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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1991)
Tuesday, February 12, 1991 World and nation The Battalion Chinese activist claims sedition charge unfair BEIJING (AP) — Looking pale and thin from a four- day hunger strike, a leading democracy activist told a court Monday that the sedition charge against him was “unfair and incorrect,” sources close to his family said. Chen Ziming, the 38-year-old founder of a private research institute, began the hunger strike Thursday in an attempt to postpone the trial so his lawyer would have more time to prepare a defense. His lawyer was allowed access to the government materials on Chen only last week, after his charges were formally lodged with the court. Chen’s mother and sister were allowed to attend the trial but not to speak with him, so it was not known if he had resumed eating, the sources said. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he looked wan and told the court several times dur ing the six-hour session that he was tired. But he re jected as “unfair and incorrect” the charge that he plotted to overthrow the Communist government dur ing the 1989 democracy demonstrations. Chen gave advice behind the scenes to the college students who led the movement. He was arrested in the fall of 1989, several months after the army crushed the movement, and has been in solitary confinement since. The trial was adjourned without a verdict being an nounced. It is expected his sentence will be announced this week together with the sentences of three associates also charged with sedition. .. The trials of two of them, Chen Xiaoping and Liu Gang, began last week and are suspended pending sen tencing. Sources have said Liu insisted he was innocent, but Chen Xiaoping told the court boldly that he would have liked to overthrow the “corrupt government.” The two Chens are not related. Chen Xiaoping is a university law lecturer who also did research for Chen Ziming’s institute. Liu worked at the institute. The fourth man, Wang Juntao, who edited the insti tute’s newspaper, is expected to be tried this week. He contracted hepatitis in jail, and his physical condition is not known. The maximum punish ment for sedition is death, but China rarely executes intellectuals, and the four are expected to get at least 10-year prison terms. Altogether, 30 democracy activists have been tried or sentenced since Jan. 5 in carefully planned trials that authorities hope will put the democracy movement be hind them. The movement’s impact lingers, however, in the leadership’s continued preoccupation with security, close surveillance of students and dissidents and daily articles in the official media praising socialism and de nouncing multiparty democracy. United, American airlines seek Heathrow spots British, U.S. battle for airways LONDON (AP) — United Air lines on Monday urged the United States and Britain to break a dead lock over the right of it and Ameri can Airlines to use Heathrow air port, a key obstacle in the global expansion plans of both U.S. car riers. United officials traveled to Britain for a few days to conduct a public re lations campaign promoting the U.S. point of view on this side of the At lantic. They also were applying a bit of pressure publicly and in private meetings with government and Brit ish airlines’ officials. The United officials also provided a detailed description of what is on the negotiating agenda. United plans to buy most of Pan American World Airways’ London routes and other items in a deal worth $400 million, and American has agreed to buy Trans World Air lines’ London and some other over seas routes for $445 million. But the British government is not allowing United and American to as sume the existing Heathrow landing rights without concessions. The American side says the exist ing air services agreement between the two governments allows such succession, and the U.S. airlines don’t want to be diverted to Lon don’s less attractive Gatwick and other airports. Talks between the United States and Britain broke off Jan. 30 after six rounds of negotiations over four months. Britain has offered two dates for renewing talks, in Washington, said Paul McKie, a spokesman for the Department of Trade and Industry. “There’s been no response from across the way yet for getting the talks going again,” McKie said. Lawrence Nagin, senior vice pres ident and general counsel foi United, told a news conference die United States put forth an offer he called extremely beneficial to Bril ain, but it was “not going to be on the table forever.” If Pan Am — which has filed for bankruptcy protection from cred itors — is forced out of business be cause of failure to get British appro val, only one American carrier, the weak TWA, will continue to serve Heathrow, he said. “There might be some reaction to put some balance in the (U.S.-Brit ish) aviation relationship, which isni going to be good for either side, Nagin said. “There are ways the United States could reduce services but I wouldni want to speculate what they would do and not do," Nagin said. The United States found unac ceptable Britain’s demand for a cap on United and American’s capadtv at Heathrow, and for the scrapping of rights of the U.S. carriers to fls onward tea other destinations, negtr tiators have said. 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You may receive more or less calling time depending on where and when you call. Applications must be received by June 30,1991. Airline ponders selling routes, merger options EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Nortf west Airlines Co-Chairman Alfred Checchi has broached the idea o( merging with a stronger airline oi selling the carrier’s lucrative Padfit routes in talks with Northwest’s pi lots union. But airline industry analysts saidn was unclear whether Checchi trai sincere or just posturing in a stratejp to extract concessions from employ ees to help the airline get through! financially troubled period. The Air Line Pilots Associatiot said Checchi discussed a possibl: merger with AMR Corp.’s American Airlines or Delta Air Lines as a possi ble solution to Northwest’s prod lems. The pifots’ account of the dis cussions was reported Monday inthi Wall Street Journal and confirmee by the pilots union. As another solution, the union said, Checchi explored the ideaol selling the Pacific routes as a step to ward retrenching the Minnesota based carrier as a solely domestic air line. Checchi’s comments about a possi ble merger or a Pacific route sale came early last week when he anil John Dasburg, the airline’s presiden: and chief executive officer, met with the pilots union to seek contract con cessions, the union said. Barton Continued from page 1 is close to 100 percent.” Barton said the cost of the war- an estimated $1 billion a day —will not strain the budget if the conflict is resolved in six months. “The equipment in use is from war stocks that have already been paid for,” Barton said, “We only pay if we have to replace it.” He said it is still too early totellifa prolonged conflict will drain re sources from other areas of the bud get, but he said it was unlikely anv large burden would be created. Continued from page 3 gram of administrative internships for female faculty members. • A request from the Rules and Regulations Committee to change the 1991-92 Texas A&M Universit' Regulations attendance policy to grant excused absences to students experiencing a major illness in their immediate families; and to allow de partments and colleges to set GPR requirements for post-baccalaureate non-degree students and students in graduate degree programs. • A request by the Bylaws Com mittee to alter the Chapter V Meet ings portion of Senate bylaws. • A request from the University Curriculum Committee to add a bachelor of arts in International Studies and a bachelor of science in Agribusiness (deleting Agribusiness option in Agricultural Economics); to revise the WFSC teaching option and to change the B.S. in Biology to a B.S. in Molecular and Cell Biology. • A request from the Graduate Council to add HIST 637 Birth of the Middle Ages. • A request from the University Curriculum Committee to add WFSC 202 Natural History of the Invertebrates. All resolutions passed. All action taken by the Senate must be ap proved by Mobley before being en acted. Tuesday, F< ALCOHOLIC! Center NARCOTICS 0280 fc UNITED ST A prepan informs TAMU HORS TEXAS A&M the NC namen bie at 8 alpha kapi for ail a BRAZOS VAI 6:45 p. 778-11 COLLEGIATI SCOA NRHH: meeti HISPANIC J< RDMC PROVOST C Interna BIBLE STUD dent C PAX CHRIS'! St. Ma RACQUETS! Call M STUDENTS I ing at mons 1 PRSSA: mee tion. SPEECH C< speaki tion STUDY ABF Londo TEXAS STUI Rudde MEDICINE T hind S inform BAPTIST SI New C Main. CHI ALPHA isher s AG ECO CLI TRI BETA: r 8:30 p 5968 < UNITED CAI byterii for me SOCIETY OI to Gra DPMA: ICDF Forme ASSOCIATE PEOPLE FC ganizi infornr LE CERCLE ACAC Senate tuition bill fo: called AUSTIN (i proved a bill ] low student re military duty or course ere passed to the debate. The bill spe lis, D-Housto such legislatic attention by a the University Ellis said th the first reset the crisis in hundreds of : been called up “The intern to relieve the: cial hardship) know that we them and that ized for servi said. Ellis’ bill w fee refunds, complete grat credit if the s least one half professor say: onstrated suff It is retroa ter. Current la cannot refun full after the mester. In other ac to the House would establi enforcement dispose of ill paraphernali: Scheduled would providi oil spills, as v ties, was postp the sponsor, Port Arthur. A Senate v< set for Wedr legislation.