1988. július (161-183. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
L «KU*eARMNÍ^oeToetiy:> > ©«£ Editor: György Krassó * 24/D Little Russell Street * London, WC1A 2HN * Tel. 01-430 2126 (írom abroad 441-430 2126) 177/1938 (E) 22nd July, 1988 Feople Jóin the Budapest Hunger Strike, Karoly Grósz*s Declaration in America. The hunger strike which is being held in a priváté fiat in Budapest by Hungárián citizens who are protesting against being deprived of the right to travel by the Minstry of the Interior fór political reasons has reached its fourth day. On Tuesday the hunger strikers issued a declaration in which they state that the police still enjoy unlimited power and can autocratically prevent citizens from exercising their rights. Their action wishes to draw attention to these facts. The protest has excited great attention in Hungary and is reported on by foreign news agencies and papers. On Tuesday evening, the first evening of the protest, the six original hunger strikers were joined by Róbert Pálinkás who is the third raember of the INCONNU group to jóin. Six members of the Románia Libera (Free Románia) group have expressed their solidarity with the action. Hungarians from many different walks of life have joined the protest: writers, scientific and technical workers, joumalists, secondary school pupils, university students, employees and workers. People living in different places such as József Adrián in Magyarkeszi, Mrs Mihály Balogh in Kecskemét, Ferenc Tőrök in West Germany and József Sípos in Stockholm have alsó joined the strike. The spokespeople fór the Network fór Free Initiatives, János Kis philosopher, Imre Mécs engineer and Levente Ruttkay priest, issued a declaration yesterday in which they say that "the political leadership has only established the promised reforms half-heartedly. It mákes concessions bút it submits to pressure .from bureaucratic bodies which cling to their unlimited power, primarily the Party apparátus and the police. Laws made in this way only once again deliver the citizens up to the mercy of the authorities, to the temporary interests of the decision makers. The new regul- ations lack the very things fór which they were ostensibly made: clear guarantees of the exercise of civil rights. Bad regulations cannot be rectified if they are - employed in a flexible way. Good laws are necessary and the rule of law must be above political and police power" - says the Network*s declaration which alsó expresses solidarity with the hunger strikers and demands that unlawfully refused passport applications be accepted and a Pariiamentary review of passport regulations. Today’s edition of the govemment paper Magyar Hírlap ("Hungárián News") published a long interview with Károly Grósz the Hungárián head of State who is now in America. He talks about the Budapest hunger strike and declared that "when the passport law was drafted something was missed out; those who were sentenced fór whatever reasons cannot récéivé passports". The Prime Minister said that he did nőt quite understand what the hunger strikers wanted bút if they were protesting on behalf of ex-56-pri- soners then their case would soon be solved as they would be exonerated from travel restrictions. "We must forgive and forget the political behaviour of 30 years ago", he he said. It is nőt clear from his declaration whether those sentenced after the nevolution would be exonerated from other discriminations linked to previous con- viction, such as those which affect jobs and the calculation of pensions. He alsó said that it was another matter entirely if someone did nőt récéivé travel permission fór recent behaviour and that every case would be judged on its meríts. This means that the Ministry of the Interior can prevent citizens from exercising their rights in the future, however the hungerstrikers are protesting against this very practice with an increasingly expanding action. Subscribers can use or quote the Hungárián October newsletters in totál or in detail as long as the source is acknowledged.
