[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8359]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



    IN HONOR OF THE SELF-PROCLAIMED DNESTR MOLDAVIAN REPUBLIC (DMR)

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 17, 2000

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, today I speak on behalf of the people of 
the self-proclaimed Dnestr Moldavian Republic (DMR).
  Moldova, inhabited by a Romanian majority, declared its independence 
of the USSR in 1992. However, Moscow did not recognize their 
independence. Consequently, a conflict has ensued between the ethnic 
Russian minority and the Romanian majority, resulting in the arrest of 
six Romanians who have been jailed every since.
  The case of the ``Tiraspol Six,'' as they came to be known, was taken 
up by many international organizations. According to a 1998 Amnesty 
International Report, ''Their trial has apparently failed to meet 
international standards of fairness, and the men had allegedly been 
prosecuted for political reasons, because of their membership of the 
Christian Democratic Popular Front, a Moldovan party favoring 
reunification with Romania.'' While two of the men have been released, 
four others remain in jail, suffering inhumane living conditions, 
denial of medical treatment and of visits by international 
organizations. I cannot make a formal judgement on the merits of the 
Tiraspol Six case, but I will defer to the findings of international 
human rights and pro-Democracy organizations. Amnesty International 
urged the authorities to ``conduct prompt, impartial and effective 
investigations into all allegations of ill-treatment by police and to 
bring those responsible to justice.''
  These four men remain in jail today awaiting a fair and open day in 
court and a right to defend themselves against the charges made against 
them. The United States should help to promote freedom and democracy in 
region, by advocating just and fair treatment in court of the people of 
Moldova.

                          ____________________