Chile: Information on the treatment of families who are seeking justice for the death or disappearance of family members during the years of military rule
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 September 1996 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | CHL24477.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Chile: Information on the treatment of families who are seeking justice for the death or disappearance of family members during the years of military rule, 1 September 1996, CHL24477.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ace825.html [accessed 3 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Please note that some Chilean families whose members were detained by the military or disappeared under the period of military rule have formed associations, like the Group of Family Members of Disappeared-Detained individuals (Asociación de Familiares de Desaparecidos y Detenidos) that fight to bring the abusers to justice. A 23 September 1996 telephone inquiry with directory assistance in Santiago, was unable to locate a listing for this or any similar organization in Santiago.
In a 23 September 1996 telephone interview with the DIRB, a political science professor at McGill University who specializes in community movements and grassroots organizations in Chile stated that he has never come across any information regarding persecution of whole families or members of families whose relatives were disappeared or detained. The professor, who recently published a book analyzing social movements in Chile, mentioned that there could be a unique instance of harassment of a person belonging to such an organization or individually seeking justice for a relative. However, he also stated that "the authorities are aware that since these families' cases are well known, targeting these families' members could have a lot of repercussions that could be further damaging to the image of the police force or the military." The professor added that to his knowledge there is no systematic repression of such individuals or families on the part of the Chilean authorities.
For further information on the current human rights situation in Chile in general and regarding these families, please consult the attachments.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted for this Response to Information Request.
Reference
Professor specializing in community movements and grassroots organizations in Chile McGill University, Department of Political Science, Montreal. 23 september 1996. Telephone interview.
Attachments
Chilean Human Rights Commission, Santiago. 2 September 1996. Letter from the president.
El Mercurio [Santiago, in Spanish]. 18 April 1996. "Chile: Bill on Human Rights, Missing-Detainees Frozen." (FBIS-LAT-96-078 22 Apr. 1996, 42-43)
Inter Press Service. 6 December 1995. "Chile-Human Rights: Controversial Bill Passes First Test in Senate." (NEXIS)
Additional Sources Consulted
Amnesty International. Yearly. Amnesty International Report. New York: Amnesty International.
Andean Newsletter [Lima].
Contextual Information Packages. April 1996. DIRB. Ottawa. (Selected Countries)
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Yearly. US Department of State. Washington: US Government Printing Office.
Critique: Review of the Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Yearly. New York: Lawyers Committee for Human Rights.
FBIS Daily Reports (Latin America).
Human Rights Watch World Report. Yearly . New York: Human Rights Watch.
Human Rights Monitor [Geneva].
Human Rights Tribune [Ottawa].
Human Rights Quarterly [Baltimore].
Human Rights Watch Short Reports [New York].
Human Rights Law Journal [Kehl am Rein].
Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. Monthly.
Latin America Press [Lima].
Latin America Regional Reports: Andean Group Reports [London].
Latin America Weekly Report [London].
Latin America Special Reports [London].
Material from the Indexed Media Review (IMR) or country files containing articles and reports from diverse sources (primarily dailies and periodicals) from the Weekly Media Review.
