Solidarity supporters urge U.S. to impose embargo on Poland (12/27/81)

Solidarity supporters urge U.S. to impose embargo on Poland

NEW YORK - The Committee in Support of Solidarity, an ad hoc group formed in New York two week ago in response to events in Poland, has called on the United States government to declare a complete embargo on all economic and cultural relations with Poland unless the military regime in that country puts an end to the state of war it has declared, releases all Solidarity members, restores communications with the outside world, and recognizes Solidarity's right to exist as an independent entity.

The committee made its position known in a statement it released here on the eve of a rally in support of Solidarity held Saturday, December 19, in New York.

The Committee in Support of Solidarity is composed of Poles now in the United States who have had relations with Solidarity and the KOR (Committee for Social Self-Defense), as well as labor-related organizations that have been concerned with the Polish question for the past year and a half. Among these organizations is the Polish Workers Task Force set up under the aegis of the AFL-CIO to provide support - both moral and material - to the Solidarity movement in Poland.

The committee has also been working closely with the New York-based Committee for the Defense of Soviet Political Prisoners.

Excerpts of the statement of the Committee in Support of Solidarity follow.

Statement

The free world must not stand by passively and allow the present Polish regime to destroy Solidarity and freedom in Poland.

The United States must make clear to the Polish and Soviet governments what the consequences for them will be if the present repressions continue. We reject the position put forth by the Soviet regime that the current crackdown in Poland is purely an internal Polish affair. There is no doubt that the Polish military government is acting because of Soviet pressure, and that the Soviet regime is thereby intervening by proxy.

The United States must continue to make clear to the Soviet regime that it will not tolerate any direct intervention by it and that it condemns the current indirect intervention. It must continue to make clear to the Polish military government that its continued repression of Solidarity will have the most serious consequences.

We, therefore, call upon the United States to demand the following:

cessation of the state of war that is being waged by the Polish military junta against the Polish nation;
immediate release of the leaders and members of Solidarity;
immediate restoration of communications between Poland and the outside world;
firm assurances by the Polish military government that it will recognize and respect the right of Solidarity to exist as a free trade union without government interference.

Unless and until these actions are taken by the present Polish military regime, we call upon the United States to declare a complete embargo on all economic and cultural relations with Poland.

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