The Federal Parliament approved the Law on Amnesty providing full amnesty to those who refused to heed army call-ups between 1992 and 2000. According to official statistics, during this period more than 4,500 persons were convicted for desertion or refusal to sign up for compulsory military service while criminal procedures were initiated in a further 10,000 cases. After the outbreak of civil war in 1991, about 50,000 ethnic Hungarians fled the country and did not return, most of them men avoiding forced conscription in a war they had no stake. After the vote, deputies of the Milosevic-lead Serbian Socialist Party displayed placards accusing the government of releasing “traitors.” [Tanjug (Belgrade), Feb. 26, 2001, HTMH Observer (Budapest), Feb. 21, 2001 and Reuters (London), Feb. 27, 2001]

The Hungarian Democratic Party of Voivodina (VMDP) held its second congress in Temerin. The congress re-elected András Ágoston President, along with Béla Csorba and Csaba Sepsey as Vice Presidents. András Ágoston stated that the VMDP continues to concentrate its efforts on achieving personal autonomy and dual citizenship for Hungarians living in Voivodina. [HTMH Observer (Budapest), Feb. 28, 2001]

The Yugoslav Ministry for National and Ethnic Communities denounced recent anti-minority activity in Belgrade. On February 14, placards depicting swastikas and other fascist symbols were posted on various buildings throughout the city, among others, two synagogues, a Jewish community center, the Jewish cemetery and two Roma cultural institutions. The Serbian Helsinki Committee issued a statement condemning the action as well. Both institutions demanded that a criminal investigation be launched against the unknown perpetrators. [Radio B92 (Belgrade), Feb. 15, 2001 and MTI – Hungarian News Agency (Budapest), Feb. 15, 2001]

By a vote of 142:47 with 3 abstentions, the National Assembly of Serbia annulled the 1998 press law which had been the instrument used by the Milosevic regime to levy enormous penalties on the independent media. A total of YUN 30,000,000 (USD 460,000) in fines had been imposed in 67 cases throughout the years resulting in the bankruptcy of several opposition newspapers. [Magyar Szó (Novi Sad/Újvidék), Feb. 15, 2001 and Magyar Hírlap (Budapest), Feb. 15, 2001]

In a meeting with a delegation of the United Kingdom’s Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, Nenad Canak, President of the Voivodina Provincial Assembly, pointed out that economic autonomy of Voivodina is one of the chief prerequisites to rapidly develop agriculture and industry, as well as to decrease unemployment in the province. Canak said that yesterday the Voivodina Provincial Assembly endorsed an amendment to the Law on Public Revenues and Expenditures which, if passed by the Serbian Parliament, will grant the province the right to have an independent budget. [Magyar Szó (Novi Sad/Újvidék), Feb. 7, 2001 and Radio B92 (Belgrade), Feb. 7, 2001]

On behalf of its 86 member organizations and more than 20,000 members, the Cultural Alliance of Hungarians in Voivodina (VMMSZ) issued a communiqué protesting a recent decision of the Serbian Constitutional Court prohibiting the use of Hungarian place names along with their Serbian equivalents in localities with sizable ethnic Hungarian populations [see report of January 30]. According to the minority organization, the decision is inconsistent with the fact that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is signatory to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, which mandates the official use of traditional minority place names. In its communiqué the VMMSZ pointed out that the resolution “is so much the more startling since it was made in this new period of democratic advancement, a process to which the Hungarian minority in Serbia actively contributes.” [Magyar Szó (Novi Sad/Újvidék), Feb. 5, 2001]

Graffiti inciting hatred against ethnic minorities appeared throughout the Voivodina city of Sombor/Zombor. Along with fascist symbols, inscriptions such as “Hungarians Out!” “Death to the Jews!” and “Shiptars [Albanians], Democracy Won’t Save You from Serbian Vengeance” appeared on the facade of several buildings. Offices of some political parties, including the Voivodina Social Democratic League and Movement for Voivodina, were also damaged. The local council denounced the actions. [Free B92 Radio (Novi Sad/Újvidék), Feb. 4, 2001]

At a conference held in Belgrade under the auspices of the Foundation for an Open Society, Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica stated that “Yugoslavia is ready to respect the relevant European norms regarding minority, national, religious and cultural rights.” In his speech Hans Peter Fuerer, representing the Council of Europe, reinforced that a main prerequisite for Yugoslavia’s EU integration is to amend its laws on human and minority rights in order to comply with European standards. [HTMH Observer (Budapest), Feb. 7, 2001 and Medija Center Beograd (Belgrad), Feb. 6, 2001]