Poles Apart - Poland

May 2007
Will Poland's plans to open hundreds of thousands of Communist files turn into a witch hunt? Collaborators face being banned from their professions for 10 years.
Inside Poland's Institute of National Remembrance are 90 km of tatty secret police files with the power to destroy lives. Under the government's new 'lustration' law, the files of everyone in positions of responsibility would be scrutinized to prove they didn't collaborate. "A new Poland can't be built without great cleansing", explains Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kavzynski. But critics, like former President Lech Walesa, think the law is more about settling old scores than obtaining justice. "They are using this opportunity to smear an entire generation of older people", claims historian Wiktor Osiatynski. The files have already ruined the career of Andrzej Krawczyk, once undersecretary of state to the President. "I was blackmailed -- three years in jail or co-operation", he claims describing why, in 1982, he signed a statement promising to collaborate. He never followed through and was cleared in court of collaborating. But the statement was enough to cost him his job. As Osiatynsk states, thanks to the new law; "Polish society has never been so divided."

Produced by SBS/Dateline
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Poland
• Communism
• President
• Rememberance
• Andrzej
• Krawczyk
• news
• documentary
• current affairs
• journeyman
• journeyman pictures

[bartronZ]

what da fuck are 'Pollocks"?

Any chimpanzee looks pretty smart standing next to you TheMikeBuck-

nice name, TheMikeBuck sounds like a gay pornstar

[kajro57]

wrong, you forgot th offspring of generations of in-breeding with domestic animals like you

[darektrydent]

This is not Poland you will see dear viewers, it's only a part of modern political bullshit. Who did not suffer during communism times or was a dignitary is now nobody in politics - that's how many of radicals think. But majority is normal belive my plain words. Visit us, just for curiosity

[pliok0tsambur]

if you're blackmailed that does not preclude having the choice....true, to go to prison, but if the guy wants to portray himself as a moral victim, he's not doing a very good job of it

[jebus0000000]

@megaman8484 You little idiot! I strongly suggest you to go and fuck yourself! Poland is an awesome country and so is England! Learn to be tollerant and respectful. We have idiots like you in Poland and there are loads of shitheads like you in England too. I suggest you go get a life and don't comment on thiese types of videos. Shut your trap!If you're not interested in history go and listen to something that represents your level.You embarras your country you little morron!

[JawsJaws]

Fuck Obama!

[TheMalib00]

@fragidistic zaskoczyłeś mnie ta wypowiedzią myślałem że już nie ma w tym kraju ludzi inteligentnych...ludzie po wybraniu wałęsy myśleli że komunizm się skończył, albo inaczej to ujmę że będzie lepiej...ale na miejsce komunizmu nastały czasy kłamstwa i wmawiania ludziom że jest dobrze...teraz jest rok 2011 my jesteśmy w unii europejskiej ale tak naprawdę co cię zmieniło? widzę że mieszkasz w Anglii, ja mieszkałem ale już nie mogę wrócić a chciałbym bo tutaj nic nie mogę zrobić...pozdrawiam

[tommydangerous27]

TAKATA TAKATA TAKATA

[HDFPS]

@Csabika30NY you made 38 million people want to kick your ass

[thoker7]

@MexicansROompaLoompa so why aren't you living there then