PRESS CONFERENCE BY NICARAGUA

Press Briefing

PRESS CONFERENCE BY NICARAGUA

The Permanent Representative of Nicaragua, Enrique Paguaga Fernández, speaking at a Headquarters press conference, this afternoon denounced the threat made against his country by the Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China regarding the petition for inclusion of the issue of Taiwan in the agenda of the General Assembly's next regular session. Mr. Paguaga Fernández was accompanied by the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Nicaraguan National Assembly, Adolfo Calero.

Mr. Paguaga Fernández said the Permanent Representative of China had "brazenly" asserted that "if Nicaragua and a very small number of countries continue to isolate themselves and stand against the overwhelming majority of Member States, they would ultimately pay the price for it".

Mr. Paguaga Fernández said that the freely elected Government of Nicaragua denounced the threat made by a Government which, according to the 1997 human rights report by Amnesty International, made "ample use of torture and other malicious treatments ... and of mass summary executions". Nicaragua would appeal to international organizations should that threat materialize, and placed all responsibility on the Government that was making the threat.

The Charter of the United Nations guaranteed the sovereign equality of all member countries, Mr. Paguaga Fernández said. Nicaragua "maintains, and will continue to maintain, excellent relations with the Republic of China on Taiwan".

A correspondent said that China had taken measures against other countries which also supported Taiwan's admittance to the United Nations, such as Haiti and Guatemala. Asked if he thought China would take revenge on Nicaragua, Mr. Paguaga Fernández said that intention had been expressed very clearly. "We are ready to defend ourselves in the international forums and we are not afraid, but we are concerned about what might happen."

The Chinese Government had made the same statement in previous years when the same issue had come up, a correspondent said. Why did the representative now feel so strongly about it? "Because now we have a new Government", Mr. Paguaga Fernández said. "The policy is the same, but we have a different approach. Our approach is not to keep silent."

Why was Nicaragua the only country to be mentioned specifically in the Chinese statement? a correspondent asked. "That's why we are answering it", Mr. Paguaga Fernández said. "And also because it is a matter of principle. We are talking about 21 million people not represented in this world Organization. It is a matter of justice, and we stand by our policy. We do not follow the instructions of any foreign Power."

Nicaragua Press Conference - 2 - 29 July 1997

Asked if the visit to Taiwan by Nicaragua's President Arnoldo Aleman would affect its relations with China, Mr. Paguaga Fernández said relations between Nicaragua and China would be better after that visit.

To another question, Mr. Paguaga Fernández said that neither Nicaragua nor the other countries that signed the letter on Taiwan had ever asked for the withdrawal of China from the United Nations. "There have been instances in which one nation has had two governments. It was the case with Germany, Yemen, and it is still the case with Korea. There has been a lot of talk of 'one nation, two systems' ... It is up to the people of China to decide which is the best system."

Last year, 16 countries had supported a similar letter on the Taiwanese issue, but this year only nine countries had signed it, a correspondent said. Had the issue diminished in importance? Mr. Paguaga Fernández said that might have been a matter of expediency; it was not a matter of diminishing importance.

Asked when the petition would be taken up by the General Committee of the General Assembly, Mr. Paguaga Fernández said he did not believe a date had been set as yet. He had personally delivered a letter to the Secretary- General this morning regarding the Chinese Government's threat, asking that the letter be circulated to all Member States.

What kind of threat had China made? a correspondent asked. "I would like it if you would ask that question directly to the Ambassador himself", Mr. Paguaga Fernández said.

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