Welcome to a new edition of evil:austria!

This month, we have a focus on the occurrences in the Austrian police: From restructurings and police demonstrations against them to the Amnesty International-annual report and an acquittal regarding a murder on duty, you can have just about everything. Besides, there's news from the extreme right and a surprise: For once, there's good news at the end! But don't worry, the government is trying its best to make sure that this will remain an exception...

And now a short explanation (for the newcomers) of what this newsletter should be and why we write 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 realised 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 or English):

raw@raw.at

Have fun!

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[1] "Integration treaty" brings aggravations for migrants
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[2] Parliamentary "snooping"
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[3] Right-winged fire-jumping
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[4] "We won!"
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[5] Blue "filling" of posts
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[6] There's a lot on at the Ministry of the Interior
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[7] Amnesty International annual report
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[8] Acquittal for a policeman
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[9] Amendment of the security police law
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[10] Extended authorities of the military
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[11] Women have bad chances of making a career at the University of Vienna
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[12] Media policy by Mr. President
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[13] Constitutional court repeals Paragraph 209
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[1] "Integration treaty" brings aggravations for migrants
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The FPOe-OeVP coalition just passed amendments to the laws regarding foreigners and their employment in Austria once again. The "integration agreement" generally applies to all migrants since January 1st 1998 and means obligatory courses in German and Regional Studies. Exceptions are only made for top executives (whatever that means), migrants with an appropriate knowledge of German, toddlers, students, "key forces" who intend to stay in Austria for less than 2 years, old and very ill people and citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA) or of certain other favoured countries. The system of sanctions that apply to people who don't complete the courses hasn't changed: Only 25-50% of the costs will be paid by the state after one and a half years, after 3 years a fine of 200 Euro has to be paid and after 4 years, the permission of settlement won't be extended. Still, there won't be any additional rights, such as a right to vote in local elections...

(source: http://derstandard.at)

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[2] Parliamentary "snooping"
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(a continuation: see evil:austria 0402)

In the so-called "Euroteam Fact -Finding Committee" in parliament, the object of the "fact-finding" has apparently changed: For months, representatives of women's organisations have been summonsed among others, but not to help the resolution of the incidents concerning the Euroteam (a company with SPOe-relations dedicated to helping unemployed people with "finding a job") in 1995-1999, but to cross-question them about their ideology and convictions in great detail. The purpose of this is apart from the satisfaction of the antifeminist dogmas of certain questioners probably a campaign with good publicity for the final end of financial support for feminist initiatives. The redistribution of subventions into the direction of right-winged fraternities and other all-male organisations is apparently not yet finished...

(source: http://diestandard.at)

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[3] Right-winged fire-jumping
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Like ever year, organisations of the extreme right once again held a number of midsummer celebrations among others, one near Vienna. About 150 persons attended, following the appeal of the Oesterreichische Landsmannschaft, the Ring Volkstreuer Verbaende and the extreme-right fraternity Olympia. The music was provided by a brass band of the Oesterreichische Turnerbund (OeTB).
The visitors were mainly fraternity members, FPOe politicians (such as the Viennese councillor Johann Herzog) and a few skinheads who had already attracted attention at and after the rally against the Wehrmachts-exhibition on April 13th (see evil:austria 0402).

The "fire-speech" was not as originally announced held by the FPOe party historian Lothar Hoebelt, but by Guenther Schmidt of the Bruenner Fraternity Libertas in Aachen (Germany), which by preference invites top officials of the NPD such as Horst Mahler and Juergen Schwab to hold lectures. In the speech, he pursued antisemitic propaganda against the "enemies...on the US-American East Coast" and philosophised about the "incredible development of strength which our people was capable of in two World Wars". Also, he enthusiastically complained about the "re-education" which "breaks the spiritual and mental spine of this nation" and about the "contempt for our dead" caused by the "deeply disgraceful" Wehrmachts-exhibition, when all they did was to fulfil their "duty" and defend the "German Fatherland".

(source: http://www.doew.at)

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[4] "We won!"
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...rejoiced the Viennese district councillor Bodo Blind (FPOe) in front of the assembled plenum when the German team made it to the finals in the football (soccer) World Cup. In the same sitting, he also told his version of contemporary Austrian history: With reference to the "memorial" by right-winged fraternities on May 8th (see evil:austria 0502), he emphasises that this day in the year 1945 was no joyful day for Austria because the allied troops stayed as occupational forces after the victory over the Nazis.

He probably still regrets the fact that NSDAP-cadres were for the most part excluded from social positions of power up until at least 1947. But at least Blind will remain in his position for the time being of course.

(source: http://derstandard.at)

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[5] Blue "filling" of posts
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Reinhart Gaugg (FPOe spokesman for social affairs in parliament) is supposed to get a new job: deputy secretary-general of the retirement-insurance company. The "classically Austrian" thing about this is that the public scandal about it has nothing to do with his ideologically staunch right-winged views (his interpretation of N.A.Z.I.: "new, attractive, determined (German: zielstrebig), imaginative"), but is only concerned with the almost embarrassing fashion in which the FPOe tried to install a party member into a position for which a call for tenders is stipulated. Gaugg is supposed to get a special contract which should earn him protection against dismissal as well as a doubled income (corresponding with his course of education) and which should also save him from the "post-education" that is written out for this position.

Needless to say, the FPOe is still opposed to political nepotism and privileges...

(source: http://www.profil.at)

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[6] There's a lot on at the Ministry of the Interior
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The Minister of the Interior, Ernst Strasser (OeVP), takes more steps for the political "recolouring" of his ministry (also see evil:austria 0502). Within just one week, two top officials who are known to sympathise with the opposition party SPOe were transferred. One of them is the present head of the "gendarmerie" (police responsible for the rural areas), Oskar Strohmeyer, the other is the head of the state police, Peter Heindl, who was shunt off to the traffic police.

Minister Strasser meanwhile feels "annoyed" by the accusations of a political recolouring and says that of the 34 personell changes in top positions, 32 were carried out in agreement. But also annoyed by such unconcealed purges are his subordinates regardless of their political convictions: For example, there was a demonstration by about 3000 executive officers of the Faction of Socialist Unionists (FSG) in mid-June. However, if the Minister of the Interior should go through with his planned economical measures, the union associated with the OeVP, the Faction of Christian Unionists (FCG) also considers protest actions.

(source: http://derstandard.at)

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[7] Amnesty international annual report
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The Austrian police is once again accused of maltreatments and the use of excessive violence. In its report which was published in June 2001, the "European Committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman or humiliating treatment or punishment" documented accusations (mostly by foreigners) which reported to have been maltreated with punches, kicks and smacks on the ears during their arrest. However, the committee commented that compared to the accusations in the years 1990 and 1994, both the number and the seriousness of the maltreatments were declining. Well then...

(source: http://derstandard.at)

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[8] Acquittal for a policeman
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In the trial regarding Imre B. who was shot by a policeman (see evil:austria 0700), the accused policeman was now acquitted from the accusation of culpable homicide. The 34-year-old Imre B., an Austrian citizen who was born in Yugoslavia, was "accidentally" shot on May 19th, 2000 in the course of a drug raid. According to the statement of the culprit, who was then a member of the controversial special police unit SEK, he had tried to arrest the supposed drug dealer when suddenly a shot went off while he was trying to open the door of the car. All the doubts that were registered about this version (also by experts) were dismissed by the court. The prosecuting attorney registered an appeal of nullity, the verdict is not yet final.

(source: http://www.no-racism.net)

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[9] Amendment of the security police law
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The work on a new amendment of the "security police law" is in progress, the few details that are known so far look ominous. Planned is a reorganisation of the executive, but also an extension of the protection for witnesses and an expansion of undercover inquiries. Especially the intended introduction of an "index of confidants" which at least according to Minister of the Interior Strasser (OeVP) should make sure that possible rewards cannot be picked up repeatedly, causes fears of a new system of informing.

(source: http://derstandard.at)

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[10] Extended authorities of the military
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A hastily passed amendment of the law concerning the authorities of the military caused not only the opposition, but also the Austrian internet-providers to protest. From now on, intelligence services should be allowed to get information about the name, address and telephone number of a certain account immediately and free of charge. With that, they have considerably more rights than the police, who may only make such demands "under certain conditions", for example if there is an immediate danger. With this change of law, an important democratic institution, the Data Protection Council, responsible for private data protection and the protection of privacy, was circumvented.

(source: http://derstandard.at)

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[11] Women have bad chances of making a career at the University of Vienna
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Currently, already 62 percent of the graduates of the University of Vienna are female but still, only a tiny fraction of professors are women. Recent analyses show that the number of women going into a scientific career doesn't comply with their share among the students at all. Those who manage the entry into a scientific career anyway usually only obtain the worse, temporary jobs. The further you get to the top, the lower the percentage of women gets. 827 male scientists who are qualified as university lecturers are faced by 179 females, 284 male professors by 40 females.

(source: http://diestandard.at)

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[12] Media policy by Mr. President
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When Mohammed Khatami, president of the Iran, came to visit Austria, he only gave one interview. It has now leaked out from Teheran that the Austrian president, Thomas Klestil, had asked him in writing beforehand to promise that interview to the Kronen Zeitung, the daily paper with the (by far) highest circulation in Austria. The reason for this is probably that Klestil also has private connections to the editor Hans Dichand.

(source: http://derstandard.at)

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[13] Constitutional court repeals Paragraph 209
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The Constitutional Court repealed the so-called "homosexuals"-paragraph 209 on June 24th, 2002. The Constitutional Court saw an offending of the principal of equality in this regulation. The paragraph 209 makes homosexual sexual acts of men over the age of 19 with men under 18 an offence punishable with a prison sentence of 6 months to 5 years. The age of consent for heterosexual and lesbian relationships in Austria is 14 years. The paragraph 209 exists since 1971, when Austria was among the last countries in Europe to abolish the general ban on homosexual activities between consenting adults. For male homosexuals, the minimal age of 18 years was enacted.

Until 1996, there were two more regulations that were discriminating against homosexuals in the Austrian Criminal Code. Paragraph 220 provided for the ban of advertisements "for sexual offence with persons of the same sex or with animals", paragraph 221 made "organisations for the favouring of homosexual sexual offences" punishable.

(source: http://derstandard.at)

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EPILOGUE
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NO PEACE WITH AUSTRIA!!!