Chile: Easing Internal Security Mcaaurca
President Pinochet's sense of timing, approach to questions of substanco, and basic rigidity areby last week's announcemant that the state of siege is over (see chart). The move, which reveals Pinochet's Appreciation that autarky in the face of International pressure is Impossible, also shows that any relaxation in Chile will follow his own timetable. Pinochet'sis dictatedredilection for makingwhen some advantage can be won or reactingwhen stung by what he considers unfair attacks on hia regime.
CHILEAN INTERNAL SECURITY MEASURES
or internal
defense^
internal*^^
of State of Slequ
ni.'itary tribunals authorized to try national security cases under time of war rules, that is, without civilian review.
tribunals authorized to try national security cases under time of peace rules with civilian review and less severe sentences, except for certainoffenses handled under time of war provisions.
of State of Emergency I, Extraordinary authority
Reduotion to tho first stagetate of emergency went into effect onB.
Emergency zones .
III. Unification of regional military commands
the emergoncy restrictions scams intended toew resolution on Chile under consideration by the ON Human Riyhts Commission in Geneva and tothe damaging implications of the Leteller murdurecondary motivationeral improvement of Chile's image abroad for various security reasons. over the adverse repercussions of Chile's poor reputation has heightened because of troublesome teril-torial controversies with Its neighbors and because of Chile's difficulty in finding arms suppliers.
In practical terms, the reductiontate of emergency will have little effect on most Chileans. It will remove several of the government's powers, such as exile by executive flat, detention without charge for more than five days, and arbitrary repeal of citizenship. Still, tho government will have wide latitude to restrict trade union activity, political meetings, and free artial curfew will remain in effect at the discretion of local military commanders. ew national socurity code la being drafted, which Is expected to leave substantial powers with the military In national security
matters.
Pinochet has promised there would be no further trials ofilitary nature." Until the complex patchwork of existing docrees is replaced by the new code, however, it is unclear where the lines of civil and military justice
will be drawn.
The government has claimed publicly that thuwas possible because of the large moasure ofsupport expressed in the Jsnuary referendum and the resultsew poll showingercent of Chilean* approving the regimo. Additionally, the absence of an active subversive threat has been mentionedactor.
The Chilean President has been unwilling to be pushed beyond certain limits. He believes the criticisms of the human rights situation in Chile are the enemy'smachine at work, and these attacks sometimes elicit irrational rage from Pinochet. He reacts byin his heels to prove his regime Impervious to the propaganda assault. For example, Pinochet had considered lifting the state of siege at the time of the government's
8
fourth anniversary last September, but ho postponed the move to avoid seeming to bow to International pressure. Ho had vI'll tod Washington days oarllar for the signing of the Panama Canal treaties and did not want to give the Impression that he was taking orders from the unite. Statoi Moreover, Pinochet's decision in August to overhaul the national intelligence organization was already perceived by him toajor concession to human rights critics.
Original document.
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