Cold War News Report Hungary

COLD WAR UPDATE: AT ISSUE IN HUNGARY

20 Years of "Freedom" and Still Hurting

5 Issues about Hungary's Covered Up Communist Past

1. The list of communist secret police (AVH) helpers has never been divulged,
   with some files reportedly having been destroyed.

2. Hungarian historians who have attempted to expose AVH helpers, like renown
   Hungarian historian Kristian Ungvary, find themselves sued.

3. After the fall of communism, illegally seized homes and property were not
   returned to rightful owners. Instead, low value "tickets" were offered, which
   ended up being worth less than 1 percent of the value.

4. Many of the homes and properties mentioned above were reportedly given
   to the worst communist party members, who bought them at a low price and
   resold them at the real (considerably higher) market value a few days later.
   In fact, high ranking former communist officials (who sit in the "free"
   Hungarian government today) jokingly claim that no one should ask them
   how they made their "first million."

5. Some descendants of those who were persecuted by the communists and
   fled to the west continue to be hounded - by so-called Hungarian government
   researchers, demanding all names and addresses abroad, to update "records"
   on the family.

Until these issues and others have been resolved, Hungary cannot expect to
attract legitimate foreign investors or respect on the global political spectrum.
The message from the fall of communism until now has been clear. Buy now,
lose later, and if you were an anti-communist who got away, we just might
track down your kids ...

It is time for the leopard to change its spots.

October 24, 2009
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