Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site utcsri.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utcsri!vassos
From: vassos@utcsri.UUCP (Vassos Hadzilacos)
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: Re: South African Blacks
Message-ID: <1556@utcsri.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 28-Oct-85 18:54:42 EST
Article-I.D.: utcsri.1556
Posted: Mon Oct 28 18:54:42 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 28-Oct-85 19:55:36 EST
Distribution: can
Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto
Lines: 52

From postnews Mon Oct 28 18:12:50 1985
Subject: Re: South African Blacks
Newsgroups: can.politics
Distribution: can

In <1534@utcsri.UUCP> I said:

>> [...] Namibia [...] is illegaly occupied by SA [South African] troups. 

To which Riel Smit repied:

> Namibia can by no stretch of the imagination be called a dictatorship.
> Not with a multi-party system and representatives elected by a large
> proportion of the population (both black and white).  And as far as
> "occupied by SA troops" is concerned, I guess that is true if you are
> willing to say that West Germany is occupied by American troops.

To which I now reply:

                  A short history of Namibia:
                  --------------------------
- In 1915 the German colonial rule ends.
- In 1919 the League of Nations confers to South Africa the mandate
  of preparing Namibia for independence.
- In 1966 the United Nations terminates SA's mandate on the basis the
  latter had failed to fullfill its obligations.
- In 1969 the United Nations Security Council declares SA's occupation
  of Namibia illegal.
- In 1971 the International Court of Justice, also declares SA's
  occupation of Namibia illegal.
- In 1977 the United Nations General Assembly recognises SWAPO as the
  authentic representative of the Namibians.
- In 1977 SA apoints an "Administrator General" in Namibia.
- In 1979 SA having rejected UN-supervised elections, installs the
  Democratic Turnhalle Alliance in power, creates a National Assembly (1979)
  and a Council of Ministers (1980).
- By 1982 SA has 100,000 troops in Namibia.
- In 1983 SA formally resumes direct control over Namibia, dissolving
  the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly.

I am not aware of any UN or Int'l Court decision declaring the
presence of US troops in the Federal Republic of Germany "illegal".
Nor have I heard of the US apointing anyone as Administrator General,
banning the most popular political party, and dissolving the government
and parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany.  I think you will
agree with me that your comparison was, er..., exaggerated.

And I don't think I could be accused of narrow mindedness if
I added that the situation revealed by the above facts does not
meet my standards of a democratic state. 

--Vassos Hadzilacos.