1988. január (1-16. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
24/D líttle RusscII Street, LÓN DON, WC .1 • Tel. OÍ-WO z< ze • G. Rrassá 16/1988 (E) 31st January, 1988 Press Conference in London Held by "Free Romanians11 The "World Alliance of Free Romanians" held a press conference in London on January 31st vhich uas conducted by Ion Ratiu, the president of the organisation. Licinu Fainer, the ex-representative of the Románián National Peasant Party vho spent 21 years in prison and recently escaped to the West, vas among those present. The Czech Charter’77 civil rights movement’s announceraent of January 2nd, which requested the inhabitants of all European countries to consider February lst as a day of solidarity fór the Románián people and as a protest against the policy of the Románián Party leadership, uas reported on in the conference. The "World Alliance of Free Romanians" alsó published their own announcement which condemned the Ceau^escu system. The message from the Transylvanian Saxons living in West Germany uas read out as uas the letter from the Coordination Committee of North American Hungárián organisations. The signatories of the letter István Magas and István Gereben, the president of the Committee vho lives in Canada and the acting secret- ary who is in the United States, advocated a free, independent and democratic East-Central Europe, and condemned the despotic régimé of Ceaugescu which plunges the whole Románián population intő poverty and deprives them of their basic rights, which includes the Hungárián national minority who have historical and cultural traditions of their own. There was alsó a congratulatory letter from the World Alliance of Hungárián Freedom Fighters* organisation in Great Britain. During the press conference a representative of the Polish emigré government spoke, and M.Marketic, president of the "European Liason Group", emphasised the importance of succeeding in making western public opinion and govemments aware of the significance of Central Europe*s eastem countries. György Schöpflin read out the Hungárián declaration about solidarity with the peoples of Románia signed by 34-6 people and published on January 19th. Jan Káván reported on the protest hunger strike to be held on February lst by members of Charter'77 in Prague, and on the solidarity announcement published by the re-formed Polish Socialist Party and other groups in Warsav and Wroclaw including the "Freedom and Peace" organisation. There was a similar declaration from the Soviet Union signed by Sakharov among others. Members of various civil rights groups in Warsav and Budapest will hold a protest in front of the Románián Embassy. During the conference it was again announced that on the next day, February lst, a protest is arranged fór 12 noon in front of the London Románián Embassy by emigré Románián organisations, the participation of non-Romanians was alsó requested.
