May 23, 1998


HELP  STOP  TORTURE!

Dear Friends,

On December 12, 1997, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 
26, the International Day in Support of Torture Victims and Survivors.  We 
are pleased to note that in Washington, D.C., a number of human rights 
organizations and torture survivors have come together as the Torture 
Abolition and Survivors Support Committee (TASSC), to plan a 
commemoration for the first time observance of the day.

As it stands, according to Amnesty International, in 117 countries torture is 
practiced.  According survivors advocacy groups, an estimated 400,000 
survivors of this horrible practice currently reside in the United States.  Many 
suffer from severe psychological effects such as fear, guilt, nightmares, 
flashbacks, anxiety, and depression.

In order to raise awareness on this important but neglected issue, TASSC has 
planned a number of activities in Washington, DC, to honor both the victims 
and the survivors.  Some of these plans are tentative and some have become 
definite.  Please check the TASSC website to find out more about our 
activities.

For now, we have two "Dear Colleague" letters circulating in the United 
States Congress.  The first letter is sponsored by Representatives Constance A. 
Morella and Tom Lantos.  The second letter is sponsored by Senators Patrick 
Leahy, Rod Grams and Paul Wellstone.  Please read the letters and urge your 
representatives and senators to sign the "Dear Colleagues".

Also, on the evening of June 26, 1998, TASSC will hold a candle light vigil at 
the Lafayette Park across from the White House from dusk to dawn.  We 
would appreciate it very much to have you join us at Lafayette Park.  We will 
be honoring the victims and the survivors alike.  This could be one of the few 
things you could do to "Make Our World a Torture Free One"

Again, we thank you for your interest on this important but neglected issue 
and urge you check our page regularly for other plans of TASSC.

Sincerely,





Partial list of Sponsors
*Advocates for Survivors of Trauma and Torture
*American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
*American Kurdish Information Network 
*American Psychological Association
*Amnesty International/USA
*Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture
*Bosnian Support Committee
*Center for Victims of Torture
*Centro Para La Rehabilitacion de Victimas de Tortura
*Colombia Human Rights Committee
*Conference of Major Superiors of Men
*Ecumenical Program on Central America and the Caribbean
*East Timor Action Network
*Federation of American Scientists
*Franciscan Mission Service of N. A.
*Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA
*Human Rights Access
*Human Rights Alliance
*International Campaign for Tibet
*Khmer Health Advocates 
*Latin American Task Force of Metropolitan Washington Lutheran Synod
*Leadership Conference for Women Religious
*Maryknoll Office for Global Concern
*Marjorie Kovler Center for Treatment of Survivors of Torture
*Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
*Panama Democratico
*Physicians for Human Rights
*Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights
*Rocky Mountain Survivors Center
*Science & Human Rights Program of AAAS
*SOA Watch
*Uganda Democratic Coalition, Inc.
*Washington Kurdish Institute
*World Organization Against Torture
*World Sindhi Institute