Show Thn Herald Journal Logan Utah Sunday July 19 1998 — Pago 7 Tribunal approved Tidal wave slams into New Guinea PORT MORESBY Papua New Guinea tidal wave (AP) — A crashed into the northern coast of Papua overUS objections ROME (AP) — When delegates from more than 100 nations gathered Saturday to sign a treaty creating the worid’s first perma- nent war crimes tribunal the United States was relegated to the sidelines UN Secretary General Kofi Annan presided over the signing ceremony hailing the pact as a “giant step” for the rule of law New Guinea washing away villages built on beaches killing at least 70 people and leaving hundreds of others trussing disaster officials said Saturday Thousands were without food and shelter after the wave hit the southwest Pacific island group Friday night following a magnitude-- 7 earthqiuke about 12 miles offshore the National Disaster Center said While authorities have put the death toll at 70 there were unconfirmed reports that dozens more may have been killed by the wall of water called a tsunami because it was caused by an earthquake "We expect that about 3000 people have been made homeless and there has been an estimate of about 300 people dead or missing" Austin Crapp a relief organizer told the Australian Broadcasting Corp Most of the dead were children who drowned he said The tsunami struck west of the town of Aitape in the West Sepik province hit- ting at least four villages — Sissano Warapu Atop and Malol disaster officials said The area is spotted with villages consisting of homes built on beaches rtf jun- gle materials "At Warapu there is no house standing — it's a village of 1800 people” Crapp said “Arop again is 1800 to 2000 people — there’s nothing standing there hiding there "They are both clean sand It’s com“The people have never beard of anyhe devastation" said plete Papua New Guinea with a population thing like it They thought the world had of 4 million is largely dependent on agri- ended" Parer told Australian Broadcastculture and mining The capital Port ing Corp radio Kevin McCue a seismologist with the Moresby is located about 373 miles east Australian Geological Survey Organizaof Australia's northeast tip tion said the earthquake’s epicenter was The country's provincial disaster coordinator Peter Tavun said homeless sur- just off Aitape “It was a shallow major earthquake" vivors were in desperate need of food he said and shelter A magnitude-- 7 quake is devastating if A helicopter was picking up injured people and doctors had been flown in to it hits an urban area The last tsunami in treat them Crapp said Most of the the area had been in December 1930 injured were suffering from cuts and when a magnitude 65 earthquake struck fractures Rob Parer a businessman who lives near Aitape said some villagers who fled into the jungle after the wave are still McCue said Australia said it will provide transport for relief supplies and a mobile hospital to Papua New Guinea The landmark treaty won over- whelming approval Friday at a marathon UN conference but US over vehement opposition It was a stunning defeat for hardball American diplomacy When it finally came down to a vote after nearly five weeks of negotiations only seven countries voted against the pact Chief among them was the United States which failed to get ®MK-T©-gG0a©- a loophole into the treaty that would exempt American citizens from the court's reach The tribunal will be the worid’s first permanent court to prosecute the most heinous crimes: geno- ©L cide crimes against humanity war crimes and aggression It was a bitter loss for the United States — and one filled with irony: The United States has been a leading force behind all rtf the court’s precursors “It is truly tragic that we have reached a juncture today where our desire to be in the leadership our desire to be an engine of this court has been derailed" the head of the US delegation Ambassador David Scheffer said in an interview The showdown at the UN talks attended by 160 nations ated strange bedfellows cre- Joining the United States in denouncing treaty provisos were nations like Libya Algeria China Qatar and Yemen Meanwhile its closest allies countries like Canada and Britain mustered to the treaty's defense ’ While the vote spelled the defeat of a superpower it was more importantly a victory for an idea bom with the Nuremberg tri als of Nazi war criminals put on hold by the Cold War then revived in the ethnic Moodbaths of Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia --4- - Khmer Rouge back on attack in Cambodia PHNOM PENH Cambodia (AP) — Khmer Rouge guerrillas made a bloody return to Cambo- dian politics by spraying a convoy of election workers with automatic weapons fire killing two people authorities said Saturday The Khmer Rouge had been considered all but crushed after its hut stronghold fell to government troops ra April and longtime leader Pol Pot died the same month Despite Friday’s attack however the group is unlikely to have much impact on the July 26 election About five guerrillas opened fire on tire election officials as their convoy traveled between Anlong Veng the captured Khmer Rouge base in northern Cambodia and Trapcang Presat about 10 miles east regional military chief Maj Gen Chea Mann said They were carrying election materials to farmer Khmer Rouge fighters who have defected to the government and are receiving instructions on how to participate in the election The dead men were identified Sale 199 - ! '''!a ’S SALE ENDS The Khmer Rouge has nearly 5W 25 disappeared because of mass defections during the past two yean In 1993 they still numbered more than 10000 lighten but were unable to wreak the havoc they had promised on elections then The Maoist-inspire- d movement caused the deaths of as many as 2 UN-organiz- million Cambodians between 1973 and 1979 They were toppled by an invasion by Vietnam Shop au stores Mommv Cambodia’s historic enemy fPfiOR copy! through Saiwuat 10 iv-- i pm Smt Lam Dcwntohn aw ZC1M Oama m phone: hi Salt Lam 579-666- 9 VisK as aa (EKtPT Satuwmt 10 A n --7 pm aw ustmew Utah aw me US thi Manat at anraicaricaM St 6eome Dmwtown: Mornw through Satvamy 10 au 6 pm) -- Closes Sweat |