A staff member of the Commission for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras (CODEH) provided during a 20 May 1997 telephone interview the following information, which adds to that provided in previous Responses to Information Requests on the FUUD, FUR and FRU student organizations.

The FUR (Fuerzas Universitarias Revolucionarias, or Revolutionary University Forces) and the FRU (Frente de Reforma Universitaria, or University Reform Front) are described as leftist organizations, while the FUUD (Frente Unido Universitario Democratico, or Democratic University United Front) is described as a right-wing group. Although the FUR and the FRU are separate organizations, they have often acted together to oppose the FUUD.

Violence between or against members of these groups has normally occurred during demonstrations and rallies, but mostly in incidents related to university student representation elections. All three groups continue to exist, but none is as active, militant or belligerent as they were in the past decade. At present, FUUD is the predominant group, as it controls a majority of student representation bodies. The new problem facing FUUD is internal division; factional rivalries have appeared among and within some of its representative bodies.

The source indicated that a number of student organizations, such as the FES (Frente Estudiantil Socialista, or Socialist Student Front), which were active in the 1970s and 1980s, have now disappeared. The source had no record of a student organization under the acronym FUUR or the name Revolutionary Union University Front (or possible translation of the name in Spanish); however, the source indicated that this does not preclude that such a relatively small organization with that acronym or name may have existed.

Information on targeting or abuses committed against members of FUR and FUUD since 1993 could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB.

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 in researching this Information Request.

Reference

Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras (CODEH), Tegucigalpa. 20 May 1997. Telephone interview with staff member.

Additional Sources Consulted

Amnesty International Report [New York]. Yearly. 1994-96.

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. Weekly.

Country Reports for Human Rights Practices [Washington, DC]. Yearly. 1994-97.

Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS). Daily Report.

Human Rights in Developing Countries [Oslo]. 1994.

Human Rights Watch World Report [New York]. Yearly. 1994-97.

Latin America Regional Reports: Central America & the Caribbean [London]. Monthly.

Latin American Weekly Report [London]. Weekly.

Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. Yearly.

Latinamerica Press [Lima]. Weekly.

News From Americas Watch [New York]. Monthly.

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.

Internet, Global NewsBank, Nexis, IRB, USINS and UNHCR databases.

Note:

This list is not exhaustive. Subject- and country-specific books available in the Resource Centre are not included.