[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 65 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 65

Calling for a United States effort to end restrictions on the freedoms 
and human rights of the enclaved people in the occupied area of Cyprus.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 6, 1997

   Ms. Snowe (for herself and Ms. Mikulski) submitted the following 
 concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Calling for a United States effort to end restrictions on the freedoms 
and human rights of the enclaved people in the occupied area of Cyprus.

Whereas respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights is a cornerstone of 
        United States foreign policy;
Whereas the enclaved people of Cyprus, those Greek-Cypriots and Maronites living 
        in the Karpas peninsula, are subject to restrictions of freedom and 
        human rights;
Whereas the representatives of the two communities in Cyprus, who met in Vienna 
        in August, 1975, under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary 
        General, reached an agreement known as the Vienna three agreement, 
        which, inter-alia, states that, ``Greek-Cypriots in the North of the 
        island (of Cyprus) are free to stay and they will be given every help to 
        lead a normal life, including facilities for education and for the 
        practice of their religion, as well as medical care by their own doctors 
        and freedom of movement in the North . . . (and) the United Nations will 
        have free and normal access to Greek-Cypriot villages and habitations in 
        the North'';
Whereas the key elements of this agreement have not been implemented and, in 
        fact, severe restrictions have been placed on the daily lives of the 
        enclaved people of Cyprus;
Whereas the United Nations Secretary General in his December 10, 1995 report on 
        the U.N. operations in Cyprus sets out the recommendations contained in 
        UNFICYP's (the United Nations Forces in Cyprus) humanitarian review, as 
        endorsed by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1032(95), regarding the 
        restrictions on the freedoms and human rights of the enclaved people of 
        Cyprus, that:

    (a) ``The constant presence of the Turkish-Cypriot police in the daily 
lives of the Karpas Greek-Cypriots should be ended'';

    (b) ``Karpas Greek-Cypriots and their visitors should be allowed to 
travel between the Karpas and the buffer zone crossing point in their own 
vehicles or in regular public transportation without police escort'';

    (c) ``All restrictions on land travel within the northern part of 
Cyprus should be lifted'';

    (d) ``Unrestricted availability of private telephones should be 
permitted when they become generally available and the Karpas Greek-
Cypriots should be permitted to make private telephone calls from locations 
in the Karpas other than police stations without the presence of any 
official or other person'';

    (e) ``Restrictions on hand-carried mail and newspapers should be 
lifted'';

    (f) ``Secondary schooling for Greek-Cypriots should be facilitated in 
the Karpas, and teachers and school supplies for the Greek-Cypriots should 
be allowed to be provided from the south without hinderance'';

    (g) ``All Karpas Greek-Cypriot students attending secondary schools or 
third-level institutions in the south should be allowed to return to their 
homes on weekends and holidays'';

    (h) ``Access to and religious use of the monastery at Apostolos Andreas 
and the church there by the Greek-Cypriots of the Karpas peninsula and 
their clergy should be unrestricted'';

    (i) ``Provision of funds from outside the northern area should be 
permitted for the renovation and maintenance of Greek-Cypriot schools and 
churches in the Karpas area'';

    (j) ``Karpas Greek-Cypriots should be permitted visits by Greek-Cypriot 
doctors and medical staff'';

    (k) ``There should be no hindrance at any time to children of Karpas 
Greek-Cypriots returning to their family homes without formality'';

    (l) ``Karpas Greek-Cypriots should be allowed visits from close 
relatives who normally reside outside the northern part of Cyprus'';

    (m) ``Karpas Greek-Cypriots should be allowed to bequeath fixed 
property in Karpas to their next of kin and in the event that such 
beneficiaries normally reside outside the northern part of the island, they 
should be allowed to visit bequeathed properties without hinderance or 
formality'';

    (n) ``Restrictions on UNFICYP's freedom of movement to and from as well 
as within the Karpas area should be lifted'';

    (o) ``Restrictions on the discharge by UNFICYP of its humanitarian and 
other functions with regard to Karpas Greek-Cypriots should be lifted and 
liaison posts should be established where the greatest number of Greek-
Cypriots live in the north at the villages of Rizokarpaso and Ayias Trias. 
(The sole remaining permanent UNFICYP presence in the Karpas, a small 
liaison post, remains confined, with no freedom of movement, in the village 
of Leonarisso, where only 9 Greek-Cypriots still reside.)''; and

    (p) ``All restrictions preventing offshore fishing by the Greek-
Cypriots of the Karpas should be lifted'';

Whereas other restrictions on the freedom and human rights of the enclaved 
        include:

    (a) A requirement that enclaved males aged 18 to 50 report once a week 
to those in control;

    (b) Harassment, beating, rape, and murder without investigation; and

    (c) Lack of compensation for work performed;

Whereas U.N. Security Council Resolution 1062(96), inter-alia, expressed regret 
        that ``the Turkish-Cypriot side has not responded more fully to the 
        recommendations made by UNFICYP and calls upon the Turkish-Cypriot side 
        to respect more fully the basic freedoms of the Greek-Cypriots and 
        Maronites living in the northern part of the island and to intensify its 
        efforts to improve their daily lives''; and
Whereas on July 31, 1997, Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish-Cypriot 
        leader Rauf Denktash agreed to further address this issue along with 
        other humanitarian issues: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) strongly urges the President to undertake efforts to 
        end restrictions on the freedoms and human rights of the 
        enclaved people of Cyprus; and
            (2) shall remain actively interested in the matter until 
        the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the enclaved 
        people of Cyprus are restored, respected and safeguarded.
                                 <all>