sectors. At least eight persons were tion against U.S. military assistance to that Santiago's Plaza de Artesanos, leading the killed throughout the country during the country. national Command of Workers [CNS], cre protest actions, and over 400 people were ar In early March, U.S. Ambassador James ated one month earlier by CTC and opposi rested. Security forces reacted with near Theberge criticized Chile's "political stagna tion union leaders, to switch their national equal repression on May 11, during a day of tion," and called for the resumption of the strike to what became a Day of National national protest organized by the National dialogue begun last September between the Protest. One day after the June 14 Second Workers Command; one person was killed, military and democratic political parties. Day of National Protest, which the CTC 22 were wounded, and 169 were arrested. More recently, the State Department raised again helped to organize, the government The military government also has severely objections to the April 11 detention of Juan jailed Rodolfo Segue!, who had recently fin restricted the press in recent weeks. On the Pablo Cardenas, director of the opposition ished serving a second, 12-day September eve of the March 27 demonstration, the magazine Analisis. jail term for allegedly slandering Gen. Pino regime imposed prior censorship on four op But statements made on April 12 by chet. Segue! was to lead the march, but he position publications, and warned media James H. Michel, deputy assistant secretary was again arrested along with five other outlets to "refrain from stressing facts or re of state for inter-American affairs, under union leaders at the start of the planned porting on behavior that can induce, lead to mined these positive signs of growing U.S. course. These arrests touched off a sponta or favor the disturbance of public order." impatience with the intransigence of the neous sit-in demonstration in which police The latest official sanction against the Chil Pinochet. regime. Michel bluntly stated that arrested an additional 100 people. ean press came in mid-May, when the "the absense of a foreign military and secu One of the year's most harsh government regime issued a decree that prohibits report rity assistance relationship [with Chile] attempts to discourage labor activism came ing on an individual's private life "if it may be a strong symbolic statement, but it on October 10, when unidentified armed ci causes material or moral damage to him." is not clear that a policy of denial is an ef vilians brutally attacked Raul Montecinos, a Many observers feel that this restriction is fective way of encouraging a transition to high-ranking CTC member. Seguel de aimed at preventing further domestic cover democracy." Michel did not elaborate upon nounced this aggression and pointed out the age of allegations that Gen. Pinochet was what leverage the U.S. conceivably would similarity between it and the February 1982 involved in fraudulent land purchases in gain with the Chilean regime by doing away assassination of Chilean union leader Tuca 1981. with what he termed the "legislative con- pel Jimenez. e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by the Member on the floor. June 20, 1984 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 17615 In an attempt to deal with rising popular lowing arrests made during demonstrations TRIBUTE TO THE MERCHANT opposition, the Chilean security forces made rose from 3 in May to 150 in July. A total of MARINERS OF D-DAY a staggering number of arbitrary arrests 280 torture cases were reported in the first during the first five Days of National Pro nine months of 1983. test. The Fourth Day of National Protest, In late 1982, the Chilean government fi HON. BARBARA A. MIKULSKI held on August 11, witnessed the highest nally addressed the question of citizens OF MARYLAND level of security force violence against dem living in political exile abroad by establish onstrators up to that time and resulted in ing an official commission to review the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES the largest number of arbitrary, short-term problem and authorize the return of certain Wednesday, June 20, 1984 arrests.