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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 4, 1983)
Paga 2 Section I Portland Observer, May 4 , 1963 Amnesty International head speaks in Portland Jack Healy, American chair of Amnesty International, was in Port land last weekend for the organiza tion’s regional conference. Healy, aid to Dick Gregory from 1974 to 1977, n o t« that Amnesty Interna twnal's purpose to to "protect people against intrusions by their govern m ent." In pursuit o f that goal A l has launched campaigns for prison ers o f conscience and against govern ment policies on all seven continents. Recent actions in the United States included a worldwide telegram campaign to Governor George Wallace o f Alabama to halt that state’s first execution in years. Amnesty International also engaged in demonstrations in Texas for the same cause there. Coordinator of the anti-death penalty campaign is Pat M u rray, a black woman. A m n « ty International also re cently submitted reports to the courts through pro bono attorneys on behalf o f the rights o f Haitian and Ethiopian refugees. According to Healy, the refugees would be sub jected to harsh ex-judicial punish ment if forced to return to their native countries. A report submitted by A m n a ty International called on the Carter administration to invwtigate the F .B .I. The report, says Healy, found that a "constant stream of unwar ranted expenditures o f money, by the government — wiretapping" and other surveillance by the FBI is behind a large number o f trials of black political leaders in the United States. The Carter administration failed to begin such an investigation. Nigeria struggles for stability Nigeria, once the favorite o f w ntern banks because o f its large oil reserv«, free market economy and w n tern oriented population, is now in deep economic trouble. The fall In world oil p ric n and the deterioration o f Nigeria’ s dom ntic economy have forced the nation into arrears on its short term foreign debts and w ntern bankers are reluctant to offer new loans. The banks have attempted to force Nigeria to seek assistance from the International M onetary Fund ( I .M . F .) The government has been reluctant because o f the conditions that would be forced on the nation by I M F. The extent of Nigeria’s debt is not known, which adds to the confusion. The Nigerian central bank says the country owes $3.3 billion in overdue short-term payments. W w tern bankers estimate the loans as twice that figure. The confusion and uncertainty is threatening Nigeria’s trade credit. Cash reserv« are short; in January they were estimated at $1.3 million, enough to finance about a m onth’s worth o f imports. Some experts believe the cash reserv« are about gone. The U .S. and European banks disagree about how to reclaim their funds. The European banks proposed converting the arrears into a new loan with IS months to three years repayment schedule. The U.S. banks want no bail-out loans unleu I.M .F . is involved. An I.M .F . "sub ilization package" would include such measures as devaluation o f the currency, limiting imports, abolishing consumer subsidi« and a wage freeze. These ext re m « would be unacceptable to the Nigerian people who are already suffering a high rate o f unemployment. Nigeria's expulsion o f a million foreign workers from Ghana was aimed al creating more jobs for Nigerians. W ith an election scheduled for August, Prnident Shehu Shagari is expected to resist going to the I.M .F . as long as possible. But the fall in oil p ric « m u llin g from the international oil glut — Nigeria gets 94 percent o f its export earnings from oil — could rapidly bring the Nigerian government to that decision. A m naty International, says Healy and local organizer Debora Ashworth, doesn’t compare human rights situ ations across international borders. R a th « than saying that a situation "to getting better or w orse," A l simply reports the num b« and extent o f human rights violations on a country by country basis." The organization d o « release periodic reports showing the num b« o f violations during certain periods o f time and these are often used by other* to make comparisons and relative judgments. Recent reports on Guatemala and El Salvador, fo r instance, showed the situation in those countrws to be quite bad. The reports detailed numerous violations including the execution o f 2,600 peasants in G uat emala. The A m n a ty International report was coincidentally released about the same time as the Reagan administration’s certification of human rights improvements. A l's report was then used as a counter weight by those opposing certifica tion. Direct campaigns on behalf o f individual prisoners o f conscience by Amnesty International worldwide n u m b « 3,000 a year. One thousand o f those people are freed due to pressure from A l and indigenous groups says Healy. There are 41 national A m n a ty International groups for a total o f 330,000 volun teers worldwide. The organization to based in London where the staff o f 160 in v a tig a ta reports and dis- senunates information. In the United S la t« 260 local groups are active as are 180 campus groups. Each local group works on behalf o f two prisoners per month. Urgent action campaigns on behalf of persons being tortured or in immediate fear o f execution succeed 30 percent o f the time, ac cording to Healy. "N o b o d y ,” noted Healy, "wants to be known as a to rtu rer." Currently, A m n a ty International is campaigning against political killings by governments everywhere — east or west, north or south. Ashworth n o t« that persons interested in participating in cam paigns should call 228-7210 for more inform ation. Some u y that the phrase "rule of thumb" comes from a practice that was once common among brewmasters The chief brewer used to test the tem perature of a batch of brew by dipping in his thumb. • President Ronald Reagan's last movie was The Killers in 1964. • Many years ago, the U.S. Mint accidentally printed on a run of its gold coins: “ In Gold W e Trust." We do not do business with South Africa. AN IN0EPEN06NT BANK S I the market in Iran. • A 400 m illio n d o llar economic agreement was signed with pro-U S. Turkey on Jnuary 23th. • M o st im p o r ta n tly , Ira n 's $4 billio n in U .S . banks was suddenly u n fro z e n . T h e same day it was an n ounced th a t Ira n is w illin g to pay $26 m illio n fo r the damages done to the U .S. embassy in Iran as well as most o f the law suits claimed by U .S. corporations. K h o m e in i was re p o rte d to be fu rio u s . T h re e m onths e a rlie r, sensing th at pow er was s lip p in g fro m his hands, in a much p ublicized 8 -p o in t decree, he had tried to check this trend — as well as curbing some o f the excesses o f his riva ls w hich was ta k in g on dangerous proportions. T h e p o w e rfu l fa c tio n arra yed against him is said to be a curious co n g lo m erate o f rich b azaa r merchants, large land-holders and a s u p e r-fa n a tic a l g ro u p called the H o ja tie h . This latter group would Head Ottica g 1 2737 N. E. Union Portland. Oregon 97212 M ay 8th belongs to mother Fitting savings on our Skirts, Pants and Blazers That Fit *6 to M3 off 2-way stretch woven Celanese Fortrel* polyester pants, skirt in regular and full hip sizes: pants petite, average, tall lengths; fully acetate-lined blazer regu lar or full-cut sizes. Basic and fashion colors. 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Mi c0 Ch o o ^ ’ d ^ u’ ; an <®a Finally, usually-reliable observers believe that the trials o f the C o m munist leaders are a move designed to em barass K h o m e in i by his opponents, As the last re m a in in g group outside the g o v e rn m e n t, the C o m m u n ists w ere assured by K h o m e in i th at they w o u ld not be harmed as long as they abide by the laws prom ulgated by the C onstitu tion. INext: Reagan and Iran) ' ¡on- - o spec'a\ ‘Æ a ' " ie .» » '°'Ó^ S V |'e* Labor unrest hits (C ontinuedfrom page I column 6) tation, part of the Portland-Graham light rail project. Using bullhorns, p ro t«to rs shouted to Hatch’s non-union em p lo ye« that they would be better o ff with a contract. The objective o f the p ro m t, according to Oregon Build ing T r a d « Council Secretary-Treas- urer Robert Stanfill, is to get Hatch to sit down at the bargaining table and work out a union agreement. 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