1988. július (161-183. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
@«£ Editor: György Krassó * 24/D Little Russell Street * London, WC1A 2HN * Tel. 01-430 2126 (from abroad 441-430 2126) 181/1988 (E) 27th July, 1988 Budapest Hunger Strike Bnds After nine days the Budapest hunger strike has ended, the participants of vhich protested against the police’s despotic retusai of citizens right to travel. The fást exhausted the participants - Péter Bokros and Róbert Pálinkás complained that they felt unvell at the end of last week - bút nőne of thera have suffered any serious problems. The hunger strike started in a priváté fiat in Budapest last Xuesday by Péter Bokros, Dr. Gyula Erdei, Jenő Fonay, Tamás Molnár and Ferenc Kőszeg: the same day that Karoly Grosz vént on his American tour. That day they were joined by Dr. Tibor Pákh and Róbert Pálinkás and by Ferenc Kelemen who has a passport. Others went on hunger strike at the same time both abroad and in the provinces. Many people expressed solidarity with them, as fór example a number of Románián refugees - including members of the "Románia Libera ("Free Románia") - and the Netvork of Free Initiatives spokespeople. The Polish unión Solidarity and the Czech Charter 77 movement expressed their support in a statement and a great number of good wishes came from abroad and from Hungary. Last Wednesday Mrs Mihály Balogh - on the second day of the protest - announced that although she has a passport she vili go on hunger strike in her Kecskemét fiat as an act of solidarity. The following day on Thursday Mrs Balogh, who is a grocer, was visited by the tax office and her accounts were examined from 8 am until U pm. On Thursday the Prime Minister and Party Secretary Károly Grósz gave an interview, on a pláne, to a Magyar Hírlap ("Hungárián News") reporter. He promised that those sen- tenced fór activities in 1956 would be allowed to travel bút he upheld that the police could restrict those who have engaged in recent political activity from travelling. The hunger strikers said that this was unacceptable and continued their protest. On Saturday the Peoples Popular Front paper, Magyar Nemzet ("Hungárián Nation") and Hungárián Rádió held interviews with the protesters, yesterday Népszabadság ("Peoples Freedom") - July 26th - published a statement by section head Police Oolonel Ernő Hegyi. The Colonel said that although the strikers say that the police do nőt justify the withdrawal of their travel rights, in reality they can find out the exact reasons fór this. He said that the authorities’ proceedings were lawful and that the participants instead of waiting fór a decision on their appeal fór legal redress have resorted to hunger strike. Yesterday the people mentioned in the article - Péter Bokros, Dr. Gyula Erdei, Ferenc Kőszeg, Tamás Molnár and Dr. Tibor Pakh - requested press correct- ions from the editors of Nepszabadsag as acording to their statement the report con- tains a number of false statements; they alsó plán to initiate civil proceedings against Police Colonel Emó Hegyi. The protesters sent a statement to the Hungárián press at the end of the strike bút they will only publicise it if the papers do nőt publish it. Today the protesters drew up a civil proposal and sent it to the Prime Minister Karoly Grósz, to Kálmán Kulcsár Minister of Justice and to Imre Pozsgay Minister of State. They propose that Pariiament should create a new law in piacé of the present one, that only the courts can deprive people from the civil right to travel and that the police are only em- powered to register passport withdrawal by the courts and to supervise judicial duties. /; Subscribers can use or quote the Hungárián October newsletters in totál or in detail as long as the source is acknowledged.
