CPEH announcement/statement

[tank <tank@xs4all.nl>]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Congress for Peace in Euskal Herria (CPEH)
cpeh@aol.com

The Euskal Herria Journal (EHJ), an Internet publication reporting on the
Basque struggle for self-determination and independence, is available
temporarily at the following "mirror" sites:

http://osis.ucsd.edu/
http://www.desaparecidos.org/ehj/
http://www.easynet.co.uk/cam/censorship/ehj
http://samsara.law.cwru.edu/comp_law/ehj/
http://zthomas.digiweb.com
http://www.contrast.org/mirrors/ehj/

The mirror sites support free speech without necessarily supporting the 
views and goals of the Euskal Herria Journal.

On July 18, 1997,  the Institute for Global Communications (IGC) suspended
the EHJ web site for review.

This occurred after IGC endured a virulent "e-mail bombing" attack
promoted from Spain by political forces who opposed EHJ's
reports on the Basque resistance movement and claimed IGC was hosting 
the Basque armed organization Euskadi Ta Askatasuna itself.

The attack overwhelmed IGC's ability to keep their system running and
threatened to temporarily end services to other clients.

IGC is "reviewing whether EHJ membership in the `progressive pages
directory' promoted by IGC is consistent with IGC's mission."

In light of the controversy surrounding the Euskal Herria Journal
web site we state the following:

First, we believe that Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA, Basque Homeland and
Freedom) has a right to a web site just like the Zapatistas, the FARC-EP,
the MRTA or any other resistance movement. However, EHJ is published by
the Congress for Peace in Euskal Herria, an independent grassroots 
organization that promotes political negotiations and Basque 
self-determination.   EHJ has historical information and documents 
about/from ETA but it would be presumptuous to speak for ETA.

Second, we promote dialogue for a peaceful solution of the Basque conflict. 
And there cannot be real dialogue without including ETA, a principal 
antagonist in the conflict.

Our campaign both in France and Spain includes seeking support for the 
restoration of key procedural rights and safeguards to comply with the
international principles for the protection of people in detention or 
imprisonment in both countries, and the transfer of all Basque political 
prisoners to jails in the Basque Country--a first step to break
the logjam conflict.

Third, the intervention of the Spanish government--telling CNN to remove
the links between its site and the Euskal Herria Journal--and the media
that encouraged the "e-mail bombing," is a signal that EHJ is effective.

Finally, we hope IGC restores the EHJ web site at the earliest possible 
date.   We believe that no matter how threatening "e-mail bombing" was 
to IGC, the suspension of the EHJ web site gives into such attackers 
and endangers free speech.   We appreciate IGC's difficulties but 
free speech does not come free.

We remain committed to peace with JUSTICE and will continue--with or
without a web site--to make known  the struggle for civil and national rights
in the Basque Country under French and Spanish rule and to get 
political negotiations started between the Spanish government and 
Euskadi Ta Askatasuna.

Congress for Peace in Euskal Herria (CPEH)
New York

ENDS.