MEETINGS of generals — allied or even enemies But soldiers different are supposed just to shoot at each other.
Things be about change, however. This soldiers from nine conntries wif he meeting for the second time this year without their 'chains command' to exchange experiences, discuss their problems and, cautiously, feel their way towards permanent international cooperatOH: ECCO the European Conference of script Organisations, will be held in Putten, near Utrecht know the represented at our first conference in Malmo last March wil all he coming Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Holland and Belgium have recognised official GI unions or elected conscript There'll be people from West Germany again, and -of course - - the more or less illegal French and Spanish groups. this time we hope there will be more..' Among those absent up to now have been the American soldiers stationed in West Germany and representatives of 'unorganised' British soldiers.
Both the Americans are theoretically teers, though in practice many are 'economic conscripts' — lured by false promises into the army from the dole queues and the slums. One of the questions discussed at the conference will be whether or not limit participation in movement to actual conscripts which would also leave half of the French and German outside.
In the late 1960s and early '70s, American Gls were ready to "join up' with a union or which would protect them from 'the machine', the monster', the army. That Vietnam. usually week sixth defendant, for 5 years. of Pravo, declared with kia's image second ConSoviet-installed Husak regime publicity.
if they kept what countries Gordon Wright, Norway, then the jittery chief judge, me court nunarcas or ponce the crowd of onlookers.
But Script the organisers scrapped volun- racing through Tuesday deadline. trial's last shred of credibility.
bire ally leshmolly.
the detention. (The two who Dienstbier and armies other accused.).
any group VONS • to 'green naivete and was Communist Party member THETRIAL of six Charter 77 leaders. in Prague closed on Tuesday last week, the day after it began. Five of the six were jailed: Petr Uhi got 5 years, Vaclay Havel 4½ years, Vaclay Benda 4 years, and Otka Bednarova and Jiri Dienstbier 3 vears each. A • Dana Nemcova, received a 2 year sentence suspended The Communist Party daily, Rude WECONCOIS ironv that the accused were being punished for 'harming Czechoslova abroad'. II SO organisers of last week's trial were a thousand times more guilty. Ten years of painstaking PR work abroad by the was obliterated by a couple of days of trial The police seemed to believe that went on in the court-room secret, damaging publici ty could be minimised. So they barred entry to a Canadian socialist lawver.
who had already been granica a visa lo aliena cne trial, Antonin Kaspar, had Petr Uhl's wife, Anna Sabatova, dragged from the court for taking a few notes; meanwhile outside were involved in picking up and hauling off In response to the torrent of abroad, the four. day schedule for the trial. After lunch on the first day, the managers started the script This broke the All six defendants pleaded guilty. Four of them had refused to to the police during their tive months of pre-trial did, Jiri Dana Nemcova, refused to testify against any of the In court, Otka Bednarova refused to take any part in the proceedings LADI except to make one short statement: she explained that she had been active the compensate for shence wilch in the 1950s, she had not spoken out against the Stalinist monster trials of that She added that she did not consider that the present court had any moral or political authority to Petr Uhl and Vaclav Benda took a be. similar position. And Vaclay Havel tne had offered him a year's trip to the USA a very couple of weeks before the trial, but the innocent of any crime. (The offer was brand Have inside Czechoslovakia as a lackey of while avoiding the bad publicity involved in jailing such labour Jir Dienstbier, Dana. Nemcova, Vaclay Benda. Vaclay Malv Top Row (left to right): Vaclav Havel, Olka Bednarova, Petr Uhl, Jarmila Belikova, Alri Nemec.
Bottom Row (left to right): Ladislav Lis, against the other five VONS members still awaiting trial, and to focus labour movement protests on the torincom ing appeal by those jailed last week.
Beyond that, it is of the utmost importance that labour movement organisations give public solidarity to the continuing work of VONS. In this connection, all trade union delega • Visiting Czechoslovakia could contact VONS to inform its members of the attitude of both the Labour Party and the CPGB to its attempted CPGB has permanent in Prague on the editorial board of World Marxist Review. This person could be asked by the party here to meet VONS and convey the views of the British labow movement on the current crackdown.
Those wishing to participate in the campaign should . contact: The Charter 77 Defence Committee, 14 Elgin Court, 16 Montpelier Road W5: contributions to Defence Fund should be sent to: Reg MP, House of Commons, Conway Hall Red Lion Sq, WCI Entrance £1 (75punwaged)
Socialist Challenge 1 Noveraber 1979 Paze 11
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Holland. According to a Dutch spokesperson for the conference: GI unions