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.
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