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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 1976)
daily neb racks n Wednesday, cpril 21, 197G . i i L ... . t Chilean human rights problems . coo!d be solved if law respected i L r -C 'r4 i J. & ' Photo by Stow Coemar Robert Drisco3, political affairs officer in the US. State Dept. and an expert on ChZa. nQnO n n n OIJDU DU03UDU ODU By Bryant Brooks Despite the military dictatorshfr that took power in the 1973 coup in Chile, Chileanos would not be exper iencing problems with human rights if they respected their own laws. Robert S. Driscoll, Chief of Chilean Political Affairs in the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs of the VS. State Department discussed the human rights problem in Chile with the Pi Sigma Alpha political science honorary society Tuesday night in the Nebraska Union. After the meeting Driscoll asked that several of his remarks remain "off the record. "These days diplomacy is like pitching woo," he said, adding that both are best practiced out of the public's view. Driscoll said Chile's "human rights problem developed from the country's new military dictatorships policies. About 4,500 political prisoners are being held in Chile today, according to government figures, Driscoll said. "Some Americans have been arrested for political reasons, Driscoll said but they have since been released. He said official complaints have been registered with the Chilean government by the United States but the only replies from Chile were "We don't know what happened" or the government has denied any wrongdoing. Chile's human rights policies are costing money, Driscoll said, adding that Chile must now pay cash for United States arms, that it is unlikely that the World Bank will give Chile another loan and that Chile cannot re schedule its large foreign debts. These things alone may not be enough to make Chile begin to respect human rights though, according to Driscoll. ' Driscoll said the United States first got financially in volved in Chilean politics in 1962 and 1963 when they began putting money into the Christian Democrat Party. In 1970 the United States dropped support of the party and began supporting an anti-AHende newspaper, "El Mercurio". VYe did not intervene clandestinely in the coup, he said. The violence of the coup was not expected, Driscoll said. "Everybody was surprised by the violence of the repression, he added. Nevertheless, Driscoll said such action never was thought to be beyond the Chilean army. Chile has unus ually great political influence despite its relative poverty, he said. "Chile has influence far beyind its economic capabilit ies because everybody who is anybody in Latin America has either studied or taught in a Chilean university," he said. Driscoll was at UNL as part of a scholar-diplomat pro gram sponsored by the UJS. State Department. no n f? By George Miller Although its attempt to take ASUN Senate's power and money was kilted by the ASUN Student Court, the Coalition for University Reform will remain on campus and work to renovate the entire UNL governing system, its leaders said. At a Monday night meeting, Coalition members elected a board of directors, an assembly speaker and a rules com mittee. Members of the board are president Ron Sindelar, a junior economics major from Norfolk; vice-president Kent Wolgamott, a sophomore -political science major from Curtis; secretary Paul Morrison, a political science grad uate student from St. Paul; treasurer Paul Bejot, a junior integrated studies major from Ainsworth, and director of programs and services Britt Miller, a junior anthropology major from Grand Island. The board will act as the Coalition's executive branch, while the assembly serves as legislative branch and the stu dent court as the judicial branch. Mark Young, a senior history major from Hat City, Iowa was elected assembly speaker. To serve on the rules committee, which will coordinate legislation in the assembly, Coalition members elected Scott Cook, a junior political science major from Sidney; Jeff Searcy, a sophomore political science major from Lincoln; Denise Muff, a sophomore business major from' Omaha and Cris Carmichael, a sophomore prephysical therapy major from Lincoln. Carmichael now is an ASUN Arts and Science College senator, while Cook and Searcy are former Arts and Sciences College senators. Morrison is former ASUN first vice-president. The Coalition also established a priority list, Sindelar said, which includes, in order of importance: Scheduling Coalition elections for next fall. -Studying university government, including ASUN Senate, Fees Allocation Board (FAB), the Council on Stu dent Life (CSL), faculty members and administrators. Also included is increasing student communication with each of these groups. - -J' --Studying campus issues and lobbying - - Constructive criticism Miller said the Coalition then will offer the university "constructive criticism." Most of the Coalition's time will be spent organizing its structure, its student court and electoral comm'sion, he said. Sindelar said the Coalition will do much of its organizing this summer, and it has requested office space in the Nebraska Union. The decision on whether the Coalition will receive per manent office space will be made by the Union Board. . Bejot said the Coalition will conduct a fall public relations campaign to remind students that it is still on -campus. XzsXlj u l. xj kJjj u u ksj u u u Sindelar said his organization hopes to present a comprehensive plan on revising university government to the NU Board of Regents in mid-winter. 'The first time we bring up something (to the regents) that is well documented and very tight, th:y will have to take notice," Young said. The Coalition plans to study university governments in the United States and foreign countries. "We want this university to have the most cohesive and best run student government in the nation," Young said. Sindelar said the Coalition might apply for student fees in the fall, depending on its success in obtaining money from sources outside the university. . Miller said the group will try several sources of financing, including university exchanges, bookstores, fund-raising projects and soliciting donations from outside Nebraska. The Coalition will serve a "watchdog" function on ASUN Senate next fall, Sindelar said, adding that the Coalition is not opposed to ASUN President Bill Mueller. Young said the Coalition would be willing to help ASUN Senate in any of its projects, but warned that he would "hate to see ASUN stand in our way." Sindelar said the Coalition will hold weekly public meetings in the Union each Monday at 7 p jn. "We want to reach for more than the 13 per cent (of students) who voted in the last election" Bejot said. iC 5 C ca e Q ..All I phQinlinnb nod i In i mm (CA3MDPUJ0 Nebraska Union O) A TXT Uth and R I VI f Open 8:30-5:30 Monday thru Friday. oaiuruay o:U-noon ooiGnoia psrlia- ASUN Senate meeting is to night at 6:30 in Union 202. New senators will be sworn in. Afsenda I. Executive Report . A. Regents meeting. B. Ad Hoc Committee on Senate structure. C Selection of senator to CSL review of student organ- izstbns subcommittee. D. Appointment of mentanan. E. Summer addresses. F. Summer salaries. IK Open Forum A. Ron Smith-dean of Col lege of Business Administration. B. Don Wesely FAB. C Barb Berry-Campus Police Advisory Board 10th St. light. O. Steve . Daraig-computer date match. III. Old Business A. Executive Committee Elections (tabled April 7). IV. Mew Business A. Resolution No. 6-RHA resolution. V. Announcements . man W,.-pj V