From: utzoo!decvax!cca!Paul@sri-unix Newsgroups: net.space Title: Space Law Article-I.D.: sri-unix.2343 Posted: Fri Jul 30 10:20:25 1982 Received: Sat Jul 31 03:02:18 1982 REASON magazine had a very interesting August issue. I've already mentioned one article in arms-d; there is another one pertinent to this digest. Keith Henson (a founder a first president of L5) and Arel Lucas start their article on "Star Laws" with the following piece: With tears in his eyes, the commander of the US moon base spoke to the woman begging for asylum. "Sonya, my personal sympathies are with you. But I have my authorities above me. I have to do what is required. You will have to return to your base." "Please!" pleaded Sonya. "They will kill me. I will not go back." The commander reluctantly left his office and admitted the Russians. Dr. Gale Roberts, one of the civilian scientists at the base, later recounted the incident to the press. "We could hear the woman's cries for help. She was on her knees, praying and crying, 'Oh God help me.' The Russians came in. Sometimes I couldn't see her, but I could hear her screaming. Then she ran to the upper deck. Her face was all bloody. "She hid for a while, but three more Russians were let in. They found her, beat her unconcious. Then they tied her in a blanket and carried her out the airlock. "We're not even sure they put a suit on her in the airlock," said Dr. Roberts. "Nobody was permitted to look." Change "Sonya" to "Simas", and "moon base" to "Coast Guard Cutter Vigilant" and you have an incident that occured in November 1970. (See Dec. 14 TIME.) A Lithuanian radio operator defected to the Vigilant, but the captain was ordered to return him. He was beaten, suffering kidney damage, and was sent to Siberia. But the US has signed a treaty REQUIRING us the return defectors. Article VIII of the 1967 Space Treaty states "A State ... shall retain jurisidiction and control over such object [spacecraft] and over any personnel thereof"; Article IV of the Rescue Agreement, which enjoins signers to return personnel, willing or not; Article XII of the Moon Treaty says that "States... shall retain jurisdiction and control over their personnel." The article continues by explaining how the treaties would eliminate (in space) the rights of privacy and private property. It ends by urging the President to formally reject the Moon treaty as he has rejected the Law of the Sea treaty. -------