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detainees and prisoners. She saw the physical results of persons who
were punished, whipped, kicked, and teargassed, and her medical
superiors refused to investigate the prisoners' complaints.
She saw a lawyer who gave her two choices. She could, like the
rest of her fellow physicians, ignore what she had seen or she could
go to court and seek an injunction and possibly lose her job. She
chose to be a nonparticipant observer and went to court and won
a temporary restraining order against assaults by the police. Such
persons deserve our commendation.
Finally, there are those ~ call the participant observers. You
might wonder why I call them participants, because all they do is
observe. In fact, they participate by their silence. Jacobo Timerman,
the distinguished Argentine newspaper editor, said the holocaust will
be understood not so much through the number of its victims as
through the silence in which it existed.
The Institute of Medicine has decided not to be counted among
those who participate by their silence and is exploring a variety of
ways in which it can join other scientists in the defense of human
rights.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Gerard Debreu
The speakers will welcome questions.
Douglas Sanmelson, American Statistical Association, Committee on
Scientific Freedom and Human Rights
As you know, in many cases, such as detainment of a scientist,
it is possible for scientific societies in the West to argue forcefully in
that scientist's behalf with the government responsible for the action.
To raise similar arguments for the end of torture or for chang-
ing the medical ethics practiced within a government is much more
difficult. Do any of you have any thoughts, any insights, about what
means Western scientific societies may use to persuade governments
to restrict the use of torture?
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Juan [uis Gonzalez
~ think my government is absolutely resistant to any kind of
pressure that can be made by scientific associations. For the Chilean
government, the only pressure that can be made is political pressure.
So, that Is the way to do things.
Helen Rodney
~ would like to ask Dr. Gonzalez if other groups are protesting
the abuse of human rights by the current government there outside
of the medical group that has done such an admirable job In Chile.
Juan [nis Gonzalez
Not only the Chilean medical association has been protesting
against abuses and defending human rights. Also the Catholic church
and other churches have been working very hard on that, along with
other professional associations, such as the lawyers, the engineers,
and many others.
Helen Penney
Is there any second political party that is being allowed to emerge
at all?
Juan [uis Gonzalez
In my country, political parties are forbidden.
Joe} Lebowitz, Rutgers University
~ was just going to ask members, especially those from the In-
stitute of Medicine, to what extent medical ethics, particularly con-
cerning torture, Is now being taught in all medical schools. How
much can such education be extended in the hope that it will have
some effect, in general?
Albert Soinit
~ think that the concept of informed consent is one that fails
to be implemented perfectly. It is an effort on the part of orga-
nizations conducting experunental treatments or treatments of any
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kind to make sure that obtaining consent ~ legitimately delegated
to an appropriate person and is provided for painful or experimental
treatments.
~ believe we have entered into an era when we can begin to
approx~nate a healthy answer to that question.
Virginia M. Bouncier, Washington Office on Latin America
~ would like to ask Dr. Gonzalez if he could comment on the
recent ruling by the Chilean government regarding the use of secret
detention centers, what he thinks that will mean for the pattern of
torture in Chile, and if the Chilean medical association has taken a
stand on that.
Juan [ule Gonzalez
You will have to excuse me, but ~ do not understand what you
say, Ginny.
Virginia M. Bouvier
There was a recent ruling by the Chilean government banning
the use of secret detention centers, ~ understand. ~ wonder if you had
heard that and what you think that will mean for Chile.
Juan Luis Gonzalez
Yes, ~ have heard of that, and ~ think they are only words and
nothing more.
Participant
~ would like to direct my comment to Dr. Haynes. My hope is
that the Institute of Medicine will make its activities public, so that
a broader range of people than those in this room and those who
read occasional documents about the abuse of medicine in torture
will become aware of this situation.
~ think that it is necessary, in the end, that a political process
brings this practice of torture to an end in any country around the
world, but if this remains private information of Chilean or American
medical associations or other associations, then ~ think it will fall far
short. ~ hope that that can be done.
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M. Aided Haynes
~ am reasonably certain that this will be done. As ~ said earlier,
what the institute has been trying to clarify is exactly what its role
can be. The problems are so enormous worldwide and they appear,
in some cases, to be increasing. The institute is reluctant to take on
more than it can handle competently, but ~ can assure you that there
is a very serious attempt on the part of the institute to do all it can
and that it wiB take appropriate steps to encourage others who come
within its domain to do their part.
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Representative terms from entire chapter:
chilean government
