Special meetings mark 26th anniversary of Sharpeville massacre; Secretary-General says racial discrimination should cease everywhere.

Special meetings mark 26th anniversary of Sharpeville massacre; Secretary-General says racial discrimination should cease everywhere

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was observed on 21 March at Headquarters at two solemn meetings of the Special Committee against Apartheid.

Proclaimed by the General Assembly in 1966, the Day marks the anniversary of the 1960 massacre of civilians at Sharpeville, South Africa, when police fired into a peaceful crowd protesting the apartheid regime's "pass laws'.

A minute of silence was observed in memory of the 69 persons killed and 180 wounded at Sharpeville and other freedom fighters who have died in the struggle against apartheid and racial discrimination.

Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, in a message, said racial discrimination was an affront to the dignity and worth of the human person. The quarter century since Sharpeville had seen numerous lost opportunities for reconciliation and peace which had combined to bring South Africa to a "dangerous impasse'.

The rising tide of violence had claimed more than 1,200 lives in the past 18 months, he said. While the lifting of the state of emergency was a welcome step, Security Council resolution 569 (1985) had also called for the immediate and unconditional release of Nelson Mandela and other political detainees, total elimination of apartheid and the establishment in South Africa of a free, united and democratic society on the basis of universal suffrage.

General Assembly President Jaime de Pinies told the meeting that since Sharpeville, other incidents had occurred which had demonstrated the inhuman character of the apartheid system, whose existence constituted a threat to international peace and security. The struggle of the South African people against institutionalized racial discrimination deserved the support of all those who desired justice and freedom for themselves.

Ole Bierring (Denmark), Security Council President, said Council members were firmly committed to doing all in their power, consonant with the Charter, to contribute to the enjoyment by all South Africans of the rights proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Natarajan Krishnan (India) on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, said that although South Africa had announced in recent months its intention to change or repeal some obnoxious legislation, it had not "moved an inch' towards what were basic equal rights for all races.

Joseph N. Garba (Nigeria), Chairman of the Special Committee against Apartheid, said he hoped that the policy of "constructive engagement', which served only to encourage Pretoria in its intransigence and obduracy, would be abandoned. The international community should support the struggle against apartheid in every possible way.

Special Committee elects officers

The Special Committee against Apartheid on 10 February, at its first meeting of 1986, re-elected Joseph N. Garba (Nigeria) Chairman for the year.

After his re-election, Mr. Garba said there was little ground to hope that apartheid could be abolished speedily and peacefully. Some major Western countries continued to abstain on the resolution calling for the Security Council to impose sanctions against South Africa under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. Two Council members--the United Kingdom and the United States--had voted against such measures. He regretted that some major Western countries continued to provide moral and material support to Pretoria.

Also re-elected were Guennadi Oudovenko (Ukrainian SSR) and Serge Elie Charles (Haiti), Vice-Chairmen; and Bhaskar Kumar Mitra (India), (Rapporteur). Jai Pratap Rana (Nepal) was elected Vice-Chairman to replace Uddhav Deo Bhatt (Nepal).

The Committee also decided on composition of the Preparatory Committee for the World Conference on Sanctions against Racist South Africa, to be held in June 1986, in cooperation with the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries.

Worker dismissals detentions condemned

The Special Committee against Apartheid has condemned the mass dismissal of 20,000 striking black mine workers in South Africa, the trial of 22 opponents of the South African regime, and the detention of two leading United Democratic Front (UDF) opponents of that regime.

The condemnation came in three separate statements issued in January by the Acting Chairman of the Special Committee, Serge Elie Charles (Haiti).

Regarding the dismissed workers of Gencor, a South African corporation, Mr. Charles pointed out that they had been on strike over wages, working hours and the right to join a trade union of their own choice. They had been employed by the Impala Platinum Mine in Bophuthatswana, where, the Committee stated, "the monstrous Industrial Conciliation Act of 1984 forbids trade unions to operate within the boundaries of this so-called "independent state''.

Mr. Charles went on: "This gross injustice against the black workers comes soon after the formation of the largest organization of workers in South Africa, namely the Congress of South African Trade Unions where black miners have played a key role through their union, the National Union of Mineworkers. This latest repressive action in collusion with the puppet authorities in Bophuthatswana is an attempt to lock the growth of the black trade union movement.'

Governments and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations should do their utmost to safeguard black workers' legitimate rights in South Africa. Trade unions worldwide were called on to show their solidarity with them.

Trial: With reference to the trial of 22 opponents of the Pretoria regime, including leading members of the UDF and community-based organizations, Mr. Charles stressed that the alleged charges included murder and attempts to overthrow the regime, and might result in imposition of death penalties. The ages of the accused were from 21 to 60 years. They had been refused bail; some had been in prison for 16 months. The charges were related to protests in townships in the Transvaal in September 1984 against high rents, "regime-created community councils, racially segregated and inferior education', among other issues.

The trial of "these courageous men, whose only "crime' has been their opposition to the pernicious system of apartheid and their commitment to forging a united democratic and non-racial South Africa', was evidence of South Africa's determination to weaken opposition organizations "which constitute the backbone of the growing resistance movement against the regime', Mr. Charles stated. The trial was a "travesty of justice'. Such "vicious persecution' would only aggravate further the situation in South Africa. The international community should act decisively to stop South Africa from carrying out "this spurious trial'.

Detention: As for the detention of two UDF members, Mr. Charles said that the only offence of Cheryl Carolis, national administrative secretary, and Murphy Morobe, acting publicity secretary, had been to "lead the people in opposition to the racist policies of apartheid'. Governments and organizations should denounce "this inhuman act', and urgent action should be taken to secure the release of all detainees and political prisoners.

European support for apartheid asked

Joseph N. Garba (Nigeria), Chairman of the Special Committee against Apartheid, visited five European countries from 19 to 29 February--Spain, Sweden, France, Portugal and Belgium. He met with officials of those Governments, the European Parliament, non-governmental organizations and anti-apartheid groups to mobilize support for the World Conference on Sanctions against Racist South Africa, to be held in June 1986, and for the continuing liberation struggle against the Pretoria regime, and to review with some of the Governments their anti-apartheid positions.

Agreement to ease Pretoria's debt crisis condemned

The Special Committee against Apartheid has condemned the agreement reached between South Africa and its major Western banks to ease that country's debt crisis.

On 24 February, Chairman Joseph Garba (Nigeria) said the Committee had learned with "indignation and dismay' of the agreement. The Committee felt such a move at this stage amounted to indirect support for South Africa's policies, he said.

South Africa was not prepared to take any steps to begin dismantling apartheid, he affirmed. On the contrary, Pretoria continued to rely on brute force and repression to maintain the status quo. The agreement, therefore, was "totally unjustified'.

Banning orders against black community leaders condemned

The Special Committee against Apartheid on 14 March strongly condemned the banning orders imposed under South Africa's Internal Security Act on two black community leaders-- Henry Fazzie, regional Vice-President of the United Democratic Front, and Mkhuseli Jack, co-ordinator of the 1985 consumer boycott against whiteowned businesses in Port Elizabeth. The men are prohibited from leaving their homes on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays and after 7 p.m. for a five-year period.