Dear Mr. Secretary General,
During the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe, a Hungarian representative asked you: whether you stand up for the
autonomy aspirations of the Szeklers in Romania? In your answer you
replied, that you are not aware of the particular Romanian situation, but you
stand up for every minority, in general. These sentences are of great
importance for us, and we remember, that you also said: “We have to make sure,
that everyone abides by the Framework Convention”.
Dear Secretary General, let us inform you about the situation of the
Szeklers, and the Romanian conditions.
When Romania joined
the Council of Europe it has accepted an abundance of commitments, which it
hasn’t fulfilled till this day. The promise, made to fulfill Recommendation Nr.
1201/1993 proved to be in vain. The 13.500 km2 large territory of Szeklerland is inhabited by 700.000
Szekler people, possessing Hungarian national identity. Despite the fact, that
we represent an overwhelming 75% majority in this territory, and that we expressed our need for autonomy through a
referendum, the Romanian authorities deny even a conversation with us, on this
issue.
The
Szekler National Council is an NGO, undertaking the autonomy aspiration of the
Szekler people. In doing so, we submitted a draft law to the Romanian
Parliament, relying on our local traditions, the functioning autonomies of Europe, and the recommendations of the Council of Europe.
The Romanian legislature rejected this draft law by referring to Recommendation
Nr. 1201/1993. To do so however, they first had to falsify this document, by
willfully rewriting article 12
in bad faith, although the correct Romanian translation
was also available for them. We lodged a criminal complaint by the competent
authority, which denied initiating a procedure, claiming, that the Legislative
Council - which rejected our draft-law, and which has a pivotal role in
adopting legislation – is a consultative body only!
Whit
this measure, it became an accepted practice in Romania for the authorities, to
falsify the recommendations and resolutions of the Council of Europe, using
them against minorities.
Romania stands before an
administrative reform, and though – in reaction to our complaint – the
government has made a promise, that Romania will abide by its
international commitments, they have elaborated a draft, which would melt
Szeklerland into a region, where Szeklers would represent only 29% of the population.
This would violate the regulations of the Framework convention, as well as The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, and
Recommendation Nr. 1881/2007 of the Council of Europe.
The restitution of private and church properties nationalized
by the communist regime has halted. Romania has fulfilled nearly nothing from
the commitments in this issue, and is giving more and more signs, that they do
not wish to continue, with the restitution process.
Dear Secretary General! It is my firm belief, that the
radicalization of minority movements and organizations can be prevented, if the
Council of Europe would be able to make the member states fulfill their
commitments, and if the Council enforces the rights recognized by these states,
and doesn’t allow for anyone to falsify it’s documents, using them against
their original purpose.
I humbly ask the Secretary General to receive a
delegation of the Szekler National Council, so that we can introduce the
aspirations and the situation of Szeklerland personally.
Marosvásárhely,
11. February 2013.
Izsák Balázs
President
of the Szekler National Council
Nincsenek megjegyzések:
Megjegyzés küldése