Demoralised Poles quitting in droves

Press, 14 August 1982, Page 15

Demoralised Poles quitting in droves

CHARLES GANS,

“Sunday Times,”

London, meets Solidarity supporters who have lost hope.

The waiting-room in the visa section of the American Embassy in Warsaw was filled with several dozen people — released internees and their families — from all over the country. Most had been middle-aged Solidarity activists, but what now brought them together was a common decision to emigrate and start new lives abroad. A young technician described his case bitterly as “de facto deportation.” He had been released from internment in a regular prison in southern Poland for a few weeks to allow enough time to arrange his departure; if he did not emigrate, he was told, he would remain under detention until. the end of martial law. An older man, a scientific worker and union adviser. Said that after his release some months ago he had a meeting with an "aggressive” police colonel, who announced simply: “We shall not allow you to live here.” Since his release, this man added, he had been under almost continual observation. His flat and car had been searched several times and he was threatened with demotion at his place of

work. He started fearing for his family’s future when his teen-age son suddenly began receiving bad marks for behaviour, which might bar his chances for university admission.

just over 1000 former internees and members of their families have already received their passports and are now awaiting visas from Western embassies.

Many of them have lost hope of any real change in the political situation — and at present Poland's Communist leader, General Jaruzelski, does appear to be firmly set on no more than a gradual easing of martial law and the introduction of limited economic reforms.

In a speech to Parliament recently, he dashed expectations of sweeping concessions. A further 1200 internees were released, but among the 637 still detained are Lech Walesa and other top Solidarity leaders and advisers. Nor was there any

mention of a possible amnesty for the hundreds of people sentenced for political offences under martial law.

Earlier four fugitive leaders who form Solidarity’s provisional co-ordinating committee had appealed to members for a moratorium on strikes and street demonstrations until the end of July, to ease the way for a Papal visit and show the union’s readiness to renew the dialogue with the authorities.

But they also indicated that if the authorities rejected their initiative, the Solidarity underground had to resume its resistance — not ruling out the possibility Of an eventual general strike. At present,- the dominant wing within the suspended trade union movement seems to favour a political compromise, making some concessions which would have been unthinkable before martial law.

Mr Walesa himself is reported to have told Government officials that he could agree to a three-year strike ban. Other union activists have suggested going further in offering “an outstretched hand" to the authorities — for instance, forgoing pay demands and submitting union publications to censorship — in return for the lifting of martial law and the release of all those interned or imprisoned for political offences.

In his speech to Parliament, the Deputy Premier. Mieczyslaw Rakowski, said he welcomed the change of heart by the Solidarity people now willing to make concessions, but added that these people first had to dissociate themselves from the underground activity conducted by diehard extremists.

Mr Rakowski hinted that the door was open for some Solidarity members to join a 'soon to be established social commission to prepare for the revival of trade unions, but virtually ruled out any revival of Solidarity with its old statutes and regional rather than industrial branch structure.