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1) In a telephone conversation with the IRBDC on 13 September 1989, Peter Staniszkis, President of the Ottawa Branch of the Canadian Polish Congress, stated that according to information available to him, members of the Freedom and Peace Movementone such youth group which has an environmentalist and pacifist orientationare not subject to arbitrary arrest or harassment. This is due to the fluid political situation existing in Poland at this time, according to Mr. Staniszkis. In addition, a broadcast monitored by the BBC on 18 September 1989 notes that The Confederation for an Independent Poland, Fighting Solidarity, and other independent groups staged anti-Soviet demonstrations in Katowice and Opole on 15 September 1989. ["Poland: Anti-Soviet demonstrations in Katowice and Opole", BBC Monitoring Service, Summary of World Broadcasts, 18 September 1989.] The police did not interfere in these demonstrations, which according to the broadcast, were carried out by mostly young people. [Ibid.] On the other hand, Radio Free Europe reports that after a Warsaw court turned down the application for legalization by the Independent Students' Association, a demonstration ensued and 17 students were detained with a number of them complaining of police brutality. ["Weekly Record of Events 18 to 24 May", Radio Free Europe Research, 26 May 1989.]

2) No information is available to the IRBDC at the present time regarding the activities in Szczecin of an organization called Ruch Oporuy Mlodzierzy Na Reczpospolita Solidarnosc. This name does not appear in Radio Free Europe's most recent edition of its Annotated Survey of Independent Associations in Eastern Europe, published on 16 June 1989. The President of the Canadian Polish Congress (Ottawa Branch), Peter Staniszkis, informed a Research Officer during a telephone conversation held on 26 September 1989, that despite contacting several people familiar with organizations in the Polish city of Szczecin, no information could be found on this group. However, Mr. Staniszkis added that it is probable that such a group exists as part of the anti-Solidarity, anti-Communist opposition in Poland. The Congress President noted that such groups came into existence around the time of the Round Table Accords in May 1989 because of opposition to the agreements made then between Solidarity and the Communists. These groups are more radical than main-line Solidarity and have a membership of students in either their last year of secondary school or their first years of university, and young workers. The information provided by Mr. Staniszkis can not be corroborated in published sources at the present time by the IRBDC.

The name of the group may, however, provide an insight into its political orientation because it mentions the "Solidarity Republic". This is a component of the oath taken by members of another Polish opposition group which boycotted the recent elections, Fighting Solidarity. [Anna Sabbat-Swidlicka, "Poland's Anticommunist Opposition After the Round Table", Radio Free Europe Research, 12 May 1989, p. 9.]

For further information on the Solidarity Republic and Fighting Solidarity, please see the attached copy of the Radio Free Europe Research for 12 May 1989. In addition, attached is an excerpt from Radio Free Europe Research for 28 July 1989 which mentions Fighting Solidarity and provides more details on its political platforms.

"Weekly Record of Events in Eastern Europe", Radio Free Europe Research, 26 May 1989.

"Poland: Anti-Soviet demonstrations in Katowice and Opole", BBC Monitoring Service, Summary of World Broadcasts, 18 September 1989.

"Polish Independent Press Review", Radio Free Europe Research, 28 July 1989.

Sabbat-Swidlicka, Anna. "Poland's Anti Communist Opposition After the Round Table", Radio Free Europe Research, 7 May 1989.

"An Annotated Survey of Independent Associations in Eastern Europe", Radio Free Europe Research, 16 June 1989. 19-29.