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OCR for page 37
Conclusions and Recommendations
While in Chile, the delegation's meetings were
wide-ranging and diverse. The Chilean ambassador
to the United States was very helpful in arranging
meetings with government officials who in turn ar-
ranged appointments with educational, professional,
and administrative officials. The discussions with
government and university officials were quite open,
opinions were frankly voiced, ideas were exchanged,
and a range of views on political and social matters
was expressed. It is hoped that the contacts made
will prove effective in making known any future
human rights concerns of the committee and of other
members of the U.S. scientific community. Meetings
held with human rights organizations and various
individuals were informative. Meetings held with
professional associations were thorough and sober.
The delegates greatly admire the dedicated manner
in which these organizations and associations work
in defense of threatened colleagues.
During their stay in Chile, the delegates also
met with about a dozen members of the Academia
Chilena de Ciencias at an informal meeting chaired
by its president, Igor Saveedra. Because one of
the long-standing, general objectives of the
Committee on Human Rights is to establish relation-
ships with academies of science in other countries
in order to exchange information on reports of
violations of human rights directed against
scientists, engineers, and medical professionals,
37
OCR for page 38
38
this meeting was important to the committee. The
delegates described the work of the committee and
the objectives of the mission to Chile. Several
members of the Chilean academy expressed their con-
cern about colleagues in Chile who had been expelled
from their university positions. The academy, they
said, was assisting scientists dismissed from their
posts, like Rubi Rodriguez (see above), to find
other jobs.
Internal Exile
The committee was pleased to learn that, during the
delegation's visit, all of the colleagues who were
internally exiled and who had been the object of
inquiries by the committee were released. The com-
mittee remains concerned, however, that the practice
of banishing people to internal exile for the non-
violent expression of their beliefs remains in
effect under Transitory Article 24 of the 1980
Chilean constitution.
For instance, Dr. Pedro Castillo, a surgeon and
president of the nongovernmental National Commission
Against Torture, was arrested at his home by agents
of Investigaciones (plainclothes civil police) on
August 4, 1985, and subsequently banished without
charges or trial to Melinka, a tiny village on the
practically inaccessible island of Ascension in the
Archipelaga de las Guaitecas in the southern part of
Chile. The island is about 830 miles from his home.
On August 22, after strong international protest,
including telegrams of concern sent by the Academy's
Committee on Human Rights as well as a meeting and
telephone conversations with the Chilean ambassador
to Washington, Dr. Castillo was unconditionally
released by the minister of the interior.ll
The Committee on Human Rights urges that
colleagues who lost their jobs when ban-
ished be allowed to return immediately to
their former places of employment and to
resume their forcer positions.
OCR for page 39
39
The Committee on Human Rights asks that
colleagues like Dr. Juan Restelli, who
have been subjected to violence and
threats, be given full protection against
such attacks by the Chilean government.
Exile
The delegates are very concerned about Chilean col-
leagues who have not been permitted to return to
Chile and who are unable to continue their scien
tific careers.
The Committee on Human Rights urges that
those Chilean colleagues who desire to
return to Chile be permitted by the Chil-
ean authorities to do so and that, in the
interim, any efforts to continue their
scientific work in exile be facilitated
to the greatest extent possible by their
colleagues abroad.
Imprisonment
The delegates are not aware of any scientists, en-
gineers, or medical professionals who are impris-
oned in Chile for political reasons at this time.
They were gratified to learn that Alfredo Iriarte
Iriarte and Ramon Arriagada are now free. They
remain deeply concerned, however, that Contreras
Maluje has not been seen since he was picked up by
DINA agents in 1976 and that the government of Chile
has never accounted for his whereabouts.
The Committee on Human Rights again urges
the government of Chile to thoroughly in-
vestigate the circumstances of Contreras
Maluje's arrest and subsequent disap-
pearance, to provide a public accounting
of his whereabouts, and to bring those
believed responsible to justice.
OCR for page 40
40
Torture
-
The delegates are convinced that torture exists in
Chile and that it is widespread.
The Committee on Human Rights urges
scientific colleagues to condemn the
use of torture in Chile. The committee
also urges the government of Chile to
take all necessary measures to end
torture, to investigate all reports of
torture, and to bring those believed
responsible to justice.
The Committee on Human Rights urges all
professional and medical organizations to
provide encouragement of and support for
the efforts of the Colegio Medico de
Chile in setting ethical guidelines for
medical personnel called on to examine
detainees.
The Committee on Human Rights urges that
the guidelines set out by the Colegio Me-
dico de Chile, which were listed earlier,
be followed by all physicians.
The Committee on Human Rights requests
that the government of Chile allow all
detainees to have immediate and regular
access to a physician who is independent
of the security forces.
Desaparecidos
More than 600 people are reported to have dis-
appeared in Chile since General Pinochet came to
power, and not a single person has been indicted
The dele-
of Chile
has not made a concerted effort to find those be-
lieved responsible and to bring them to justice.
for involvement in any of these cases.
gates are convinced that the government
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41
The Committee on Human Rights urges the
government of Chile to begin immediately
an open and independent investigation of
the disappearances of those individuals
listed in Appendix A of this report, as
well as the hundreds of other people who
have disappeared, and to bring those
believed responsible to justice.
Academic Freedom
It was not possible for the delegates to ascertain,
in the limited amount of time spent in Santiago,
which of the cases of possible abuses of academic
freedom that were brought to their attention were
or were not actual abuses. However, there was
certainly a strong sense of concern and desire for
change expressed to them by many of the colleagues
with whom they spoke. Such "abuses" appear to have
created a climate among academic staff of insecurity
and general distrust.
A number of professional colleagues with whom the
delegates met--who were very outspoken in condemning
human rights abuses in Chile--emphasized, neverthe-
less, that international scientific contacts should
be continued, no matter what political situation
exists. They said that boycotts of scientific meet-
ings and conferences for political reasons hurt only
the Chilean scientists themselves. The committee
urges continued contacts with Chilean scientists in-
cluding possible scientific training, particularly
in view of the low budgets for academic and scien-
tific institutions.
The Committee on Human Rights urges that
U.S. scientists continue, and augment if
possible, direct and personal scientific
communication and exchanges with Chilean
colleagues.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
rights urges
