Mr. Speaker. the Czechoslovakian Government has embarked on a dastardly policy of trying to extort hard currencies from refugees who fled that country in 1968. Refugees in this country and other countries are receiving letters from "legal advisory centers" in Prague telling the refugees that they are being prosecuted for leaving the country without a valid exit permit. To provide for their own legal defense. the refugees are asked to send $70 to $100 in hard currency. If a refugee fails to send the money in 5 days. he is advised that his nearest relatives in Czechoslovakia will have to provide it: This is one of the most heinous forms of extortion r nd should be fought by the refugees. their families. and the governments of the free world. Unless it is dealt with promptly and successfully. every tyrannical government in the world will start practicing it against refugees who have fled to freedom. This country is now faced with a threat which would make a shambles of its traT ditional refugee policy. The President. n his news conference on December 10. reaffirmed a humanitarian U.S. refugee policy. when asked about the Lithuanian defectors return to the Soviet ship. This is reassuring to those of us who are interested in maintaining this type of refugee policy. This Czechoslovakian maneuver must be met with a firm policy statement and threatened economic action to back it up. if necessary. Yesterdays New York Times article by Tad Szulc reported further details of this incident and I submit it here for my colleagues attention:
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