Welcome to the latest issue of evil:austria!

This issue again deals with the informer's affair - however, in this case with its unbashful cancellation. Another emphasis is racism in Austria.

Once again, for newcomers, an explanation what this newsletter is about and why we produce it:

evil:austria is our monthly newsletter providing information about the situation in Austria (and regarding the consequences of FPOe/OeVP government). We decided to produce this newsletter since we realized that knowledge regarding the actual situation in Austria is not very widespread abroad. The government, after discussions about EU-'sanctions' against Austria were dropped, succeeded in removing the daily insanity from the attention of the international public. Meanwhile 'sanctions' have been lifted, which almost all political groups here celebrated as a victory, and the 'interest' taken in the development in Austria has decreased even more. The 'normalisation' of the right-wing/right-extreme government continues, and therefore information about the aggravation of the situation in Austria is even more important. It is therefore highly desired that you spread this newsletter as widely as possible, so that as many people as possible get to know about the situation in Austria. So please spread, spread, spread this. Of course you may also use this material (also in excerpts) for magazines and papers, but we would be glad if you sent us a short mail in this case.

Any criticism and comments please send to (if possible, please write in German and English):

raw@raw.at

Have fun!

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[1] Eliminating the informers' affair (1)
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[2] Eliminating the informers' affair (2)
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[3] Freedom of opinion in Austria (1)
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[4] Freedom of opinion in Austria (2)
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[5] Reforming criminal proceedings
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[6] People in the Minstry of Infrastructure
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[7] Old fairy tale renewed
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[8] A true poet
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[9] A stick and a carrot for immigrants
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[10] Immigrant chased to death
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[11] Operation Spring
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[12] Two years after the murder of Marcus Omofuma
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[13] Acquittal
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[14] Freedom of teaching
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[15] Nazi busted
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[16] Getting rid of the president?
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[1] Eliminating the informer's affair (1)
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FPOe gives a prime example of manipulation of investigations. We already reported about strange ongoings in our last issues (obstruction of investigations, persons not being questioned...), but the impudent way in which the final report of the investigating white-collar crime department has been cleared up is indeed surprising. Contrary to an inofficial intermediate report, the final version has been shortened by 40 pages and all suspicion against Joerg Haider and other FPOe members have been omitted. What remained are accusations against the Vienna FPOe leadership and against ordinary police officers sympathizing with FPOe.

However, investigations have been taken up in a resolute way against an internet activist - including raiding his home and getting FBI support - who published the intermediate report in the net (http://www.geocities.com/spitzelaffaere/ ).

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[2] Eliminating the informers' affair (2)
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Investigations against Salzburg FPOe chairman Karl Schnell and vice-chairman Helmut Naderer have been stopped despite the fact that Schnell's secretary gave evidence against them. But: what may not be cannot be.

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[3] Freedom of opinion in Austria (1)
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But still one cannot say that the government will not draw consequences regarding the informer's affair: Minister of inJustice Boehmdorfer plans to threaten journalists and defendants who quote from investigation files with up to 6 months detention. From now on, lawyers and defendants who pass on files to the media will commit an offence if this hurts the interests of third parties. Journalists of course are not too pleased, but our Minister of inJustice claimed: "Austria does not need investigating journalists." And he will make it his business to see to it that there aren't any....

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[4] Freedom of opinion in Austria (2)
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The left political group "Mayday 2000 Graz" maintains a website containing a flyer which is being published since several years and which gives info for protesters on how to deal with the police. Now the state does not quite like this and therefore has ordered investigations against the group for "inciting resistance against the state". The provider has been put under pressure to stop the website. Being good Austrians, the providing
company has - after being threatened with legal consequences - now refused the group access to their site.

It has to be noted that actions against activists happen to be stricter in the city of Graz as compared to the rest of Austria, e.g. activists are sued with partly framed accusation and high fines to make them stop their activities.

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[5] Reforming criminal proceedings
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Minister of inJustice Boehmdorfer (FPOe) plans a reform of criminal proceedings. The main part of this reform is replacing competences from independent judges to the public prosecutors whose boss is the minister of inJustice. This will definitely strengthen the position of the ministry. Jurists see this as endangering Article 6 of the European Humyn Rights Convention which ensures the right to a fair process.

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[6] People in the Ministry of Infrastructure
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Michael Schmid, predecessor of Ms Forstinger as Minister for Infrastructure, has made a very interesting person one of his top ranking employees: in the 80ies, Gerhard Sailer belonged to the sympathizers of the now banned Aktion Neue Rechte (ANR - Action New Right) and wrote articles for the rightwing extreme magazine "Fakten" [Facts].

He has raised a few eyebrows again now with an article for the weekly paper "Zur Zeit" [At this time] whose editor is Andreas Moelzer, cultural advisor to Joerg Haider and a person who even in the context of FPOe is regarded as an 'outside-right'. In this article, Sailer wrote e.g.: The "extremely soft asylum poltics of OeVP's Strasser (Minister of the Interior) and Chancellor Schuessel bending his knees in front of "those in power at the East Coast" (an FPOe synonym for Jews) unfortunately could not be prevented by the FPOe participation in the government, but they still were in a position to criticize this. And: "Why does FPOe participate in a government when asylum criminals and heroin Africans do more mischief than ever and the citizens are being bled white by dubious damages [payments for relatives of persons murdered and expropriated by National Socialism, note raw]!"

Minister Forstinger does not see any reasons to take action, Sailer will stay in office due to his "undebated qualifications". Undebated qualifications: just in which field.

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[7] Old fairy tale renewed
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FPOe general secretary Sichrovsky again expressed what many FPOe members are thinking: There is no common guilt with Germany for National Socialism since Austria just was the first victim... And antisemtism wasn't but a German invention. And we presume that the hanging of Jews by an "enthusiastic Austrian population after Hitler marched in in 1938" was controlled by the Germans, too....

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[8] A true poet
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The racist yellow press paper "Neue Kronenzeitung", Austria's biggest daily paper, has a poet who is always original (and rightwing). Therefore, he came up with a special poem for April 20: "Indeed 'tis a very special day today!/ I was looking forward to it since long,/ old and young are celebrating today,/ at least secretly at home,/ but some also in the streets,/ an irrenouncible wonderful custom/ which, staged by wise persons, makes society a community./ It is his honour and our salvation [i.e. Heil]:/ 'Taxi Orange' [note raw: a Big-Brother blend], part two."
April 20, 2001 was Adolf Hitler's 112th birthday.

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[9] A stick and a carrot for immigrants
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Peter Westenthaler, FPOe chairperson, proposes the introduction of an "integration contract" for immigrants. Central issue of the contract will be the obligation to learn German ("without this clause, it won't work", Westenthaler says), and additionally courses in regional studies and an introduction to job prespectives so that migrants won't stay unqualified workers.

The benefits will be meager, though: persons successfully passing these courses will be given a better status regarding their staying permits and obtain work permits easier. According to Westenthaler reuniting families has no priority - "and one thing I would like to exclude: persons obtaining Austrian citizenship earlier".

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[10] Immigrant chased to death
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Customs officer have killed a person on April 18, 2001 while chasing illegal immigrants because this person fled from the officers. The civil-clad officers were in pursuit of a van. After the van collided with a tree (4 of 11 passengers were injured during this accident), five person fled into a forest. One person fell into a quarry, as it was dark, and died from the fall. The other four persons were arrested.

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[11] Operation Spring
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Operation Spring is a racist motivated "drug" operation. As it now turns out, the interpreter appointed for interrogations of arrested persons, Douglas Samson I., happens to be the secretary of the German section of Nigerian governing party PDP. I., a diplomat, must report back to the Nigerian Drug Enforcement Agency NDLA info about Nigerian citizens under suspicion of or convicted for drug dealing. When these persons return to Nigeria, they will thus face a term in prison for "damaging the image of Nigeria abroad".

Douglas Samson I. passed on information gained during a bugging action prior to Operation Spring as well as interrogations taking place in Ibo language and also stated clearly which suspect gave which evidence. Further interpreters were not appointed.

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[12] Two years after the murder of Marcus Omofuma
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On May 1, 1999, Nigerian citizen Marcus Omofuma was murdered during deportation by putting tape over his mouth and nose and being tightly bound to a chair by the accompanying officers. Almost two years after the incident, this was now confirmed by an expert opinion by a German specialist. This further expert opinion was only asked for since an Austrian forensic expert claimed that a lung disease was the cause of Omofuma's death. This theory is definitely ruled out by the present expertise and also by the original expert opinion done in Bulgaria.

Consequences have not been taken either politically nor against the three police officers. Although they had been suspended temporarily, suspensions were lifted after short time and they still are on their jobs after this new expert opinion.

Joerg Haider just lost a process in this affair; short time after the murder, Haider said in a radio interview: "I should have wished for a member of the government asking: which crimes did this drug dealer commit to our children to whom he sold the drugs?"
Needless to point out, Marcus Omofuma of course was no drug dealer. But because of the racist campaign, especially by FPOe, there is a widespread equation: Black persons=drug dealers.

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[13] Acquittal
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Christian Rainer, editor of weekly papers "Profil" and "trend" won a process against Joerg Haider for defamation of character. Haider sued because a commentary in "trend" stated that the ex-FPOe chairman used "Nazi paroles".

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[14] Freedom of teaching
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If there is a word which the government is definitely tired of hearing, it's "resistance". And if there is a seminar planned at a university, entitled "The culture of political resistance", then FPOe in particular feels indignant. So there was a lot of defamation and intrigues and of trying to exert pressure to prevent the seminar - according to the motto: why should we also be paying for this stuff. But: the speaker does the event for free, and therefore it will continue to take place. Tough luck.

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[15] Nazi busted
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During a raid in Lower Austria NS propaganda material (flags with swastikas, brochures published by NPD) and arms have been found. Police are investigating whether there is a network and connections to the German Nazi scene.
Although according to the opinion of our government, there are no Nazis in Austria....

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[16] Getting rid of the president?
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The ordinary party member Joerg Haider proposes an 'extensive reform', beginning with the abolishment of the Austrian president. According to the plans of the Carinthian Prime Minister, the President's tasks should be taken over by a strengthened Chancellor respectively by the government.
The conservative coalition partner OeVP does not seem to like this suggestion as of yet.

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EPILOGUE
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NO PEACE WITH AUSTRIA!!!