1988. szeptember (209-245. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
í 9<?TQBER>> J ©sé0£ Editor: György Krassó * 24/D Little Russell Street * London, WC1A 2HN * Tel. 01-430 2126 (írom abroad 441-430 2126) 220/1988 (E) 7th September, 1988 Hungárián Environmentalists Welcome the Actions of Their Austrian Counterparts Neither Hungárián nor Austrian environmentalists give up the struggle against the construction of the Bős-Nagymaros dam. At the Budapest intemational conference many Austrian experts condemned Austria’s participation. Marga Hubinek, the first chair- person of the Austrian Parliament and the environraental spokesperson fór the Peoples Party announced that she uould propose the withdrawal of bank credit guarantees to Parliament this month. She said that if the programme was stopped Austria would pro- bably nőt insist on reparation in full. Yesterday morning in the centre of Vienna members of a group called "Global 2000" occupied the DKW administrative building (an Austrian state company uhich builds hydro-electric plants on the Danube) and fór a few hours immobilised the operation of the company. Last year the same group occupied the Austrian Embassy in Budapest. Independent Hungárián environmentalists were quick to express their solidarity with their Austrian counterparts’ aetion. Yesterday they stated in a declaration that "the construction of the Bos-Nagymaros dam, uhich considering its size was nőt comparable with any of the Austrian dams, is one of the most concentrated attacks against the humán environment in Europe. It will cause billions of forints of damage to the Hungárián drinking water supply and reparation fór this will alsó fali on the Austrian tax-payer, . . . questionable business transactions similar to the DKW-0VIBER collab- eration have increased the serious crisis in Austrian state industry and have burden- ed the tax-payer." The Hungárián environmentalists then say that the govemment has tried to alleviate the unprecedented internál protests by making promises, bút these promises are nőt kept. "They promised an intemational, independent investigation by experts bút instead speeded up construction. They promised freedom of expression instead Prime Minister Grosz personally banned the Hungárián distribution of books which contain writings by critical Austrian scientists, fór example Peter Weiss and Paul Blau. M.P.s are nőt allowed access to information conceming the probable con- sequences of construction. ,Hungary is at a historical tuming point’ - so said Grósz in the press on the same day that the Global 2000 activists held their protest. The government would prove that it has nőt only arrived at a historical tuming point bút actually dares to implement it if it called a referendum and bowed to its decisions. We announce a protest on September 12th at 5 pm in Budapest" - finishes the declaration dated September 6th which was signed by Tibor Fényi on behalf of the independent Hungárián environmentalists. 3 Subscribers can use or quote the Hungárián October newsletters in totál or in dctail as long as the source is acknowlcdged.
