TNAG-0783-FCO40-987-Employment-of-children-In-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 6

Press Release HR/648 Page 2

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Asked South Africa to release recently detained members of Steve Biko's family, and for "a new impartial investigation" of his death a year ago;

Decided to submit to the Commission on Human Rights an analysis of documents received on alleged human rights violations in Democratic Kampuchea, with the recommendation that the matter be considered with the "highest priority" at the Commission's session next February;

Transmitted to the General Assembly a Special Rapporteur's report stating that foreign economic assistance to Chile has had a negative impact on the human rights situation there;

Reviewed a number of communications complaining of human rights violations; under confidential procedures;

Decided to include in its 1979 agenda an item on "The New International Economic Order and the Promotion of Human Rights", as well as the question of exploitation of child labour, and recommended that the Sub-Commission be authorized to hold two session each year to deal with its workload.

Frinciplos Concerning Detained Persons-

The draft body of principles for the protection of all persons under any form of detention or imprisonment contains a preambule and 35 principles.

The 35 principles were elaborated by a Sub-Commission Working Group on the basis of the following instruments: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners; Draft Principles of Freedom from Arbitrary Arrest and Detention; and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

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The principles (document /C1.4/Sub.2/L.683) were formulated in a Working Group chaired by Erik lottol, expert from Austria, who prepared the first draft. The full Sub-Commission made further revisions. The principles submitted to the Comision "for consideration ad adoption" state ang other points :

Detention or imprisonment must be "ordered by or under the effective control of a judicial or other authority under the law whose status and tenure should afford the strongest possible guarantees of competence, impartia- lity and independence" (principle 3);

No person under detention or imprisonment shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and "No circumstance whatever may be invoked as a justification" for such treatment (principle 5);

An arrested person "chall be informed at the time of his arrest of the reasons for his arrest", shall be entitled to notify members of his family of his arrest, and shall be entitled to communicate with his counsel "within the shortest possible period after arrest" (principles 10, 14 and 15);

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