NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE CONTINUES REVIEW OF TRANSNATIONAL RADICAL PARTY

Press Release
NGO/365

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE CONTINUES REVIEW OF TRANSNATIONAL RADICAL PARTY

As the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) continued its review of special reports this morning, the representative of the Transnational Radical Party (TRP) denied that his organization was a political group and reminded the Committee that the Party did not support secessionism or overthrowing any government through violence.

Continuing his statement, begun yesterday, in response to a complaint lodged by the Russian Federation to the Committee against his organization (see Press Release NGO/364 dated 21 June), the representative added that his organization did not participate in elections -– national or international -– and did not endorse any political candidates.

The original Russian complaint, contained in a letter to the Chairman of the Committee, states that during the fifty-sixth session of the Commission on Human Rights, held in Geneva, 20-27 April, the representative of the Chechen separatists and terrorists, A. Idigov, addressed the Commission under the name of the TRP. The Committee, the Russian Federation expressed grave concern over that and other narcotic-related activities by the NGO.

At today's meeting, the representative of the Russian Federation said that an attempt was being made to separate Mr. Idigov from the Party and that was intended to confuse the Committee. Mr. Idigov had been referred to as the Chechen President’s representative to the United Nations, as well as Special Envoy of the Chechen President. If those titles were not supported by the Party, then there was no need for criticism. What was the Party's position? he asked.

He added that the Party’s representative had denied association with any parties who encouraged the trafficking of narcotics. The members of the TRP, however, had participated in the broad distribution of narcotics and they used the tactic of having narcotics dealers provide users with a free hit the first time. In 1995, one of the activities of the Party was distributing hashish while dressed as Santa Claus.

The representative of China said that an article on the TRP’s Web site “threatened to bring down the régime of Communist China”. Further, the article mentioned that the search for freedom in that country meant that the Communist Party must be overthrown. He asked whether the TRP was involved with any organization that sought to topple a Member State.

Turkey’s representative said the Party’s Web site gave direct links to clandestine organizations that threatened the sovereignty of his country, among

Committee on NGOs - 2 - Press Release NGO/365 760th Meeting (AM) 22 June 2000

others. He wanted to know if it was the policy of NGOs to conduct such activities.

Cuba’s representative expressed doubts that the Party was an NGO, as it had legislative capacities. He suggested, therefore, that it could be linked to the United Nations in some other capacity.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Algeria, India, United States, Pakistan, and Germany. Iran also spoke in its capacity as an observer.

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue its consideration of special reports.

Letter from Russian Federation

In a letter to the Chairman of the Committee on NGOs, the Russian Federation expressed its grave concern over the activities of the NGO Transnational Radical Party (TRP). During the fifty-sixth session of the Commission on Human Rights, held in Geneva on 20-27 April, the representative of the Chechen separatists and terrorists, A. Idigov, addressed the Commission under the name of the NGO.

The letter states that, in his statement, Mr. Idigov identified himself as the representative of the President of Chechnya in Europe and to the United Nations. On behalf of the TRP, he propagated ideas that were completely incompatible with the purposes and principles of the Charter. By offering its banner to those responsible for the widespread taking of hostages, slave labour and trade, burglaries, torture and summary executions, the TRP seriously violated its consultative status with the Council.

The letter goes on to say that a study of other activities of the TRP showed that the recent incident in Geneva was not the sole violation by the organization of the regulations governing the relationship between the United Nations and NGOs. In its quadrennial report of 9 May 2000, the TRP mentioned that, since its affiliation with the Council, it had followed issues related to international drug trafficking.

In reality, the letter noted, the organization aggressively promoted the legalization of drugs by launching civil disobedience campaigns, distributing drugs, and denouncing anti-drug legislation. Leaders and members of the NGO had repeatedly been arrested for such actions in different countries. The Russian Federation firmly believes that the general philosophy of the NGO and its public behaviour flagrantly abused its consultative status with the Council. The Committee is requested to take action and withdraw TRP’s consultative status.

Response by TRP

A letter from the TRP to the Chief of the NGO Section, Economic and Social Council, dated 9 June, states that Mr. Idigov spoke on its behalf. He was fully accredited and spoke about gross and systematic human rights violations, the right to self-determination, and the need to end conflict through negotiations. He called for respect for the peace agreement reached between the Government of the Russian Federation and representatives of the Chechen Government in 1997. At that forum, Mr. Idigov also recalled that President Maskhadov, his government and the parliament of the republic were legitimately elected under international supervision of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Mr. Idigov is a well-known politician with a track record of working for peace, the letter goes on to say. To the Party’s knowledge, he is not a terrorist and has never participated in such activities. The TRP does not dispute that serious violations of human rights have been perpetrated on both sides in the conflict in Chechnya, but that does not necessarily implicate him. He has consistently called for an end to violence and for peace. That was why he went to Geneva. The Party is dedicated to the Gandhian principles of non-violence and it would be unthinkable for it to knowingly accredit a terrorist.

The response also states that there is no evidence of any proceeds coming to it from the illicit drug trade. It has also never supported the free circulation of psychoactive and psychotropic substances. Rather, it has always affirmed the need to prevent the diffusion of the substances and to remedy the “illegal liberalization” of the drug market and the civil, economic, political and social consequences of the deficiencies in current prohibitionist legislation. Also, the Party’s drug-related activities at the United Nations have always been in conformity with the rules and regulations guiding its consultative status.

Statements

Continuing his statement in this morning’s session in response to the complaint lodged by the Russian Federation to the Committee against his organization yesterday (see Press Release NGO/364 dated 21 June), the representative of the Transnational Radical Party (TRP) denied that his organization was a political group. It did not participate in elections -– national or international –- and did not endorse any political candidates. Rather, its members took part in congresses and conferences consisting of open debates where everyone was allowed to speak. The Board of Directors made final decisions, particularly on implementation of the Party’s projects, he added.

He said the organization relied mainly on membership fees and, in light of its transnational nature, it tried to set fees that might be appropriate for everyone. The TRP also accepted pledged donations and received monies by sub-letting offices in its building.

On the issue of accreditation, he said only a few officers were paid, while the others were activists, militants and volunteers. Geneva was in the heart of Europe, and the list of persons who wished to attend the fifty-sixth session of the Human Rights Commission had been long. Not everyone on the list, however, had received accreditation.

The representative of Algeria asked how long Mr. Idigov had been a member of the Party and what was his status, Also, with reference to the Party’s involvement with the legalization of drugs, she wanted to know how an NGO could present a law to the parliament of a country?

The representative of Cuba expressed doubts that the Party was an NGO, as it had legislative capacities. Therefore, he suggested, it could be linked to the United Nations in some other capacity. An analysis should be conducted by the authorities in Geneva on how such a large number of persons from an organization could be allowed to participate in its events without scrutiny. Also, did the organization receive funds from governments or local authorities? he asked.

The representative of Turkey said he visited the Party’s Web site. He said the site gave direct links to clandestine organizations that threatened the sovereignty of his country, among others. He wanted to know if it was the policy of NGOs to conduct such activities.

The representative of China said that an article on the Web site “threatened to bring down the régime of Communist China”. Further, the article mentioned that the search for freedom in that country meant that the Communist Party must be overthrown. He asked whether the TRP was involved with any organization that sought to topple a Member State. The Party did not promote human rights, but sought to overthrow governments of certain countries, he stressed. That violated the Charter.

The representative of India said the Party must take responsibility for the nomenclature of the President of Chechnya. Its response did not deny that there were violations of human rights.

What was the status of the map on the organization’s Web site, the representative of Iran asked, since it had certain demarcations that might be disputed?

The representative of the United States asked whether any member of the Party had run for membership of the European Parliament or any other similar position.

The representative of the Transnational Radical Party said that no member of the NGO had ever run for public office. Its membership consisted of persons from all sectors and many political backgrounds. Individuals who joined the Party never used its platform to run for public positions. If persons chose to violate the Party’s policy of non-violence, it usually distanced itself from them.

He said Mr. Idigov came to the Party’s office in Rome in 1998 seeking assistance from an organization that had a non-violent policy, and he decided to become a member, the representative said.

The Party itself, when it applied for consultative status in 1994, had done so under the “Popular Bill” as defined in Italy, he continued. On the issue of the Web site, he reminded the Committee that the Party did not support secessionism or overthrowing of a government through violence in any specific region of the world. He said the article was the report of an interview with a Chinese individual and it did not mention any violent action. That was the only such article on the Web site.

The representative of Cuba emphasized that he had reservations about the organization, which had difficulty in verifying statements made by its accredited representatives.

The representative of Algeria asked whether any member of the Italian Parliament belonged to the Party.

The United States representative asked, what was the criteria used by the Party to add links to its Web site? Also, was the TRP opposed to paedophilia? Was it opposed to censorship on the Internet? Was the Party aware that it might encourage persons to become engaged in such activity?

The representative of the Russian Federation said that an attempt was being made to separate Mr. Idigov from the Party and that was intended to confuse the Committee. Mr. Idigov had been referred to as the Chechen President’s representative to the United Nations, as well as Special Envoy of the Chechen President. If those titles that had been given to Mr. Idigov were not supported by the Party, then there was no need for criticism. What was the response of the Party’s representative? he asked.

The representative of Iran said it might be appropriate for the organization not to have any map that would imply approval of secessionists.

The representative of India said the resolution of the TRP indicated blatant attempts to tinker with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States -– a violation of the principles of the Charter.

The representative of the Russian Federation said the Party’s representative had denied association with any parties who encouraged the trafficking of narcotics. The members of the TRP had participated in broad distribution of narcotics and they used the tactic by narcotics dealers of providing users with a free hit the first time. The narcotics mafia stood to make colossal profits due to that fact. In 1995, one of the activities of the Party was distributing hashish while dressed as Santa Claus.

Members of the Italian Parliament did belong to the Party, the TRP representative said. However, accreditation and official status was decided on a case-by-case basis by the Board of Directors. At the session, Mr. Idigov was not stopped at the beginning of his intervention; he was stopped when he introduced himself as speaking on the Party’s behalf.

Regarding the Party’s Web site, he said there were several links. Those that the organization supported were put on the first page. The fact that links were there did not mean that the NGO supported those bodies’ position. The 1998 conference focused on censorship of paedophilia, an activity that the Party strongly opposed.

He said the Party would never do anything to harm children and was strongly supportive of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, he stressed. Any person found guilty of committing crimes against children should be convicted. Also, the organization opposed the use and spread of drugs. It did not support the production, trade and distribution of those substances. It tried as much as it could to work with the police.

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