Council of Europe moves to condemn crimes of totalitarian communist regimes

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Wednesday January 11, 2006 02:45

by Hans Chr. Andersen - Stop the Witch Hunt

Danish communists launch petition in protest against "witch hunt"

At a meeting in meeting in Paris on 14 December, the Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a draft resolution and a draft recommendation on the "Need for international condemnation of the crimes of totalitarian communist regimes".
Two Danish communist parties have launched a petition to stop the "witch hunt" that this resolution would invoke, resulting in the "persecution of the European communist parties, people active in trade unions, and other democratic and popular forces".

Here is the relevant announcement on PACE's website:

Political Affairs
Political Affairs Committee adopts a text on the condemnation of crimes of totalitarian communist regimes
[14/12/05] PACE's Political Affairs Committee, meeting in Paris today, adopted a draft resolution and a draft recommendation on the "Need for international condemnation of the crimes of totalitarian communist regimes". The text, prepared par Göran Lindblad (Sweden, EPP/CD), strongly condemns the massive human rights violations committed by these regimes and expresses "sympathy, understanding and recognition to the victims of crimes". According to the committee, "this clear position of the international community will pave the way to further reconciliation".

http://assembly.coe.int/

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According to the report: "These crimes are direct results of the class struggle theory which imposed the need for 'elimination' of people who were not considered as useful to the construction of a new society."

And: "Last but not least, the Committee of Ministers should initiate an awareness campaign in Council of Europe member States on the crimes of communism. That would include the revision of school books. ..."

http://assembly.coe.int/ASP/APFeaturesManager/defaultArtSiteView.asp?ArtId=349

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Two Danish communist parties, DKP and KPiD, have launched a petition to protest against the resolution, which they perceive as a call to a "witch hunt" against European communists.

Here is an excerpt from an e-mail calling for support for the petition:

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From: "Stop heksejagten"
Date: Mon, 09 Jan 2006 21:08:56 +0100

At the end of January, the Council of Europe will deal with a proposal for a resolution to condemn communism and the communist parties in Europe.
If the resolution is adopted, it will open the way for in creased persecution of the European communist parties, people active in trade unions and other democratic and popular forces.
All over Europe, petitions to the Council of Europe to reject the resolution are being collated.
We urge you to sign the attached petition.
The wording of the proposal itself is not known to the Danish public, as it has not yet been publicised in the media. You can requisition a copy by sending an e-mail to:
[email protected]

The deadline is 20 January, after which we will forward the petition with signatures to the Council of Europe, with a copy to the press.

...

Yours faithfully,
per pro the initiative-takers

Hans Chr. Andersen
Copenhagen, 9 January 2006

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