The Hungarian Student, 1961
(Continued from page I) The statement of the PPMI on 4 November 1956, concerning the situation in East Europe, which declares solidarity with the struggle of the Hungarian students in their striving for national independence and freedom for their country and condemns every military intervention which suppresses the fulfilment of the right of self determination; The principles of the Hungarian revolution: Withdrawal of foreign troops and full national independence; A multi-party system based on free elections ; Neutrality; which were confirmed at the SMES Conference held in Liechtenstein from 30 May—2 June 1957; The aim of the Indonesian revolution for full national independence, including New Guinea which is still under Dutch colonial rule; The statement of the Indonesian government before the House of Representatives made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs on 12 November 1956 on the situation in Hungary, expressing regret over the intervention of the Russian Army in Hungary; Both sides agreed on the following points : To cooperate and to recognise UFHS as being representative of the 8000 Hungarian students living in 14 different countries outside Hungary; To exchange information and delegations of their respective organisations. At the request of the UFHS delegation, PPMI agreed to ask all the member organisations of the IUS and the National Unions of Students associated with the International Student Conference to take more interest in the situation of students in Hungary, to make known their position with regard to the events in Hungary and to protest against the trial and imprisonment of Hungarian students by their government. PPMI expressed its hope and desire that Hungarian students living abroad will soon be able to return to a free and democratic Hungary. We hope that friendship and cooperation between our organisations will strengthen the peace-loving peoples in their struggle for democracy and national independence. Djakarta, June 17, 1957. Resolution of Union Nationale des Etudiants de France Dear friends, We acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 18, which moved us deeply. As you know, we have from the very start energetically protested against both the unbearable attacks on freedom and the blind repression that took place in Hungary. As early as November, our Administrative Council adopted (by an almost unanimous decision) the following motion—which made it a duty to act as we did: “The UNEF Administrative Council, CERTAIN of expressing the most profound feelings of French students, LOYAL to the principles that are the very Charter of its professional activity— — People’s rights to choose freely their own destiny — Emancipation of the oppressed — Respect for the fundamental rights of each human being— ASSOCIATES, in paying them equal hommage, the French students killed in the Vercors, and those who after ten years of painful silence, echoed the same Marseillaise, AFFIRMS its desire to pursue their course of action in the favour of victims of actual events and especially of refugee students, DENOUNCES the use for political ends, of the indignation that raised a whole country, DEMANDS the UNEF Bureau to express once again their indignation to UIS and to the students’ Organizations of Eastern countries, regarding the latter scandalous silence.” But alas, our protest has been largely in vain. We remain, however, ready to help you as far as we are able. Please rest assured of our most sincere support, Signed: Yves Guermond, Vice President for International Relations. May 27, 1957. 2 Resolutions on Hungary adopted by the Ninth International Student held in Klosters 1960 The 9th International Student Conference receives the new report of the Research and Information Commission on the state and structure of higher education and the situation of the Hungarian students. The Conference recognizes: 1) that although the requests for visas for RIC members were again refused by the Hungarian Government, the report is fully corroborated by the new documentation consisting almost entirely of quotations of official Hungarian sources, 2) that the Hungarian Government openly advocates the imposition, with complete intolerance, of the domination of the totalitarian principles of the governing party in the cultural life of Hungary, and continues to suppress systematically academic freedom in Hungary, making the University an instrument of political and ideological indoctrination, 3) that the Hungarian Government, which imposes these measures, came to power through the direct intervention of the Soviet Union and maintains itself with the continued support of the Government of the Soviet Union, 4) that the Hungarian authorities continue their open political and social discrimination with regard to admittance to the University and the granting of scholarships. The same discrimination exists, although more marked, with regard to the selection of the teaching staff, 5) that the compulsory teaching of the Russian language and Marxism- Leninism are one of the means by which foreign and ideological pressure is exerced on Hungarian students, 6) that the passive resistance of Hungarian students does not cease, in spite of all repressive measures of the Government, and that the Hungarian people see in their students the strongest resistance force against imperialistic and totalitarian methods in Hungary, 7) that the confessions of the Hungarian Government about secret trials and executions, carried out against participants in the Hungarian Revolution in 1956 or against further participants of resistance movements, show clearly that legal security does not exist at present in Hungary. This fact makes this Conference seriously worry about the fate of imprisoned students and youth in Hungary, especially in view of the reports about new executions in the second hal of last year, 8) that the main organization acting between students in the Hungarian (Contunued page 3)
