MORE SECRET TRIALS OF CHURCHMEN IN BULGARIA

Grey River Argus, 6 October 1949, Page 5

MORE SECRET TRIALS OF CHURCHMEN IN BULGARIA

U.N.O. Political Committee Asked to Invoke

Hague Court (Rec 9.0) NEW YORK, October 4. The United States to-day told the United Nations that, according to reliable reports, a second group of Protestant Churchmen were secretly tried and condemned in Bulgaria last July. Mr Benjamin Cohen, United States delegate, told the Second Political Committee that the trial had been held in secrecy, apparently from the fear of a world-wide reaction, such as had followed the trial of fifteen Pastors, in March. Mr Cohen said.—'The usual paraphenalia, including “confessions” recited by the defendants were again present. These trials are a further manifestation of the obvious determination of the' Bulgarian Government to destroy the independence of these Protestant sects and the integrity of their religious faith, and to break their normal ties with the Christian world.”

Mr Cohen spoke in a debate on the Austrian proposal that the General Assembly should find that human rights and fundamental freedoms are being violated in Hungary, Bulgaria and Rumania.

The Australian representative, Hon N. J. O. Makin, asked the Political Committee to consider the appointment of a committee of investigation. He said that attempts by Britain and the United. States to deal with the allegations against Hungary and Bulgaria, through the machinery established by the Peace Treaties with those countries had made no progress whatsoever.

Mr Makin said that evidence had already been produceci to show tnat the Church trials in Hungary and Bulgaria were the manifeswMns ot a movement towards “an alarming suppression of human rights and fundamental freedoms. There was a prima facie case that the Rumanian Government had also been guilty of these violations. In Rumania, the administration of justice had been perverted to fit the purposes of the Government and the Rumanian Government had completely subordinated all religious activity to the control ol the State.

Sir Carl Berendsen' (New Zealand; said that the replies given by Bulgaria, Hungary and Rumania to the Notes of the United States, and of Britain, had aroused serious misgivings. He said: ‘"'The attitude of these Governments —that they alone should decide whether they are fulfilling their international obligations —is palpably absurd. Since a dispute clearly exists, the Articles of the Peace Treaties should obviously be applied.” Mr Carl Berendsen gave notice of New Zealand’s intention to support the reference of any legal Questions to the International Court, ol Justice and he added: “The United Nations Assembly must frankly face the issue of what it can, and will, do to the families who need help, whose own voices are muted, and whose only opportunity to enjoy those freedoms depends in a great degree, upon us.” Mr Benjamin Cohen said that the United States would urge that the International Court of Justice be asked for an advisory opinion on the legal questions regarding the applicability of the Treaty procedures. The political commmittee adopted by 41 votes to nil, with 15 abstentions, a suggestion by Australia, that the Rumanian Government should be invited to send a representative to put its views to the committee. The chairman, Nasrollah Entezam (Persia) said that he would not close the debate until an answer had been received from the Rumamaa Government.