1988. április (71-108. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
I fe<S)<5r“ " “n^i áll , Editor: György Krassó * 24/D Little Russell Street ‘ London. WC1A 2HN * Tel. 01-430 2126 (from abroad 441-430 2126) 74/1988 (E) 3rd April, 1988 iThe Rakpart Club Höld a Debate in the Jurta Theatre About the Writers Alliance • The Budapest Rakpart Club vhich was banned in 1986 and then restarted on February 12th held another meeting on April 2nd in the fourth piacé in two months, because of continual harassment. Despite the bad timing/íoly Saturday/ about 150 assem- bled at 7 pm in the Jurta Theatre to üstén to a lecture about the Writers Alliance and take part in a debate. The backdrop consisted of a red-white-green banner in- p seribed vith the name Rakpart Club, first of all Mihály Horváth - the Club’s leader - reported on their situation: The Society fór the Dissemination of Knovledge (TIT) withdrew their right to use the Belgrad quay hall, the authorities are trying to prevent them from finding other meeting piacés, bút they continue organising program- mes as is their constitutional right. He said that the máj őrity of the invited guests, Tibor Cseres, Gyula Fekete, Miklós Mészöly, József B. Körösi and István Kovács, did nőt accept the invitation and only Miklós VeresS/ General Secretary of the Writers Alliance and'ex-editor of the magaziné Mozgó Világ (Moving World), came. He gave an account of Writers Alliance events in recent years. He blamed writers fór the complications and said that press reports were often distorted. Last year Béla KÓpe- czi, Minister of Culture, withdrew three rights from the Writers Alliance: the right , to have a say in the distribution of literary avards, the right to continue relations with Writers Alliances in Socialist countries, the right to elect leaders of the literary workshops. 28 members, including the Minister, left the Alliance bút 150 communist writers remain, of the 10 Party members who left Magda Szabó and István t Nemeskürthy have since retumed. The Writers Alliance issued a programme declaration last year, then on December 2nd it sent a letter to the Ministry after which it [; recovered the rights withdrawn. After the lecture a debate took piacé. Antal Bogád postai worker, Géza Buda histórián, Ferenc Kőszeg teacher, János Somogyi lawyer and others wanted to find out what the Writers Alliance does to counter censorship and the practice of silence. Veresssaid that censorship does nőt depend on cultural politics bút on individuals and that it is nőt quite clear what the Ministry*s legal rights are in this area. Mihály Horváth | asked if the Writers Alliance had done anything fór the Yugoslav Hungárián writer jf Karolj Vicéi sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment. The director of the Jurta László Romhanyi complained that plays by Hungárián writers in Románia, fór example Sándor Kanyadi’s work, are banned by the Hungárián authorities even when there is Románián permission. They spoke of the possibility of publishing several forbidden works such as Gyula Illyés’s "Intellect and Violence". The General Secretary of the Alliance’s answers did nőt satisfy many of those present and György Gadó, a participant in the Democratic Opposition movement, was of the opinion that the Alliance did nőt fe get^support from society and did nőt stand as a sovereign force against the authorities. | Gado said that the Party’s attitűdé to culture was unacceptable and ended with the | words "We will be prisoners no more". | The passionate debate ended after 10 pm when Mihály Horváth read out an announcement by I the recently formed Network fór Free Initiatives and asked those present to sign it. i r ^ l Subscribers can use or quote the Hungárián October newsletters in totál or in dctail as long as the source is acknowledged.
