Czech Press To Be Directed

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31975, 30 April 1969, Page 13

Czech Press To Be Directed

f.\ZP.A.-Reuter —Copyright/ PRAGUE, April 29. The Czechoslovak Government announced today that the country's radio and television and the Czechoslovak news agency. Ceteka. henceforth must implement (government policy, the Associated Press reported.

The statement represented a new tightening of press controls. It meant that massmedia and C.T.K. journalists will be instructed in what they should write in addition to being told what not to write, under the censorship rules put into effect earlier this month.

The Government said last night’s Cabinet meeting approved the censorship measures already taken and directed the press and information committee to work out principles “for more effective management of state communications media in such a

way that their operation is fully in harmony with the interests of internal and foreign policy.

"At the same time, the Government will demand full responsibility from leading workers of C.T.K., the radio and television for the activities and results of the State communications media in implementing Government policy,” said the statement, issued tor today’s newspapers. The Cabinet also directed Czechoslovakia’s ProsecutorGeneral to make a final report by the end of May on the causes of the March 28 to March 29 anti-Soviet demonstrations that brought a crisis in relations with the Soviet Union and led to Mr Alexander Dubcek’s replacement by Dr Gustav Husak as Secretary of the Communist Party. Czechoslovaks have been debating whether the disturbances were caused by counterrevolutionary and anti-Com-munist elements, as Dr Husak says, by rowdies and hooligans or by provocateurs, who hoped for a Soviet reaction that would undermine the Dubcek leadership and create crisis.

The Cabinet also discussed yesterday a legislative council report saying Czechoslovakia has adequate laws to protect it against violation of public order and “damaging of the internal and foreign interests of the state.” Apparently agreeing, the Cabinet emphasised that officials had not only a right but also a duty to enforce laws, ! C.T.K. reported. It called on all Government organs to see that laws were enforced and also to “take steps to ensure observation of socialist legality and systematic realisation of legal principles.”