Sir, - We welcome the arrest of General Pinochet in London and the impressive coverage The Irish Times has rightly given this news. The arrest breaks the "cycle of impunity" which has allowed the perpetrators of human rights abuses and their military and political bosses to go unpunished for so long.
Despite the work of many thousands of human rights defenders around the world, governments have more often lacked the moral courage and political will to stand up to human rights abusers. The Spanish and British authorities are therefore to be commended for their judicial and political courage in pursuing and detaining Pinochet. In this 50th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, this act alone is a beacon of hope for human rights activists everywhere.
Although Tony Blair insists that this is a judicial matter and not a reflection of an "ethical foreign policy", he has a duty to ensure that the hope kindled by Pinochet's detention is not betrayed by political expediency. Justice must now run its course and the final decision on Pinochet's extradition must not be swayed by US reluctance to have the ashes of the Chilean coup raked over.
While the US planned and financed the coup, Britain sold Pinochet the tanks and jets he used to carry it out, and has continued to sell him arms right up to the present day. Enabling a court to examine the charges against him is the least Britain can do by way of reparation to the Chilean people.
Some in Chile claim that any trial of the General will jeopardise the delicate transition to democracy negotiated with the army ten years ago. If a democratic government cannot allow its citizens seek justice for the crimes of mass murder, torture and disappearance, then that democracy is little more than a worthless shell. Pinochet may be out of office, but is justice once again to be asked to bow to his power? - Yours etc., Madge Carberry,
Chile Desk,
Oisin Coghlan,
Co-ordinator
Latin America Solidarity Centre,
Merrion Row,
Dublin 2