Evening star., 1960-06-23


THE Government of the Dominican Republic
l. records herein its comments on the June Report
of the Inter-American Peace Committee submitted
to the President of the Council of the Organization
of American States
This Report was Unexpectedly read in the Coun-
Gil of the Organization of American States at the
meeting held in the morning Of June 8. 1t had not
been included in the agenda for that meeting, or
made known previously to the Representative of the
- Dominican Republic.
u AS a result of the study of this Report the Gov
y ernment of the Dominican Republic must ener-
getcally protest against this document and it does
not hesitate to label it interventionist pro-
nouncement on the internal affairs of the Domin-
can Republic and as unjust offense inflicted to the
: dignity of the Dominican nation.
Considerations on the exercise of powers and
the procedure followed by the Peace Committee
in its Report.
The Inter-American Peace Committee has ex-
ceeded its powers in applying Resolution w of the
Fifth Meeting of Consultation of Santiago de Chile
to the performance of its duties contained in its
June Report. According to paragraph OF ReSolu-
ton w of the Fifth Meeting of Consultation, the
Peace Committee is empowered "to take action on
the subjects referred to in paragraph /" of said
Resolution which states:
"b) the relationship between the violations of
human rights or the nOn-existence of repreSen-
tative democracy on the one hand, and the
political tensions that affect the peace Of the
hemisphere, on the other"
Now then, what is the exact meaning of the
, term ito take action" as contained in the above
mentioned paragraph of The Resolution. There is
nothing in said Resolution to clarity the scope of
this important key term in the definition of the
powers of the Committee. However, 1t would not be
reasonable to deduct from this omission that the
n CONanoitfpp unlimited that If
functions completely at its discretion and that it is
not subjected to any limiting norms To determine
the scope of the powers of the Peace Committee it
is necessary to examine them in the light of the
= Statutes of the Committee dated 1856 and still in
force, which Article resolves that the powers of
= the Committee consist in suggesting methods and
proposals leading to the solution of conflicts There
fore, the functions of the Peace Committee consist
in the friendly solution of international contro-
versies as BELTS the nature of this organ in its
capacity good services or good offices committee
> or even yet as commission denquete."
= The meaning of the term ito take action" used
in paragraph of Resolution " of the Fifth Meeting
of Consultation does not have greater scope than
the same term as used in the Statutes IN force Of
. the Inter- American Peace Committee. We submit
. that to reproach or condemn governments appear
ing before its Jurisdiction is not the function of this
organ. 1t is not empowered to coerce governments
> through statement of censure or OF any other ma
ture If it does so has in this caSe it ntoeraby
> exceeds its powers and deviates from the norms
- that govern its competence.
Cooperation of the Dominican Government
with the Inter.Amercan Peace Committee
.. The injustice and arbitrarness of the June {
: Report of the Inter-Amercan Peace Committee be-
" comes evident when the conduct followed by the
= Dominican Government during the hearings of the
Committee after the Committees April IA Report
is taken into consideration. In effect the Commit
tee limited itself "to suggest in this Report to the
governments of the countries where there are per
sons imprisoned for essentially political activities
= that these persons be set free" The Committee
added in this Report that 't would also be advisable
that the necessary steps be TAKEN within the short
est possible time that all those persons who hav
sought asylum in Diplomatic Missions could emf
CRATE, after the Government from which national
have sought asylum has obtained guarantees from
the States giving asylum that they would not ALLOW
these persons to carry activities in their terri
tory violating any of the international instruments
applicable in this subject"
However, the Peace Committee has not takel
into consideration that since April 49, the Domn
lean authorities had begun the process of carryin
- out acts of clemency in behalf of persons involves
in subversve plots last January. Thus were c
those prisoners set ree and the 5th, 22nd, 26tt
and 28th of May total of 88 were also set free
BY June 5th, that is, day before the date of tn
Report, this figure had been increased by 102 pal
doned prisoners. Therefore, up to now there is
total of 100 persons who have been pardoned b