... ; A C L ^ W V*/ u w i v e r s ; AUCKLAW 22 March 1976 Auckland University Student Paper Vol. 50 No. 8 ■ opening THE OLD MAID The Old Maid executed a rather shaky curtsey on Monday night, reporter for the Herald, the Old Maid is a Student Theatre. Most and, to the relief and amazement of most, we acquired a theatre. The of the invitees seemed determined to forget that. It was, perhaps, last-minute scurryings culminated in a ceremony that owed a little to fortunate that there were a minimum of students present to remind tradition, a little to music, and a great deal to organised religion. them. A sepulchral hush was draped over an audience of grandees, funct­ ionaries, dignitaries and nonentities who sat stolidly through the business of declaring the poor old dear public property. They applauded when good manners dictated they should, looked like embarrassed elder brothers during the brief intrusion of Maoritanga, and probably went away congratulating themselves on their contrib­ ution to the jolliness. The sherry and the sausage rolls, the official party, the Studass President’s ill-becoming suit and air of deference, were all intended to celebrate her entry into society - a little behind the fashion, a little flushed from the effort - but here at last. Rather like a plain daughter of Royalty on her debut, she had to be flattered sufficiently to cover the general relief at having got rid of her. Everybody was probably there, if they hadn’t forgotten, and backs were slapped and hands shaken so firmly that, if the grins had been a little less determined, one might have suspected tension. But, no, it was not anxiety at work, just the boisterousness of self-congratulation It would have taken a cynic to demur in the face of the air of deter­ mined conviviality. As the Vivaldi and Berlioz wafted past, a few such may have won­ dered where the owners of the building were ... but only a few. Despite the fact that the Chancellor got to actually declare the place open, and contrary to the impression gained by the Human Rights In September 1973 the’ Unidad relating to the existence o f Popular Government of Chile was “ concentration camps” , should violently overthrown by a military continue to retain the urgent - junta which still maintains control attention of all organs of the by oppression and terror. The United Nations concerned in one workings o f the Junta have caused way or another with the implem­ considerable misery to the Chilean entation of the United Nations people, and international organis­ provisions concerning human rights. ations have been established over Situation of Women the past two-and-a-half years to fight for human rights in Chile. The group paid particular attention to the situation of U.N. Working Group women in Chile in response to a request from the World Confer­ In February 1975 the United ence of the International Women’s Nations Commission of Human Year. Rights set up a working group to The group was told that there investigate the situation o f human have been cases of women arrested rights in Chile. Although the and held without charge merely group was promised full co­ because o f family friendship relat- operation by the Junta, this prom­ ionships with persons who have had ise was completely withdrawn six trade union or political activities days before the group’s scheduled under the Unidad popular Govern­ arrival. The group was therefore ment when it was still in power. faced with compiling its report The idea of these arrests is appare from extensive written material apparently to exercise pressure on and reports from people in many the militants concerned in the different sectors of life in Chile. hope that they will surrender them­ Help was also received from repres­ selves. It was also alleged that entatives of important international children were used in a similar way organisations that had visited Chile. to force parents out o f hiding. The report the group made to Women seeking to obtain infor­ the United Nations shows quite mation on the whereabouts of clearly that many forms of both arrested husbands or relatives are emotional and physical torture are often subjected to threats of arrest now commonly practised in Chile. and detention themselves. This Practically all testimonies of torture hās brought about a gradual dis­ showed that the DINA, which is integration of the family unit. The the Chilean style of gestapo respon­ women become the only source of sible only to the Junta, are the economic support for the family primary perpetrators of the upon the arrest of their husbands, degrading, inhuman treatment of but if they are employed at the people under detention. Torture time they are often dismissed and usually takes place straight after in many cases have an almost arrest and before any legal safe­ impossible task finding a regular guards can be taken. job again. Very often also land­ lords will force people to move out of Torture their homes for ‘political reasons’ Several types of torture are once a member of the family has listed in the group’s report: the had difficulties with the authorities. application of electricity to sens­ And women who are themselves itive parts of the body, including arrested are subjected to invidious genital organs; rape and sexual tortures and appalling conditions. abuse, and the introduction of Young Chilean artist Elsa foreign objects into the vagina or Rodolfi said in an article printed the anus; beatings with heavy in Paris Match that she knew of objects such as guns, chains and women from sixteen to sixty who metal sticks, as well as torture by were subjected to torture. The burning lighted cigarettes on worst thing she remembered about sensitive parts of the body. Women the Chilean prisoners was the are sometimes forced to lie naked Tres Alamas concentration camp, on cots and trained dogs are made where she saw starving women who to run over their naked bodies, were mentally unbalanced, chained suck and bite their nipples and in like monkeys to the windows of some cases rape them. their cells. The group concluded its report At the recent session of the on the torture that takes place in Human Rights Commission a motion Chile with the following words: condemning the Junta was passed. “ It is with profound disgust that Out of the thirty-nine delegates the Ad-hoc Working Group feels voting, twenty-nine voted for the that it is obliged to report these motion and two abstained. The elements to the General Assembly, U.S. delegate stated his reasons which were presented to it by for voting for the resolution as many Chileans of both sexes, of all being that he now realised that the ages and of many political convict­ Junta was destroying human rights ions or none, some of whom have in Chile. The Commission by left Chile in the very recent past... unanimous decision has sent a The group feels that the question telegram to the Junta demanding of torture and of cruel and inhu­ immediate release of all political man treatment, including threats prisoners. to human life and the security of the person, and the allegations Julie Page 21 April 1976/Craccum/page 2 LED ZEPPELIN PRESENCE THE OBJECT ® 1976 SWAN SONG INC. NOW AVAILABLE uiea 21 April 1976/Craccum/page 3 5 BP" ' AMSSA takes o ff with a bang ! The newly elected Auckland Malaysia- ( 2) Grading undermines the re­ Singapore Students Association committee lationship between student and has recently finalised a series o f activities Academic teacher. However much for this year. Interested students can join emphasis there may be in their AMSSA at the Varsity gymnasium every notebook day-to-day encounters on the Sunday (8.00 -12 noon) to play a game or two. The library opens at the same reciprocity o f learning, on the time and place. validity of the student’s object­ Special General Meeting will If you like documentary films, the ives for himself or herself, and rethrash Israeli Student Issue club welcomes you to B15 every Friday Against Grading on the need to demonstrate the from 1.00 pm to 2 pm. Film titles are grounds on which any judge­ The question o f Israeli student mem­ advertised on the AMSSA noticeboard Recent criticism of continuous ment is based, when it comes bership o f the Asian Students Association well in advance. You can keep yourself assessment as a system for evaluating to grading, the student is judg­ has blown up again in dramatic new dev­ well informed o f events taking place in Malaysia and Singapore as well as other students’ work has distracted ed absolutely and unilaterally elopments. A special Executive Meeting on whether he or she has convened last Monday in a hurried rush parts o f the world by reading the club’s attention, I believe, from the more monthly publication Suara (Voice). important underlying iniquity of all attained the teacher's object­ to push through policy motions that ives. Auckland wants placed on the New Zea­ Other activities conducted include har­ kinds o f grading of student perform­ land University Students Association monica and flute classes for beginners, ance. Three major reasons for (3) Grading does not even perform and interested students should phone the function which has long (NZUSA) May Council agenda. But the abolishing grades are: rather stolid tranquility was shattered by W.M. Khaw (863-063). (1) Grading (whether on an ABCD been attributed to it : the Environmental Affairs Officer Nigel The most important event for the year will be the tenth anniversary celebra­ or a percentage scale) “ present evidence strongly Isaacs.