Psychologists for Social Responsibility (PsySR) would like to request your input on developing a policy statement in response to a letter it recently received from the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights addressed to the 56th Session of the Commission on Human Rights of the United Nations in which it asks the Human Rights Commission adopt a resolution on the matter of Russia's conduct of the war in Chechnya. This request does not have a firm date for response, but I would appreciate your responses within the next two weeks. That will give us time to go thru the review process within the month. And, if you happen to be traveling and do not have a chance to read this quickly, please feel free to contribute anyway when you can. PsySR policy is always a work in progress--being changed and corrected as we get more information and perspective. You may be interested in how PsySR makes decisions on policy issues like this one. We solicit the advice of experts like you, welcome your comments, questions and concerns, and work to develop a written response that becomes a letter to a policy maker, a press release, or a briefing paper that is short enough to be distributed to people who are interested. Policy statements made in the name of PsySR are approved by the Steering Committee before they are issued as official PsySR policy. So, please feel free to use this request as a brainstorming session among yourselves, without fear that your comments will somehow be taken up mysteriously to be used without your input. Steering Committee practice is always to send final versions around to everyone who participates in the process of developing the policy. I look forward to your comments. Warmly, Anne Anne Anderson National Coordinator Psychologists for Social Responsibility 2604 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington, DC 20008 (202) 745-7084 (202) 745-0051 fax - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - OPEN LETTER TO THE 56TH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE UNITED NATIONS Moscow, 7 April 2000 Esteemed Delegates, I am writing on behalf of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF), of which I am President, and as Chief of the Moscow Helsinki Group, of which I was a founding member in 1976. Dr. Yuri Orlov, who founded the Moscow Group, shares the views expressed herein. We are asking that the Human Rights Commission adopt a Resolution on the matter of Russia's conduct of the war in Chechnya, and that this resolution include the Commission's demand for an International Commission of Inquiry into violations of international humanitarian law that have occurred. When we founded the Moscow Group almost 25 years ago we affirmed that ensuring compliance with international human rights norms was a process that requires international cooperation, and that human rights violations are not "internal" problems of states. Russia, like all countries, needs the help of the international community, and civil society in Russia needs the international community-and especially the United Nations-to stand by its responsibility to ensure justice for our llow citizens whose rights have been egregiously violated by our government. Russia needs your help. It is quite clear that internal Russian investigative and judicial processes will be neither independent nor strong enough to do the job. There is no will among official structures to address the painful problem of accountability for war crimes. Russia needs the authority of the United Nations to Without accountability based on a UN investigation, we can expect continuing terrorism from Chechen people seeking revenge-terrorism that threatens to further destabilize the region. Civil society in Russia is awaiting your decision. With your courageous support of an International Commission of Inquiry, we will have a basis for our work to bring Russia firmly into the family of democratic countries in which remedies exist for individuals whose rights have been violated. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Ludmilla Alexeyeva International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights Wickenburggasse 14/7 A-1080 Vienna, Austria E-mail: kolb@ihf-hr.org Internet: http://www.ihf-hr.org
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