Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume X, Eastern Europe

353. Telegram From the Embassy in Hungary to the Department of State¹

6838.

Budapest, July 1, 1988, 1453Z

SUBJECT

• Grosz Visit to the U.S.—Demarche to the Hungarians on Human Rights Issues.

REF

• Budapest 6554.²

1. Meeting June 30 with MFA State Secretary Gyula Horn, Ambassador handed over a non-paper outlining concerns with Hungarian human rights performance which General Secretary Grosz might be hearing about during his visit to the U.S. The Ambassador recalled that MFA officials had suggested our presenting such a paper in effort to avoid surprises during the General Secretary’s visit, and that he had told Grosz over lunch June 24 that he would be presenting such a paper. Ambassador said that we raise these concerns—including passport denials, the formation of new associations, and the June 16 demonstrations—in a constructive spirit and not in effort to preach or instruct, and that we believe GOH action on these concerns would be useful.

2. In subsequent conversation, Horn noted that he is a member of the committee Pozsgay is chairing which is reviewing developments in Hungary over the past 30-plus years, including 1956 and Imre Nagy.

3. Following is text of the non-paper:

Begin text.

Human Rights Concerns

— In the United States, General Secretary Grosz may hear a broad spectrum of people—including officials, non-officials, journalists, human rights activists, and Hungarian-Americans—express a range of concerns about human rights practices in Hungary. This term refers, in the fullest sense, to the entire range of relationships between an individual and the state regarding subjects which include freedoms of expression, the press, assembly, and religion, the degree to which individual interests and concerns are reconciled with governmental decisions, the right to organize trade unions and to strike, and the right, through lawful, constitutional means, to change the character of the government. It is to be expected that some of the points made to the General Secretary may variously be vague or inaccurate. Any concerns likely to be raised, however, will reflect a fundamental American preoccupation with human rights which affects our overall perception of the bilateral relationship most profoundly.

— What follows is an outline of issues of concern to American human rights groups which, we believe, could be addressed by the Hungarian authorities to improve further the image of Hungary’s human rights performance in the United States.

Passport Denials:

— The new passport law contains a clause denying a passport to anyone who has been imprisoned. This clause has been used to refuse passports to Sandor Racz, who was in 1987 granted a passport for travel to the U.S., and Jeno Fonay.

— A passport has also been denied to Dr. Gyula Erdei, of Szolnok, who once tried to seek political asylum while on a trip to Austria.

— Also unable to obtain a passport is Ferenc Koszeg, who is refused on grounds of unspecified, allegedly unacceptable statements made during his last trip to the West. Peter Bokros and Tamas Molnar have been denied passports on similar grounds. Gyula Dardai of Kiskunfelegyhaza, a former personal driver of a senior official of the Ministry of Defense, has reportedly been denied a passport on grounds of “offending the public order.” Jeno Nagy has been denied a passport in light of a civil suit concerning receipt of family allowances.

— We would welcome review and modification of the new passport law, which has already been publicly discussed, in such a way as to eliminate the grounds for passport denials to former political prisoners. We would also welcome an individual review of the foregoing cases, and believe that a statement by the Hungarian Government that in the future passports will not be denied for reasons which are—directly or indirectly—political would be very helpful.

Law of Associations:

— The formation of an independent youth group (FIDESZ) and of an independent union of scientific and technical workers (TDSSZ) have been noted in the U.S., especially among labor interests which exercise a strong influence on U.S. economic and trade policy toward Hungary. Such U.S. groups have been encouraged by recent public statements by Hungarian officials that the new law of associations will broaden the field of permissible activities for Hungarians. At the same time, some Americans are aware that General Secretary Grosz has said that a second, independent youth organization is not permissible.

Freedom of Emigration:

— Further to a recent conversation between Mr. Vargo of the U.S. Commerce Department and Deputy Prime Minister Marjai, it occurs to us that it might be constructive, in respect to U.S. trade legislation, for the Hungarian Government to review its existing travel controls with a view to abolishing criteria for legally-authorized emigration from Hungary. In effect, this would transfer the decision from the Hungarian Government to the individual, and to his ability to obtain a visa or residence permit from the intended receiving state. We would welcome further informal exchanges on this subject.

Conscientious Objectors:

— Several individual cases of imprisoned conscientious objectors have attracted attention in the U.S. and other Western countries. These include Zsolt Keszthelyi, Gyorgy Hegyi, Barna Csontos, Jozsef Peller, Zsolt Locsmandi, and Istvan Lukacs, all of whom are reportedly held under a harsh prison regime (Borton, as opposed to Foghaz). There have been several reports of Mr. Keszthelyi being mistreated.

— We would welcome release or amnesty of these and othe imprisoned conscientious objectors, possibly by offering them alternative service of the nature made available to members of some religious groups.

Psychiatric Confinement:

— The situation of dissident Laszlo Rusai, who was confined involuntarily last winter to a psychiatric hospital in Gyongyos, has been raised by Amnesty International. We understand that Mr. Rusai is now in a Budapest psychiatric clinic; this represents progress and the General Secretary should be aware that this meets the major concern. We believe it would be useful, in order to dispel remaining concern, for permission to be granted for a representative of a Western non-governmental organization to have access to Mr. Rusai.

Unrecognized Religious Groups:

— The recent understanding between the Hungarian Government and the Mormon Church may be welcomed by some of the General Secretary’s American interlocutors. The Hungarian Government’s continued denial of official recognition to the independent Seventh-Day Adventists, who have repeatedly been fined and harassed, and the Faith Church, whose believers are subject to official harassment and job-related sanctions, may generate criticism. Broadly, we would encourage the Hungarian Government to examine the relationship of religious freedom with state requirements that legally acceptable religious activities may be conducted only by denominations recognized by the government.

June 16 Demonstration:

— The confrontational posture of the police toward the June 16 Budapest commemoration of Imre Nagy’s death received critical publicity in “The New York Times”³ and other journals. By prevalent American standards, police used excessive force in confronting a demonstration which appeared in no way provocative. An Embassy officer saw policemen kicking a downed demonstrator in the head, and police motorcycles charged a gathering which had actually begun to disperse several minutes before. The General Secretary may receive questions and expressions of concern about this.

Differentiation between “Opposition” and “Enemy”:

— The General Secretary may be pressed to explain his views on the difference between responsible “opposition” (ellenzek) and “enemy” (ellenseg) activities. The substantially higher threshold of opposing and dissenting views permitted, and expected, in American politics and society will be a basic premise of any questions.

Palmer

1. Source: Reagan Library, Rudolf Perina Files, Presidential Meeting with PM Groz 7/27/1988 (1). Confidential; Priority. Sent for information to Eastern European posts, Bonn, London, Paris, Rome, and Vienna.
2. See Document 351.
3. See Henry Kamm, “Protestors March to Remember Nagy,” New York Times, June 17, 1988, p. A6.