[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 80 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 80

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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 25, 1999

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen (for herself, Mr. Bilirakis, Mrs. Maloney of New York, 
  Mr. Rush, Mr. Porter, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Franks of New 
   Jersey, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Deutsch, Mr. Horn, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Diaz-
   Balart, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Tierney, Mr. Doyle, and Mr. Blagojevich) 
 submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
                the Committee on International 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 on 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 Secretary General of the United 
        Nations, 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 Secretary General of the United Nations, in his December 10, 1995, 
        report on the operations of the United Nations in Cyprus, set out the 
        recommendations contained in the humanitarian review of UNFICYP (the 
        United Nations Forces in Cyprus), as endorsed by United Nations Security 
        Council Resolution 1032(95), regarding the restrictions on the freedoms 
        and human rights of the enclaved people of Cyprus that--
            (1) ``The constant presence of the Turkish-Cypriot police in the 
        daily lives of the Karpas Greek-Cypriots should be ended'';
            (2) ``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'';
            (3) ``All restrictions on land travel within the northern part of 
        Cyprus should be lifted'';
            (4) ``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'';
            (5) ``Restrictions on hand-carried mail and newspapers should be 
        lifted'';
            (6) ``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 hindrance'';
            (7) ``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'';
            (8) ``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'';
            (9) ``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'';
            (10) ``Karpas Greek-Cypriots should be permitted visits by Greek-
        Cypriot doctors and medical staff'';
            (11) ``There should be no hindrance at any time to children of 
        Karpas Greek-Cypriots returning to their family homes without 
        formality'';
            (12) Karpas Greek-Cypriots should be allowed visits from close 
        relatives who normally reside outside the northern part of Cyprus'';
            (13) ``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 hindrance 
        or formality'';
            (14) ``Restrictions on UNFICYP's freedom of movement to and from as 
        well as within the Karpas area should be lifted'';
            (15) ``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
            (16) ``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--
            (1) a requirement that enclaved males aged 18 to 50 report once a 
        week to those in control;
            (2) harassment, beating, rape, and murder without investigation; and
            (3) lack of compensation for work performed;

Whereas United Nations 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'';
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; and
Whereas no substantive progress has since been made on the part of the Turkish-
        Cypriot side to implement the recommendations arising out of the 
        humanitarian review undertaken by UNFICYP in 1995: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 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) will 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>