AMENDMENT OF THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT ABOUT THE CONTROL OVER THE INTERNET:
                                       
(Amendment N°200 to the Telecommunication law reform bill
a.k.a. Amendement Fillon)

    HASTY, USELESS, UNJUSTIFIED, TECHNICALLY INAPPLICABLE AND DANGEROUS TO
                      DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
                                       
AUI Press release - 06/11/1996

   
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   The AUI (Organization of Internet Users, in French, Association des
   Utilisateurs d'Internet) has been baffled to learn that the Senate has
   adopted the Amendment N°200 to the Telecommunication law reform bill.
   
   The AUI asserts and demonstrates in its analysis (in French) that this
   amendment is hasty, legally useless and unjustified, technically
   inapplicable and dangerous for democracy and freedom of expression in
   France.
   
   The AUI considers that the citizens have been presented with the fait
   accompli through the registration by the government and the passing by
   the Senate of this amendment, whereas in the same time they have been
   deceived by false "consultations".
   
   The AUI deems that the creation of a new form of CST (Comité Supérieur
   de la Télématique), placed under the authority of the CSA (Conseil
   Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel), being useless and legally and technically
   unjustified, as only a way to satisfy stakes having nothing to deal
   with democracy and citizenship.
   
   The AUI warns against the serious threat to freedom of expression,
   represented by the passing of this amendment which completely ignores
   the citizen and his rights.
   
   The AUI firmly asks for the immediate withdrawal of amendment N°200 of
   the Telecommunication law reform bill. The AUI reminds that the
   article 11 of the Déclaration des Droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen,
   which states that "the free communication of opinions and thoughts is
   one of the precious right of man; so each citizen can freely speak,
   write, print, except when he could be considered responsible of an
   abuse of this freedom in the cases determined by the law" is written
   in the Constitution of our country.
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   Copyright 1996, Association des Utilisateurs d'Internet
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