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November 25, 1981

Supplement No. 2 Planned Activity of the Interior Ministry

SECRET, FOR SPECIAL USE

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SUPPLEMENT NO. 2

PLANNED ACTIVITY OF THE INTERIOR MINISTRY (25 November 1981)

 

 

 

1. Taking into account the current course of events in the country as well as the need to discipline society and reinforce the execution of power, it is necessary to introduce a legislative act (without an introduction of the martial law) on extraordinary means of action. The latter act foresees, among others:

 

- heightened responsibility for the public goods which one is in charge of, including a prohibition on using factory goods for purposes not associated with the duties which are carried out;

 

- extension of the rights of the managers of workplaces to give orders to their employees including ones exceeding their area of responsibility;

 

- attaching conditions to the rights of strike action such as the requirement of an earlier exhaustion of compromise ways of settling arguments, pursuing secret ballots, receiving approval from a higher trade union organ;

 

- complete prohibition of the right to strike action in certain units of the national economy and institutions as well as authorization of the Council of State to introduce a prohibition of strike and protest action for a predetermined period in part or in the whole territory of the state;

 

- limitation of the right to hold public meetings (also those of trade unions). Legal use of the means of direct enforcement is provided for in order to dissolve public meetings. The latter means can be used in the case of illegal taking over of a building (apartment);

 

- introduction of the curfew, a ban on artistic, entertainment and sports events as well as on public collections (except carried out by the Church), suspension of the activity of selected associations as well as limitation of the post, telecommunications, personal and cargo traffic with foreign countries;

 

- stepping up of censorship of selected publications and a ban on leaflet-poster type propaganda;

 

- authorization of the voievodes to turn to the military for assistance in certain situations of danger to public order;

 

- transfer of cases concerning certain violations of law into the domain of military prosecutors and courts.

 

Passing the above legislation as well as its implementation will allow the government of the Polish People's Republic as well as the organs of state administration and the units of the public economy to take special actions aiming at strengthening the national economy, preventing anarchy and hindering the activity of counterrevolutionary forces. They will also lead to an increase of social discipline and public order—as conditions necessary for eliminating the consequences of the crisis which threatens the normal functioning of the state and the vital needs of the people.

 

The legislative act will create conditions for the gradual (selective) introduction of bans and orders (limitations of citizen freedoms and placement of obligations) in part or on the whole territory of the country depending on the development of the situation. Authorization to introduce certain degrees of limitations will also be given to the territorial organs of the authorities and the state administration (voievodes and mayors of voievodeship cities).

 

The passage of the act and its subsequent introduction will undoubtedly cause various social repercussions—both positive and negative ones. It will certainly strengthen the morale and attitudes of the party members and all advocates of the socialist system so as to participate in the defense of the state. On the other hand, it will stimulate greater activity of the extremist and anti-socialist elements in the direction of destructive actions, for example the calling of a general strike and other things.

 

 

 

2. If the application of the act on extraordinary measures in the interest of the protection of citizens and the state is not effective, the introduction of martial law will be necessary. The extension of the preparations of the Interior Ministry in the case of the introduction of martial law has been stipulated in relevant documents.

 

Among the fundamental tasks which will determine the efficient functioning of martial law and which ought to be carried out at the moment of its introduction or several hours in beforehand, are:

 

a) internment of persons who threaten the security of the state—which is the principle endeavor. Two variations of implementing this operation are being considered:

 

 

 

Option 1

 

- internment of particularly dangerous persons in the main centres of the opposition such as Warsaw, Katowice, Szczecin, Wroclaw, Bydgoszcz, Gdansk;

 

 

 

Option 2

 

- simultaneous internment of all specified persons in the whole country. Internment would cover 1,500-4,500 persons. The feasibility of this operation will be determined by the course of events.

 

The most effective factor to ensure the successful conclusion of the operation would be if it came as a complete surprise to the opponent. It is only possible if the operation were to be carried out sufficiently in advance of the introduction of the martial law.

 

The operation can also be carried out as a response to the specific activity of the opponent, although its impact would be limited.

 

It is assumed that the internment operation would be accompanied by an inclusion of the public use of telecommunications and preventive warning conversations with less sinister persons as well as the taking of initiative in the branches of "Solidarity" by people with moderate views (replacement structures—work is in progress on this question).

 

b) the remaining important endeavors are:

 

- introduction of censorship of postal and tele-communication correspondence as well as control of telephone conversations, especially in the public network;

 

- introduction of limitations in the cross-border traffic, changes in place of residence, the activity of selected associations, the freedom of movement and activity of personnel of diplomatic missions of capitalist countries, correspondents from capitalist countries; making it impossible for Polish citizens to enter diplomatic missions of the capitalist countries;

 

- withholding of armed weapons as well as radio broadcasting and broadcast-receiving equipment from certain citizens;

 

- extension of protection over 441 sites of the national economy by the Polish armed forces and protection over 891 sites mainly of the food-supply sector by the Citizen Militia (MO);

 

- protection and defense of the sites of the central authorities by the Interior Ministry and the Defense Ministry forces;

 

- mobilization of the maneuver units of the Citizen Militia (MO), countryside outposts of the MO, WOP and NJW MSW—it has been planned to draft about 46,000 reserves;

 

- engaging in actions some selected ORMO members, including combined sub-units.

 

Some of the aforementioned endeavors will be carried out with the participation of the armed forces. Those questions are agreed upon with the Ministry of Defense and an action concept has been jointly worked out.

 

The introduction of martial law may—among other things—cause the following development of events:

 

Scenario 1

 

- subordination of political and socio-economic organizations to the demands of the martial law with the simultaneous possibility of limited strike action and restricted hostile propaganda activity.

 

Scenario 2

 

- in some regions of the country, mass strikes are organized with the tendency to extend beyond the workplace. Sabotage activities take place.

 

Scenario 3

 

- general labor strike, some workers go out onto the streets, there are street demonstrations and attacks on party buildings and those of the state administration, the Citizen Militia and others. It leads to a sharp intervention of the MO forces and the military. The assistance of Warsaw Pact forces is not ruled out.

 

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Source

Centralne Archiwum Ministerstwa Spraw Wewnetrznych, t. 228/1 B. Translated by Pawel Machcewicz

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