N E W S L E T T E R

from the Daily Bulletin of the Hungarian News Agency MTI
distributed by the Department for Press and International Information
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Hungary

H-1394, Budapest P.O.B. 423.
Telephone: 36 (1) 156-8000
Telefax: 36 (1) 156-3801
No. 152/1995                                                    16 August 1995 

Esti Hirlap - Interview with Keleti

        Budapest, August 14 (MTI) - Defence Minister Gyorgy Keleti gave 
an interview to the Budapest-based afternoon daily Esti Hirlap about 
the latest developments in the Yugoslav crisis.
        "When we speak about the threat of a military conflict, we must 
not only proceed from the strength of those present, but also from 
the general mood that could lead to an explosion. Reports from Osijek 
and its environment, TV footage covering the preparations of the 
residents and accounts by tourists from the region are about stepped 
up readiness. Clashes could happen directly along our border, not 
150-200 km's away, and that is why we believe that the Yugoslav 
crisis is not indifferent to the security of our country."
        Asked about how serious the threat was, Keleti said: "To us 
this threat is still below the threshold of a war for the time being, 
since the opposing sides would not fight against the Republic of 
Hungary. Irrespective of that, we have made preparations to cope with 
a number of eventualities. We have tightened measures in the 
Hungarian Armed Forces regarding monitoring and defence of air space. 
These are routine measures and do not constitute any essential 
deviation from the general state of affairs. The border guards and 
the armed forces are in daily contact. The border guards have stepped 
up patrolling the area to a point where the patrols can see one 
another, and so it is hard to imagine that armed groups could simply 
sweep across the border. As for the air force, some planes are always 
on third degree alert, which means that a pilot with his gear on can 
immediately take off and receive instructions in mid-air," Keleti 
said.

Hungarian Defence Minister Denies Full Border Alert

        Budapest, August 14 (MTI) - Hungarian Minister of Defence 
Gyorgy Keleti on Monday firmly denied that Hungary had placed its 
forces along the Hungarian-Croat and Hungarian-Yugoslav borders on 
full alert.
        The minister was reacting to a report by the Tanjug Yugoslav 
news agency carried on Monday, which cited "anonymous Krajina Serbian 
military sources".
        In an interview with MTI, Keleti recalled that the Hungarian 
government announced on Saturday that certain necessary measures, 
mainly technical, had been taken, implying reinforcement of border 
guards, increasing their action capabilities, and stricter service at 
the air force.
        "No heightened battle preparedness or alert has been ordered," 
the Minister of Defence said.
European Youth Centre in Budapest

        Budapest, August 14 (MTI) - The European Youth Centre, 
scheduled to open in Budapest this December, will be the first 
Council of Europe institute not based in Strasbourg, Hungarian 
Minister of Culture and Education Gabor Fodor told journalists on 
Monday, when he toured the future site of the centre, the former 
Budapest Youth Hotel currently under renovation.
        According to ministerial commissioner Zsuzsa Szelenyi, the 
centre, whose operation will be financed by the Council of Europe, 
will offer training to young people from all parts of Europe, mainly 
preparing them for the efficient use of democratic institutions.
        The centre will also be a venue for international educational, 
cultural, and welfare policy programmes, and other events that deal 
with issues of European integration.

Hungarian Diplomat in Belgrade - Interview

        Belgrade, August 15 (MTI) - An OSCE Yugoslav-crisis peace 
conference, as suggested by PM Horn, could be staged in Budapest, 
suggested Istvan Szabo, charge d' affaires ad interim of the Republic 
of Hungary, in an interview with Belgrade daily "Nasa Borba".
        Szabo stressed the OSCE member states want monitors of the 
minorities and human rights missions to return to Kosovo, Sandjak, 
and Voivodina. "OSCE wants to enhance European security, with one of 
its top priorities setting up crisis-prevention mechanisms", 
explained Szabo. He said that before the war there was broad 
cooperation between Hungary and Yugoslavia, and while the war and 
measures taken by the world community restrict possible cooperation, 
Hungary is making major efforts to preserve these relations.
        "The embargo still in force against Yugoslavia has economically 
damaged Hungary, and UN Security Council resolutions commit Hungary 
to honour the sanctions. Unlike other countries, Budapest has not 
introduced measures to further hurt the Yugoslav people. As a result, 
Hungary, even if less than before the crisis, is still an open 
gateway to the world for Yugoslavs," Szabo summed up.

Defence Minister Keleti at Armed Forces Conference

        Budapest, August 15 (MTI) - Defence Minister Gyorgy Keleti told 
a Hungarian Armed Forces conference today: Hungary's government will 
grant none of the opposing sides in the Yugoslav crisis any 
priorities, and wants to remain neutral under all circumstances.
        However he stressed that events near the Hungarian border could 
not be ignored for Hungary's security, although the Hungarian Armed 
Forces have not been put on any higher alert.
        Imre Mecs, Parliament Defence Committee chairman, was there. 
Keleti said the army's present size could no longer be financed - 
restructuring was inevitable. The minister expects further economic 
cut-backs before 1997 which the armed forces, he said, must accept.
        Hungarian Armed Forces numbers will fall from 89,175 to 60,000 
before 1999, while numbers and ratios of non-commissioned officers 
and professional soldiers would go up. Compulsory military service 
will be cut from 12 to 9 months. Compulsory military service would 
still be needed however, since Hungary cannot afford to keep a large 
enough professional army to tackle crises above a certain size.
        Keleti said Hungary would host a large-scale international war 
game in the framework of Partnership for Peace in October.


Patrols on Hungarian-Croat Border Reinforced

        Budapest, August 15 (MTI) - The Hungarian Border Guard has 
reinforced and increased the number of its patrols along the 6-
kilometre border section with Serb-controlled Croatian territory, 
Lieutenant-Colonel Pal Vami, deputy head of the border guard 
directorate of Pecs, told MTI on Tuesday.
        Members of the professional staff had regularly patrolled 
jointly with soldiers of the "Misina" and "Tenkes" border guard 
companies even previously, but now members of the latter units are 
put on duty in greater numbers and more frequently after their 
training and holiday have ended.
        Vami explained stepped-up patrolling with the intention to 
increasingly control the frontier, rather than with the warlike 
situation in Yugoslavia. This is how they want to prevent 
unauthorized entry into Hungarian territory through the border 
between the Danube and Drava rivers, he said.
        According to border guards, two of the four land mines exploded 
on Serb-controlled territory on the other side of the Hungarian-
Croatian border, south of the villages of Udvar and Magyarboly in 
Baranya county, at dawn on Monday and over the weekend were blasted - 
presumably by chance - by the Serbs themselves when a lorry pulled 
the wire which operated the detonator. (Yesterday we covered the 
incident in detail.)
        The exploded mines will be replaced by new ones, as has been 
the routine since their planting four years ago.


Hungarian-Israeli Free Trade Agreement

        Budapest, August 15 (MTI) - Hungarian products could have 
easier access to the United States, making use of Israeli-American 
free trade, after the signing of the Hungarian-Israeli free trade 
agreement planned for this autumn, commercial counsellor at the 
Hungarian Embassy in Israel, Laszlo Pados, told Hungary's business 
daily "Vilaggazdasag" on Tuesday.
        When Hungarian-Israeli diplomatic relations, broken off in 
1967, were re-established in 1986, bilateral trade was worth only USD 
10-16 million. A rapid boom then followed, but with strengthening 
competition in Israel, growth slowed down after turnover valued at 
USD 75 million in 1991.
        The first half of 1995 again saw growth: the USD 44 million 
turnover implies 44 per cent more Hungarian exports and 25 per cent 
more imports, compared to the same period of 1994.
        Since 1990, USD 180 million Israeli capital has been invested 
in Hungary, equal to all the other former Comecon countries together. 
There are 70 Hungarian-Israeli joint ventures in Hungary.

Hungarian Oil Shares to Be Sold in the U.S.

        Budapest, August 15 (MTI) - MOL Rt. (Hungarian Oil and Gas 
Industry Co.) shares are planned to be sold on the U.S. market, 
Privatization Minister Tamas Suchman told the press on Tuesday.
        Who will be commissioned to market the shares has not been 
decided yet, but those interested also include American and Austrian 
companies, the minister added.
        Marketing is set to begin in October or November this year. The 
State Privatization and Holding Co. would like to sell the 51 per 
cent package in one part, but demand will finally decide how many 
millions of dollars worth of parcels will be introduced onto the 
American market.

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Alapitvany tamogatja.

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Reposting is supported by Hungarian Human Rights Foundation News
and Information Service.
*****************************************************************



N E W S L E T T E R

from the Daily Bulletin of the Hungarian News Agency MTI
distributed by the Department for Press and International Information
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Hungary

H-1394, Budapest P.O.B. 423.
Telephone: 36 (1) 156-8000
Telefax: 36 (1) 156-3801
No. 153/1995                                              17 August 1995 


David Krausz and Gusztav Zoltai Honoured

        Budapest, August 16 (MTI) - At the proposal of Prime Minister 
Gyula Horn, Hungarian President Arpad Goncz awarded the Republic of 
Hungary Order of Merit Middle Cross with Star to former Israeli 
Ambassador to Hungary David Krausz for his work in developing 
relations between the two countries.
        Also at Horn's proposal, Goncz presented Hungarian Jewish 
Religious Communities Federation managing director Gusztav Zoltai 
with the Officer's Cross of the Republic of Hungary Order of Merit in 
recognition for his outstanding efforts in shaping relations between 
state and church.
        Arpad Goncz presented the decorations in Parliament on 
Wednesday.

Interview with Prime Minister Horn in Spanish Weekly

        Madrid, August 16 (MTI) - The Spanish weekly Tribuna de 
Actualidad carries an interview with Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula 
Horn in its latest issue. The editor talked to Horn in Madrid during 
his visit to Spain.
        This paper, founded in 1988 and with a circulation of 200,000, 
says in the introduction to the interview that Horn, a hard-line 
communist-turned reformer, deserves credit for implementing the 
Hungarian democratization process without any great traumas. His main 
aim is to achieve for Hungary membership of the EU and NATO, and to 
this end he has not shirked from introducing unpopular measures.
        Horn explained that the election victory in 1994 represented 
the coming to power of social democracy and not a return of 
communism. This was because the overwhelming majority of the electors 
had had enough of the right-wing government. He said many electors 
voted for the Hungarian Socialist Party because it proposed economic 
policies different from those pursued by the previous government, and 
was more sensitive to the problems of ordinary people.
        Horn stressed that Spain's EU chairmanship did not represent an 
obstacle to Hungary's integration efforts. There is not a single 
Spanish politician, either in the government or in the opposition, 
who opposes Hungary's attempts to join NATO and the EU.
        "During my time as foreign minister and while the Warsaw Pact 
was still in existence I raised the possibility of Hungary's 
accession to NATO and I received strong criticism for this. I think 
that the future of Central Europe depends on its accession to NATO, 
since there is no other way to guarantee our security," he said.
        He said lifting the arms embargo imposed on Bosnia would not 
help solve the crisis.
        In answer to a further question Horn recalled: "I stated a year 
ago that I am the prime minister of ten million Hungarians living on 
the territory of Hungary."
        According to Horn, there is no possibility that all Hungarians 
could live in one country. In his view, a united Europe with borders 
that can be freely crossed offers the best solution.

Military Service Numbers Fall - Keleti in Cegled

        Cegled, August 16 (MTI) - The Hungarian Armed Forces will be 
cut from the present 90,000 to 60,000 by 1998 as part of the reform 
of the armed forces. This reduction will be implemented gradually, 
said Defence Minister Gyorgy Keleti in a speech welcoming those 
beginning their military service at the Gyorgy Dozsa artillery 
brigade garrison in Cegled today.
        He said altogether 16,200 youths had been called up to do their 
military service, which is 1,200 fewer than last August.
        The cuts in the armed forces would naturally mean a bigger 
burden for the remaining personnel, said Keleti, but this will be 
reduced to a certain extent through regroupings, the elimination of 
certain units, and a more efficient organization of military service. 
In addition, efforts will be made to phase out unnecessary service-
related tasks that only consume time and energy.
        Keleti said that as in earlier years, approximately one-third 
of the enlisted youths were unfit for military service, and this is 
related to the generally poor state of health of the Hungarian 
population.
        Official data show that about 40 per cent of those called up 
are jobless, and during their military service this proportion 
increases. Although the National Defence Act stipulates that 
employers must take back demoted youths - at least for a one-month 
period - in many cases the company where they worked has gone out of 
business, and demoted soldiers often have no job to go to.

Hungarian, Romanian Soldiers Joint Shooting Practice

        Doc, August 16 (MTI) - Mechanized artillery sub-units from the 
Hungarian Armed Forces and the Romanian Army today resumed training 
and practice sessions with joint shooting practice in Doc, in 
Csongrad county, which is in southern Hungary.
        Under a cooperation agreement concluded by the Hungarian and 
the Romanian defence ministries, soldiers from the two countries are 
carrying out joint military training for ten days as part of the 
Partnership for Peace Project at the practice grounds of the Miklos 
Bercsenyi Mechanized Artillery Brigade in Hodmezovasarhely.
        On Wednesday, 30 Hungarian and 30 Romanian soldiers took part 
in the shooting practice at the Doc shooting range.
        During the shooting practice, the two groups of soldiers used 
each other's weapons.
        At a press conference later today, the commanders said that so 
far, the joint training had been a success, adding that the 
atmosphere was friendly, and the soldiers were disciplined and highly 
professional.

Hungary-CEFTA: Half-Yearly Foreign Trade Balance

        Budapest, August 16 (MTI) - Hungary's foreign trade with the 
other member states of the Central European Free Trade Agreement 
(CEFTA) has considerably expanded over the past six months. (CEFTA is 
made up of Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.)
        The Ministry of Industry and Trade today sent figures to MTI 
showing that exports to CEFTA countries, as of late June, had risen 
by 33 per cent and imports by 16 per cent as compared with figures 
registered in the same period last year.
        As of late June, Hungary exported goods to the CEFTA countries 
to the value of USD 342.1 million, while imports from the same region 
totalled USD 455.5 million.
        Hungary's balance of trade with Poland for the first six months 
of this year has been positive, following last year's trend: 
Hungarian exports totalled USD 139.9 million and imports came to USD 
103.9 million.
        Hungarian imports from the Czech Republic amounted to USD 172.3 
million as of late June, and exports stood at USD 116.9 million.
        Hungary's imports from Slovakia totalled USD 179.3 million and 
exports amounted to USD 85.3 million.
        The objective of the Central European Free Trade Agreement 
signed by Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia in 1992, 
is to liberalize trade, phase out customs tariffs, and eliminate non-
customs barriers before January 1, 2001.
        The dismantling of customs barriers within CEFTA affects the 
entire range of industrial products. Most recently, the ministers of 
agriculture of the CEFTA countries discussed tariffs on agricultural 
and food industry products: tariffs will be removed from 350 out of 
nearly 630 agricultural products as of January 1, 1996.
        The foreign trade ministers of the CEFTA countries will hold 
their next meeting in Warsaw on August 17-18.

Hungarian Cultural Institutes Abroad

        Budapest, August 16 (MTI) - The Ministry of Culture and the 
Foreign Ministry treat the activities of Hungarian cultural 
institutes functioning in the countries of the European Union as top 
priority, stressed Minister of Culture and Education Gabor Fodor and 
Istvan Szent-Ivanyi, parliamentary state secretary for the Foreign 
Ministry when they held a joint press conference here today.
        Journalists were convened to attend a conference at which the 
directors of 14 cultural institutes gave an account of their 
activities.
        As regards their importance, Fodor puts cultural institutes 
operating in neighbouring countries and the countries of the Visegrad 
group (Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia) in second place and 
behind them institutes considered significant because of the special 
relations they foster; for instance Helsinki, Delhi, Cairo.
        Fodor stressed how important it was for Hungarian cultural 
institutes to start operating in the Anglo-Saxon world - in London 
possibly during the present government"s term of office which lasts 
until 1998, and in New York at a later date.
        Szent-Ivanyi assessed the operation of the institutes from the 
point of view of foreign policy priorities, and underlined the role 
played by Hungarian institutes in neighbouring countries in helping 
to overcome centuries of prejudice, and in developing a realistic 
image of Hungary.
        He said the role played in Romanian intellectual life by the 
Hungarian Cultural Institute in Bucharest was a good example of this.

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Reposting is supported by Hungarian Human Rights Foundation News
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*****************************************************************



N E W S L E T T E R

from the Daily Bulletin of the Hungarian News Agency MTI
distributed by the Department for Press and 
International Information
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Hungary

H-1394, Budapest P.O.B. 423.
Telephone: 36 (1) 156-8000
Telefax: 36 (1) 156-3801
No. 154                                                 18 August. 1995.

Troops Not Placed on Alert on Border With Serbia

        Budapest, August 17 (MTI) - The deputy spokesman of 
the border guards has described as false a report by the 
German weekly "Die Woche" that Hungarian border guards 
had been placed on alert at Roszke along the Hungarian-
Yugoslav border, (the German weekly mentions Horgos on 
the other side of the border in its latest issue).
        The paper also claimed that some ethnic Hungarian 
inhabitants of Voivodina had requested asylum in 
Hungary, and a massive flight of their compatriots from 
Yugoslavia was on the cards.
        Jozsef Komuves told MTI that Hungarian border 
guards were carrying out their regular duties along the 
entire length of the Hungarian-Serbian border, and only 
on the border with Croatia had the guard been 
reinforced. 
        Budapest had no knowledge of a large number of 
refugees moving towards the border, and so far no ethnic 
Hungarians had been among the refugees arriving.
        Komuves also said that border traffic was returning 
to normal on the Hungarian-Croat section of the border, 
and the number of arrivals and departures at 
Dravaszabolcs is about the same as it was before the 
revival of military activity. 

Adria Oil Pipeline Ready to Start

Budapest, August 17 (MTI) - Croat officials have put the 
Adria oil pipeline back in order, Bela Szerenyi, head of 
department for transportation with MOL Rt, told MTI, 
adding that the stretch of the pipeline in Hungary was 
also ready for operation, but at the moment there was 
nothing to transport as MOL Rt or Slovak companies would 
have to buy oil or signal a need for forwarding.
        Because of the war, 50,000 tons of oil, left in the 
pipeline or in reservoirs, were pumped to Hungary during 
several days of operation last March. 
        Istvan Ulrich, deputy managing director of the 
processing and commercial sector with MOL Rt, said 
negotiations would go ahead on l shipments in the coming 
weeks. 

Polish Freedom Union Politician Visits Budapest 

        Budapest, August 17 (MTI) - "We have very similar 
views on NATO membership and many other issues," said 
Jacek Kuron, Polish Freedom Union candidate for 
president, after talking to Alliance of Free Democrats 
(AFD) chairman Ivan Peto and AFD foreign affairs 
spokesman Matyas Eorsi on Thursday.
        Jacek is here for a one-day visit together with 
former national defence minister Janus Onyszkiewicz. 
Besides Free Democrat politicians, he had private talks 
with President Arpad Goncz and other representatives of 
the one-time opposition.
        Everyone stressed that joining NATO was possible 
only if countries in similar situations helped each 
other. 
        Kuron said the Yugoslav crisis made it urgent for 
Hungary to become a NATO member and reinforce its 
southern borders. 
        He stressed that Poland's bid to join NATO was not 
directed against Russia, but precisely to improve their 
relationship.


Govt Statement on Vojvodina Resettlements
        
        Budapest, August 17 (MTI) - At its Thursday 
session, the Hungarian government adopted the following 
statement:
        "The government of the Republic of Hungary has 
followed with sympathy the grave situation of refugees 
in the former Yugoslavia since the beginning of the 
Yugoslav crisis. In line with the country's 
possibilities, it has been seeking to ease the tragedy 
by sheltering refugees and providing humanitarian help.
        "It has also received with understanding and 
sympathy the situation resulting from the latest wave of 
refugees, and continues to be ready to help via 
Hungarian humanitarian organizations.
        "At the same time, the Hungarian government and 
public are increasingly alarmed by news from certain 
Hungarian-inhabited towns in Vojvodina of forcible 
resettlement there of Serb refugees.
        "The government of the Republic of Hungary 
repeatedly stresses that it firmly rejects all forms of 
ethnic cleansing and attempts to forcibly change 
historically-formed ethnic proportions, which threaten 
the region's stability and adversely influence relations 
between our countries.
        "The Hungarian cabinet expects the Yugoslav and 
Serbian governments to take immediate steps to defend 
ethnic Hungarians living in Vojvodina, to stop arbitrary 
occupations or squatting of Hungarian homes, as well as 
spontaneous or organized actions aimed at intimidating 
local Hungarians into leaving."

Government Meets - Press Conference 
  

        Budapest, August 17 (MTI) - At its Thursday 
session, the Hungarian government decided to give local 
councils HUF 414.5 billion support next year, about the 
same as this year, administrative State Secretary of the 
Prime Minister's Office Elemer Kiss told reporters after 
the cabinet meeting.
        He said local council financing would be gradually 
reformed in line with other public finances over a 
period of three years.
        The ratio of personal income tax remaining with the 
councils will increase, with a smaller portion received 
from incomes and a greater one paid after the size of 
the population.
        Local councils presently get 35 per cent of 
personal income tax, of which they retain 29.5 per cent 
of the tax collected in their area, and 5.5 per cent 
according to the size of their populations.
        No decision has yet been reached on concrete 
percentages.
        Kiss said that at the session Prime Minister Gyula 
Horn
criticized Interior Minister Gabor Kuncze and Finance 
Minister Lajos Bokros for going public with their 
differences on financing local councils. Bokros wanted 
to cut the 29.5 per cent ratio to 15 per cent, while 
Kuncze and his party, the Alliance of Free Democrats, 
junior partners in the ruling coalition, objected to the 
idea.
        To a reporter's question, the state secretary said 
Free Democrat ministers did not show their intention to 
propose coalition consultations on the government local 
councils decision. 

        Next week the government will decide on still 
points in the 1996 budget still open, such as sums to be 
given to higher education, diplomatic, defence, and 
welfare institutions. But it was made clear  already 
that the viability of these areas must not be 
threatened. 
        On details of the budget, the privileged status of 
farm subsidies and export promotion remains inviolable.
        The government adopted, and will present to 
Parliament, a bill on the deregulation of air traffic. 
The new legislation provides for freedom of flights in 
Hungarian airspace, and contains the new feature that 
anybody can own an aircraft.

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date=8/23/95
type=background report
number=5-30935
title=Slovakia / Press Freedom
byline=Barry Wood
dateline=Bratislava
content=
voiced at: 

Intro:  The government of Slovakia is distressed about the bad 
image the country has in the international media.  One of the 
complaints voiced in recent editorials in the "New York Times" 
and "Wall Street Journal, Europe" is that Slovakia -- which 
emerged when Czechoslovakia broke apart in 1993 -- is 
increasingly hostile to a free press.  V-o-A's Barry Wood has 
been in Bratislava and finds strong differences of view as to 
just how much press freedom exists in Slovakia.

Text:  To Tomas Hasala -- the government's chief spokesman -- the
local news media is openly hostile to the government.  Not  
surprisingly, Mr. Hasala, who is 24, finds it curious that 
foreign observers complain about limits on press freedom in 
Slovakia.

                           //Hasala actuality//

         I don't know any other country where so many  newspapers
         -- totally freely without any action against them -- 
         would so harshly criticize the government.  Really, nine
         of ten national newspapers are openly hostile to the 
         government on an everyday basis.  All this is legal and 
         nobody is mad about it.  This is a free press.  This is 
         a democratic country.  

                           //End actuality//

Mr. Hasala is frustrated by the adverse publicity about Slovakia.
But he says his own government -- by  not  doing more to promote 
Slovakia abroad -- is largely responsible.  Mr. Hasala says the 
Slovaks were simply too busy in 1993 and 1994 building a new 
country and independent institutions to take notice of Slovakia's
deteriorating image.  He also blames Czechs and Hungarians for 
emphasizing bad things about Slovakia.  These neighbors of 
Slovakia -- says Mr. Hasala without apparent bitterness -- simply
did  not  know what to do with an independent and assertive new 
Slovak state. 

Carrie Slease is an American who heads the Bratislava office of 
the Foundation for a Civil Society, which promotes democratic  
institutions and a free press.  Ms. Slease sees the situation 
quite  differently.  She says prime minister Vladimir Meciar -- 
since returning to power last December -- has taken steps to 
erode press freedom.  She says state radio and television is 
fully controlled by the government.  Ms. Slease says, if a score 
of "ten" implies complete press freedom, she would give the 
Slovak government a much lower grade.

                        //Slease actuality//

         I would give it a five, and it is decreasing all the 
         time.  There have been two recent studies on air time 
         (on the state broadcast media).  The Party of the 
         Democratic Left in Slovakia just studied the amount of 
         air time given to coalition versus opposition  parties. 
         And there was an inaggregrate amount of air time given 
         to  coalition partners -- even though they were claiming
         that wasn't true.  Pravda, the newspaper, also did a 
         study that this assertion of balance was  not  true.

                              //End actuality//

Ms. Slease also mentions intimidation.  She says the government  
frightened the independent media when it suggested large tax 
increases for newspapers and magazines that have foreign 
financial partners.  This plan was subsequently dropped.  But Ms.
Slease says self-censorship among reporters has increased as a 
result.  (Signed)

neb / bdw / wod/mmk

23-Aug-95 11:17 am edt (1517 utc)
nnnn

source: Voice of America

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Friday, 25 August 1995
Volume 2, Issue 165


REGIONAL NEWS
-------------

**HUNGARY REINFORCES ITS BORDER WITH EASTERN SLAVONIA**
  Hungary is once again beefing up security at its border with
  Croatia's eastern Slavonia region, the only major piece of
  Croatian territory still in the hands of rebel Serbs.  Less
  than two weeks ago Hungary said it was increasing the duties
  of its border guard units in the region after the Croatian
  government seized Krajina back from rebel Serbs in a four-day
  offensive.  Border guard spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jozsef
  Komuves now says five border guard units are being brought to
  the border with eastern Slavonia.  Guards will patrol more
  often and, if necessary, in groups of four or five instead of
  two.  On Wednesday, Croatian Defense Minister Gojko Susak said
  his country would take military action to regain control of
  eastern Slavonia if diplomatic efforts fail.


**POLL SAYS HUNGARIANS DISLIKE GYPSIES AND SKINHEADS THE MOST**
  A new poll says Hungary's gypsies are second only to
  skinheads as the most despised group of people in the country.
  The survey, which was conducted by criminologist Laszlo
  Korinek, was published Thursday in the daily newspaper
  Nepszava. According to the poll, Hungarians like gypsies less
  than drug dealers and neo-Nazis, while skinheads are even
  less popular. Gypsies make up between 5 and 7 percent of
  Hungary's population and are among the poorest and least
  educated members of society. The poll found more tolerance for
  other minorities, with those questioned expressing neutrality
  about Jews.


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*****************************************************************
A tovabbterjesztest a New York-i szekhelyu Magyar Emberi Jogok
Alapitvany tamogatja.

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Reposting is supported by Hungarian Human Rights Foundation News
and Information Service.
*****************************************************************



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