European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 15, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 8 the stars and stripes tuesday. August 15,1989 world Toda greeks struggle to Stop persistent Forest fire Chalk Ishiki Greece a troops and firemen backed by fire fighting aircraft struggled monday to bring a two Day Forest Blaze under control on this Peninsula in the northeastern part of the country. An official of the National Forest fire control Center said that troops had been called in to assist the firefighters As Well As six planes dump ing water and chemicals on the wildfire. The official said the Blaze started for unknown reasons saturday and spread quickly through a thickly wooded area before could arrive at the scene. He said that no injuries were reported nor were they any dwellings in the area in danger of being engulfed by the fire. 3 brazilians indicted in environmentalist s death Rio de Janeiro Brazil a a judge in a Backwoods Amazon town has indicted a cattle rancher his son and another Man for the slaying of Amazon Union Leader and environmentalist Chico Mendes. Judge Adair Jose Linguini of the Jungle town of Lapuri 2,660 Miles Northwest of Rio said he indicted Darli Alves a Silva for ordering the dec. 22, 1988, killing of Mendes. Silva s son Darcy Preira a Silva. And gun Man Jerd Cir Percira were indicted for carrying out the slaying Linguini said. Mendes death caused an International outcry from human rights and environmental groups along with demands for the capture and prosecution of his killers. He was just one of hundreds of Union Lead ers and killed in disputes Over land and development in the Amazon rain Forest but most of the cases have never been tried. East Berlin guards remove american protester at Wall Berlin Dpi an american known for his eccentric protests against the Berlin Wall was carried off by East German Border guards monday for crossing the demarcation line with pile of Western newspapers banned in East runnings a retired Carpenter from Seattle is known in Berlin As the Wall runner because of his one Man Campaign against the Barrier erected 28 years ago by soviet backed East Ger Man troops. Observers said that if 71-year-Oldrunnings were brought to court in East Germany he could be jailed for at least18 months since he was already received a suspended sentence for an Ille Gal crossing in 1987.before crossing the demarcation line monday runnings said his action was meant to draw attention to the division of the City and the Lack of Freedom of the press and speech in East Germany. I am not scared i already spent three months in an East German he said before walking Over to East German guards. They tried to Send him Back be fore they carried him off on a , who has been coming to Berlin for years was arrested by East German Border guards in november 1986 after he scaled the 10-foot-Highwall with a ladder and tried to Chip the top of it with a spent three months in jail before he was Given an 18-month suspended has been picked up several times by Border guards but released after a few latest action followed a series of demonstrations sunday marking the 28th anniversary of the Wall built aug. 13, 1961. Demonstrators standing at the foot of the Wall in the Western sector burned East German flags pulled Down Border fences and threw gasoline bombs at the Barrier. John runnings carrying Western newspapers is detained German Border guards at a Berlin Wall checkpoint monday. In Washington president Bush called the Wall a relic of a bygone Era and a failed in a statement marking the anniversary he challenged the soviet Union to help make Berlin a place of cooperation not a Point of meeting held on dilemma of e. German refugees Budapest Hungary a a senior West German official met Monda Wilh Hungary s foreign minister Gyula Horn for talks focusing on the scores of East germans that have refused to leave the West German embassy in Hungary unless they Are allowed to emigrate. The official Mai news Agency said Horn and state Secretary Jurgen Sudhoff of the West German foreign ministry intensely discussed the situation of the East German nationals staying at the West German talks dealt with the possible humanitarian solutions to the problem said Mai which did not elaborate. West Germany on sunday announced that its embassy and consulate in Hun Gary would close indefinitely on Mon Day because the capacity to Aid the East German refugees is totally exhausted there has been no official word on How Many East germans arc seeking Sanctuary but a West German Redcross worker in Budapest said sunday that diplomats told him there Are 175 in the embassy building alone. More arc thought to be sheltered in buildings rented by the West germans. The West German government closed its East Berlin Mission on tuesday after 131 East germans sought Refuge there and West German officials have said it will not be reopened until Normal operations can resume. In Budapest dozens of mostly Young East germans seeking Safe passage lowest Germany spent the night in front of the consulate despite the announce ment. Their numbers had swollen to about 100 by midday monday. East Germany and Hungary arc soviet bloc allies and their citizens can visit each other s country relatively than a million East germans have spent vacations in Hungary annually Over the last few years. The refugee standoff developed after Hungary earlier this year began removing barbed wire and other barriers from its Western Border with Austria. With Legal travel to the West difficult More than 1,500 politically and economically frustrated East germans have at tempted to flee across the Border in the last few months. Many who failed went underground i Hungary or turned to the West germans out of concern when the hungarians in formed the East germans about their escape attempts. They fear persecution at Home. Hungary joined the . Convention on the rights of refugees in March and is the Only Warsaw pact nation to accept the convention s Guidl incs on the status of political refugees. But Mai said hungarian officials emphasized that the convention cannot be applied. Because the Transfer of East German nationals to West Germany Isth business of the two German nation Sand that the West German Sid had accepted this viewpoint. 6 with e. German opera troupe reportedly defect London a six members of East Ger Many s leading opera company Komischke Oscr. Have defected in London after a two week tour at covent Garden and Are expected to Settle in West Germany a British newspaper reported monday. The daily express newspaper said the six including singers and technicians slipped away from a hotel hours before the 320-Membcr company was to Fly Back to East Berlin on sunday. Officials at covent Garden s Royal opera House the West German embassy and the British Home office which deals with Asylum requests said they knew nothing of the reported defections. East German embassy spokesman Manfred Rudolph refused All comment. I cannot say any thing he said. The daily express said the six were staying at Safe houses in London. It quoted a lighting Engineer Fred Spodzieja 41, As saying he wanted to go to the West to be free and to join his Girlfriend who fled to West Ger Many last year. There arc so Many reasons. But the main one is 1 want to be free. I Don t like the Berlin Wall. I want to be in the West the paper quoted Spodzieja As saying. The Komischke Oscr on its first visit to London was acclaimed by critics and played to packed houses. Us performances included orpheus in modern dress. Covent Garden spokeswoman Helen Anderson said she d had no hint of any planned defections. We had a splendid last night on saturday an Derson said. I was personally at Gatwick Airport South of London on sunday morning waving Good Bye to one of the main groups. They left in a series of a West German embassy spokesman said the six had not contacted the embassy. A British broadcasting corp. Television report however showed a Man identified As Spodzieja out Side the embassy on monday. He was shown Smil ing but said nothing. West German embassy spokesman Bruno Weber said any East German defectors did not need to Contact the embassy because they had an automatic right to Settle in West Germany. They could simply Fly to West Germany from London he added the Basic Law says germans have the right to travel freely in Germany he said. They Are our
