IV
103D CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 212
Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the Guatemalan peace process
and the need for greater protection of human rights in Guatemala.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 24, 1994
Mrs. MORELLA (for herself, Mr. BROWN of California, Ms. FURSE, Mr. KEN-
NEDY, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MOAKLEY, Mr. RAVENEL, and Ms. WOOL-
SEY) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Foreign Affairs
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the Guate-
malan peace process and the need for greater protection
of human rights in Guatemala.
Whereas, following more than a year’s hiatus, formal negotia-
tions to bring an end to the 33-year armed conflict in
Guatemala and establish conditions for democracy in
Guatemala have resumed under United Nations medi-
ation between the Government of Guatemala and the
armed opposition, the Guatemalan National Revolution-
ary Union;
Whereas systematic human rights violations are committed
with impunity against Guatemalan civilians, especially
members of the indigenous population, by government se-
•HCON 212 IH
curity forces and by the Civil Self-Defense Patrols acting
under their authority;
Whereas the Organization of American States has found that
the Civil Self-Defense Patrols are a ‘‘source of human
rights violations’’ and should be ‘‘disbanded or reorga-
nized’’;
Whereas the Organization of American States has found that
in Guatemala there have been serious ‘‘cases of arbitrary
arrest, illegitimate deprivation of liberty, isolation, and
torture and execution without trial’’ of individuals, in-
cluding the husband of United States citizen Jennifer
Harbury and other members of the Guatemalan National
Revolutionary Union who are held by various government
security forces;
Whereas the Organization of American States has determined
that the Communities of Populations in Resistance,
which have been harassed by government armed forces
and the Civil Self-Defense Patrols, are civilian commu-
nities;
Whereas the Organization of American States has called on
the Government of Guatemala to ‘‘take a clear stand on
the grave problems that obstruct the full observance of
human rights, set well defined goals, and schedule poli-
cies for attaining them’’;
Whereas the security of repatriated refugees in Guatemala, of
internally displaced civilians, and of the Communities of
Populations in Resistance remains at risk due to contin-
ued military attacks; and
Whereas there has been no substantive progress in bringing
to justice all of those responsible for the murder of
United States citizen Michael Devine, the abduction and
•HCON 212 IH
torture of United States citizen Dianna Ortiz, and the
murder of anthropologist Myrna Mack Chang: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring) That the Congress—
(1) commends the President of Guatemala,
Ramiro de Leon Carpio, and the leaders of the Gua-
temalan National Revolutionary Union for establish-
ing a framework for formal negotiations, under the
mediation of the United Nations, designed to bring
an end to more than 30 years of internal armed con-
flict and set Guatemala on the road to democracy;
(2) commends the leaders of the various seg-
ments of civilian society, under the leadership of
Bishop Rodolfo Quezada Toruno, for their role in
articulating the concerns of all sectors of Guate-
malan society and for bringing critical issues onto
the agenda of the peace negotiations;
(3) calls on President de Leon Carpio and all
parties in the negotiation process to proceed in the
spirit of the Oslo Accords to achieve peace by politi-
cal means, to the end that a final, binding, and veri-
fiable agreement will be attained before the end of
1994;
(4) calls on the Group of Friends of the peace
negotiations (Colombia, Mexico, Spain, Venezuela,
•HCON 212 IH
conditions and understandings under which certain
Guatamalan refugees may be repatriated;
(8) calls on President de Leon Carpio to recog-
nize the civilian character of the Communities of
Populations in Resistance, ensuring their security
and their right to peaceful integration into Guate-
malan society with the full exercise of rights and lib-
erties guaranteed under Guatemala’s national con-
stitution; and
(9) calls on the Executive Branch of the United
States Government to condition all assistance to
Guatemala, with the exception of humanitarian and
development assistance, on—
(A) full compliance with the recommended
precautionary measures of the Inter-American
Commission on Human Rights, a part of the
Organization of American States, including res-
olution of concerns involving clandestine pris-
ons;
(B) the continuation of the peace process;
(C) substantive improvement in the protec-
tion of human rights;
(D) the dissolution of the Civil Self-De-
fense Patrols;
•HCON 212 IH
(E) the guaranteed safety of refugees, re-
turnees, and the internally displaced;
(F) verifiable resolution of the Devine,
Ortiz, and Mack cases; and
(G) the strengthening of the various seg-
ments of civilian society, which are essential to
the establishment of genuine democracy in Gua-
temala.
Æ