UNL prof discusses rights with Czechs By Larry Peirce Staff Reporter David Forsythe recently re turned from what he said was “not your average tourist trip” to Pra gue, Czechoslovakia, where he 4 discussed human rights issues with Czech scholars and dissidents. The Academy of Sciences of Prague, which hosted Forsythe, a University of Nehraska-Lincoln political science protessor, can t be compared to anything in the United States, he said. “It is a kind of establishment research organization,”he said. “It is part of the party/statc-rule appa ratus.” The communist party and gov ernment control the academy and dictates its research. During the 10-day visit, For sythe gave two speeches about human rights and political prison ers at Charles University in Pra gue, and met with Czech foreign ministers and scholars. Forsythe said an American being invited by an eastern Euro pean nation to speak about human rights is a rare event. He said that while the invitation is evidence of a loosening Czech government, censorship was still evident at for mal meetings. He said he was not restricted in what he talked about, but during formal meetings in front of gov ernment officials, Czech scholars wouldn’t discuss human rights issues in socialist countries. This self-imposed censorship i by his Czech counterparts was a re minder that little has changed in that country. “They wouldn’t even talk about things that are public knowledge in the Soviet Union,” he said. Forsythe said he tried to talk about human rights issues in Yugo slavia, China and other socialist countries, but the Czech scholars would not. Czech scholars talked about human rights issues in the United Stales, such as problems with blacks and Native Americans. They also wanted to discuss reasons why the United Slates hasn’t ratified most of the international treaties on human rights. After meeting with the scholars privately, Forsythe said, it was clear to him that they were ready for cnange. Czech leaders are not ready to endorse any change, he said. Forsythe said the events of the Prague Spring of 1968, when an attempt by the Czech government at liberal reform was crushed by the Soviet Union, still strongly affect Czechs. Forsythe said that “in the backs of the minds” of the scholars he met with was the question “Where arc those Czech reformers of 1968?” “Well,” he said, “they arc in one of three places: they arc living abroad, in prison, or shoveling coal someplace. These people do not want the same thing to happen to them." Forsythe said of the socialist governments that have relaxed government control over citizens’ political speech that Czech officials arc close to the East Germans, who are resistant to any kind of reform or “glasnost” now seen in the Soviet Union. "One can discuss all sorts of things in Moscow that one cannot discuss in Prague," he said. Forsythe said Czech officials expelled 32 westerners, including 6 Americans, the weekend he left. ——— -—m Connie Sheehan/Daily Nebrakan Forsythe These people held an unauthorized meeting on human rights, he said. W ith the help of U .S. diplomats, he met with the three Czech dissi dents who organized the illegal meeting. “They were being harassed by the regime,” he said. “They were under surveillance.” A great amount of caution had to be taken to arrange a meeting with dissidents, Forsythe said. He said that if he had gone to the home of a dissident, Czech officials might have physically prevented any dis cussion. Along with gifts from die Acad emy, Forsythe brought home a bet ter understanding of the Czech situ ation and a continuing dialogue with Czech scholars on human rights. Bring this coupon for one free wash h June * 2 L % nJ * I L_ H— b : A