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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 19, No. 2. March 10, 1955

Students Languish Behind Bars in Argentina — NZUSA Protest

page 5

Students Languish Behind Bars in Argentina

NZUSA Protest

In Argentina, 430 students, including 25 women, are still in prison following the incidents in October. These students were "collected" from the annual general meetings of the Engineering and Chemistry Students' Unions, and from raids on various other students' headquarters—including the law students. A general strike of all students was called as a protest on October 22, 1954. As a result student organisations of all faculties in Buenos Aires, except Architecture, Agriculture and Dentistry, have been shut and are under police guard. The explanation given by the Argentine students is that trouble between the Peronists regime and the Federation Universitaria Argentina—FUA—has long been brewing. After the return of the delegation from the Instanbul conference there were indications of an apparent change of heart on the part of the Government.

This lasted until October 5, 1954, the day of the engineering students annual meeting and the first arrests.

There has been no comment at all from the Government.

Statements of support have already come from: South Africa, Costa Rica, U.S.A. and Franco and England (national unions).

In most cases these unions wrote to their respective Argentine Consuls and received no reply. The English students protested vigorously and asked that the Consul receive a deputation to discuss the matter—with what result is not yet known.

Health Suffered

The students are under close observation, and several of them had to be sent to the hospital because their health has suffered: one of the students, J. Haramboure, has had a nervous breakdown. Visits by close relatives are allowed only once a week. The students have not yet been put on trial; they fall under a decree in effect since 1951, the so-called "condition of martial law," whereby the constitutional guarantees are abolished and the Government has the right to imprison people for an indefinite length of time.

From the Argentine Consul-Gen-eral (N.Z.). NZUSA have received, in reply to an enquiry, merely a letter of acknowledgment stating that he knew nothing about the matter but would find out. That was on November 25, 1954. NZUSA wrote again asking if he had any further information.

Reply Received

A reply received last week stated that the Consul-General had cabled his Government for information and stressing the urgency of the matter.

The New Zealand University Students Association Resident Executive last week chose Messrs. Brewster and T. Beaglehole as a delegation to wait upon the Consal-General, the purpose of their visit being to stress again the urgency of the matter and request news as soon as possible.

In the meantime, the NZUSA is taking no further action on the matter.

At a meeting of the VUCSA executive in the middle of last month, the president entered a motion to the effect that the secretary of NZUSA be informed that if no satisfaction is received from the Argentine Consul-General, the Information received from COSEC will be released to the N.Z. Press Association, and that NZPA be informed of the NZUSA correspondence with the Consul.

Renovations to "Salient" room to the extent of £15 have been concluded and the room now compares favourably with Mr. Landreth's den. Walls and ceiling have been painted, and modern lighting introduced.

* * *

Orientation Week Controller is Miss P. Beck, who held the position last year.