ON THE anniversary of the Hungarian uprising, October 23, the following statement was issued simultaneously in Berlin, Budapest, Prague and Warsaw by oppositionists in East Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Poland.
"Thirty years ago, on October 23, 1956, workers, students and soldiers stormed the radio station in Budapest because they had had enough of official lies and wanted to hear the truth and to voice their demands. They destroyed Stalin's statue and the credibility of a regime that claimed to be a dictatorship of the proletariat and a people's republic. Their struggle showed clearly that what the Hungarian people really wanted was independence, democracy and neutrality. They wanted to live in peace in a free and honest society.
The Hungarian revolution, like the uprising in East Berlin, the Prague Spring, and the social movement of the free union Solidarnosc in Poland, have been suppressed, either by Soviet intervention or by the intervention of local armed forces. Over the last 30 years, life has become easier for many people. Some people can express themselves without being thrown into prison. But the essential demands of the revolutionists have not been met.
On this anniversary, we appeal to all our friends throughout the world to join with us in commemorating the Hungarian revolution of 1956. We proclaim our common determination to fight for political democracy in our countries, for their independence, for pluralism based on the principles of self-management, for the peaceful reunification of a divided Europe and for the rights of all national minorities. We stress our reciprocal support for all efforts underway to achieve a better, free and honest life in our countries and throughout the world. The tradition and experience of the Hungarian revolution of 1956 remain our common heritage and our inspiration"