July 29, 1999

The Rumanian-language daily, Cotidianul, reported that Cluj/Kolozsvár Mayor Gheorghe Funar ordered the removal of Hungarian-language signs from several Hungarian-language high schools, namely the János Apáczai Csere Lyceum and the Sámuel Brassai Lyceum recently returned to its original owner the Unitarian church. [see report of July 14]. The mayor also demanded that the István Báthory Lyceum remove its bilingual sign and imposed a 10 million Lei fine. [DAHR News Watch (Bucharest), July 29, 1999]

July 23, 1999

The military prosecutor’s office decided that Colonel Aurel Dragomir, Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Francisc Toba, and former Commanders Gheorghe Moise and Nicolae Cosconea will stand trial for their participation in the December 1989 atrocities in Sibiu/Szeben. According to indictment, Aurel Dragomir organized the so-called "Sibiu concentration camp" where he held a total of 600 people, including demonstrators and interior ministry employees alike, hostage. He tortured 93 people to death, abused another 218 and destroyed 93 properties. Francisc Toba assisted in the vicious events by dragging state employees from their hospital beds and subjecting them to various forms of maltreatment. The Sibiu cases are documented in 40 volumes of 16,000 pages total. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Jul. 23, 1999]

July 22, 1999

Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania Deputy Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies' Committee on Education Ferenc Asztalos told the Hungarian-language daily Szabadság that following adoption of amendment to the Law on Education [see reports of July 1 and 15, 1999] the Alliance's education priority is to establish independent Hungarian-language divisions within existing universities beginning Fall 1999. Ethnic Hungarian professors and students at various institutions of higher education around the country need to access demand for Hungarian-language instruction of subjects, said Asztalos. We know, for example, that 40 percent of students at the private Petru Maior University in Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely are ethnic Hungarian or that there's no Hungarian-language education at the Engineering University in Cluj/Kolozsvár despite a sizeable corps of ethnic Hungarian teachers, added the Deputy Chairman. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Jul. 22, 1999]

July 21, 1999

President Emil Constantinescu signed into effect the Law on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, a move originally initiated by the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania to facilitate the establishment and development of companies of this size. The new law accelerates the process of creating companies, including the transfer of information to tax authorities, and grants 50 percent tax deduction for procuring raw materials. The law also authorizes the government to take measures developing small and medium-sized enterprises supervised by the National Bureau of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Jul. 23, 1999]

The Office for the Protection of National Minorities organized a three week-Roma language course for teachers who instruct in the language. Satu Mare/Szatmár Roma Party President Ignác Horváth welcomed the effort and encouraged teacher to master the Roma language. [Friss Újság (Satu Mare/Szatmárnémeti), Jul. 17, 1999]

July 19, 1999

Simion Simon, Acting Rector of the Babes Bolyai University in Cluj/Kolozsvár, objected to establishing Hungarian-language divisions — now made possible by Article 123 of the Law on Education — saying they are unnecessary. The rector’s objection came in response to earlier proposals by ethnic Hungarian professors to establish three additional divisions (1) mathematics and natural sciences, (2) humanities and political science (3) legal and economics [see report of July 15]. Simon conceded that there is no Hungarian-language instruction in either the Economics Department or European Studies. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Jul. 22, 1999]

July 17, 1999

The Satu Mare/Szatmár Roman Catholic Bishopric will regain its two-floor building in downtown Satu Mare/Szatmárnémeti due to the government decree enumerating the return of 36 communal properties [see report of May 6]. The bishopric plans to relocate the János Hám Roman Catholic High School there due to the current building's poor state. [Friss Újság (Satu Mare/Szatmárnémeti), July 17, 1999]

July 16, 1999

Honorary President of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania Bishop László Tõkés announced the establishment of a Hungarian-language university in Oradea/Nagyvárad funded by the Hungarian Reformed Church. Owned by the Pro University Foundation, plans are for 600 students to be enrolled in the Partium Ecumenical University beginning Fall 1999, which will incorporate the current István Sulyok Protestant College and include an economics department as well as programs in social workers, music and foreign languages and teachers’ training. Although the college itself submitted the accreditation application for several departments months ago, the National Accreditation Board has not made the necessary onsite inspections, nor even acknowledged receipt of the request, according to Rector Kovács. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Jul. 19 and 22, 1999]

The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania (DAHR) established a new advisory section in the President’s Bucharest Office headed by Csaba Asztalos. Its objectives are to collect first-hand information on human rights violations and assist individuals who have suffered discrimination. [Friss Újság (Satu Mare/Szatmárnémeti), Jul. 16, 1999]

July 15, 1999

In light of Article 123 of the newly-adopted Law on Education [see report of July 1], allowing for the establishment of minority-language sections, departments and divisions, ethnic Hungarian professors at the Babes Bolyai University in Cluj/Kolozsvár will submit a proposal on September 1 for the creation of three new divisions, (1) mathematics and natural sciences, (2) humanities and political science (3) legal and economics, as well as the creation of a Hungarian Senate group. Since the current composition of the Senate — the university’s highest decision-making body — is such that it would reject these initiatives, Deputy Rector Pál Szilágyi told the Hungarian-language daily Szabadság that a government decree amending the University Charter would be necessary. Two Hungarian-language divisions, Roman Catholic and Protestant Theology, already exist. The number of ethnic Hungarian students enrolled in the university rose this year to 4,000 with 2,500 of them studying in their native-language. The Hungarian-language faculty consists of 240-250 professors, representing an increase of 40-45 new members over the past two years, pointed out the ethnic Hungarian Deputy Rector, who, as of August, will be the next acting rector. Five new Hungarian-language teachers' colleges are also planned for the 1999-00 year in Cluj, Satu Mare/Szatmárnémeti, Aiud/Nagyenyed, Odorheiu Secuiesc/Székelyudvarhely and Tirgu Secuiesc/Kézdivásárhely. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Jul. 15, 1999]

The Supreme Court sentenced General Victor Athanasie Stanculescu and General Mihai Chitac to 15 years imprisonment for crimes committed in Timisoara/Temesvár during the December 1989 revolution that toppled the Ceausescu dictatorship. The court found the two generals guilty in the murder of 72 people and the maltreatment of 253 others. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Jul. 16, 1999]

July 14, 1999

Director of the Department for Religious Affairs Elek Tõkés told the Hungarian-language daily, Szabadság, that a government committee has deliberated on the legal status of 36 minority properties seized by Communist authorities and enumerated in a recent government decree pronouncing their return. Fifteen of them belong to the ethnic Hungarian community, including the Sámuel Brassai Lyceum in Cluj/Kolozsvár fully restored to its owner, the Unitarian Church, today. Other denominations still need to submit supplementary documents to the Ministry of Justice for examination. By circumscribing the use of returned properties, county prefectures and public administration offices retain control over the restitution process. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), Jul. 16, 1999]

July 7, 1999

The Iliescu-led Rumanian Social Democracy Party and the extremist C.V. Tudor-led Greater Rumania Party filed a petition with the Constitutional Court against the Education Law adopted last week by Parliament. The parties object to Articles 123 and 184, citing violation of the country's official language, Rumanian. Concurrently, the Supreme Court found for the government, rejecting these, and a third, the Rumanian National Unity Party's petition against the September 30, 1998 Government Decree on the Petôfi-Schiller Hungarian and German-Language University [see report of March 16]. [Magyar Nemzet (Budapest), Jul. 7, Népszabadság (Budapest), Jul. 8, 1999]

July 6, 1999

Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania President Béla Markó received Michael H. Haltzel, head of a delegation from the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and told him that the even though the Constitution guarantees minority rights, implementation is slow and fraught with obstacles. Regarding native-language use, Haltzel highlighted the treatment of the ethnic Swedish community in Finland as a model for ensuring minority rights. U.S. Ambassador to Rumania James Rosapepe, who also participated in the meeting, announced that the U.S. Information Office in Cluj/Kolozsvár plans to employ a special expert to monitor inter-ethnic relations in Transylvania, the western part of the country. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), July 9, 1999]

The American-based Cooperative Housing Foundation opened its first office — Center for Regional Development — in Timisoara/Temesvár over four years ago. In an effort to support small and medium-sized enterprises by offering them favorable loans, the foundation has distributed more than $800,000 to date. The foundation has expanded now with an Arad branch office, and signed a long-term contract with the city’s Business Development Foundation headed by former ethnic Hungarian Senator Zoltán Hosszú. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Jul. 6, 1999]

July 5, 1999

U.S. Ambassador to Rumania James Rosapepe celebrated Independence Day, an American national holiday, in Cluj/Kolozsvár and continued talks with ethnic Hungarian Unitarian Bishop Árpád Szabó regarding future cooperation between the Transylvanian and American Unitarian churches and restitution of illegally-confiscated church properties. The bishop appealed to the ambassador to support the restoration of recently reappropriated church buildings, namely one recently regained school. The city's ultra extremist mayor Gheorghe Funar refused to attend the reception saying that another state's national holiday can only be celebrated in the capital. The mayor condemned the ambassador for strengthening relations between the U.S. and Transylvania, accusing him of deliberately supporting the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania. "America is totally insensitive to the unprecedented violation of human rights, because Rumania is the only country where a minority can force the majority to learn its language" — griped Funar, referring to the civil servant bill, which requires that in communities at least 20 percent minority-inhabited, one public relations' officer speak the given minority language. [Szabadság (Cluj/Kolozsvár), July 6, 1999]

The Bartók Lyceum and the Gerhardium Catholic Lyceum in Timisoara/Temesvár will begin Hungarian-language classes in the 9th grade with 75 and 25 students, respectively. The number of candidates applying for Hungarian-language instruction has significantly increased this year compared to previous years. Classes will include the instruction of mathematics-information studies, economics and history-social sciences in the Bartók Lyceum. [Romániai Magyar Szó (Bucharest), Jul. 5, 1999]

July 3, 1999

The Rumanian-daily Cotidianul criticized U.S. Ambassador to Rumania James Rosapepe for his Washington Times commentary saying that Rumania is on the road to becoming a multiethnic democracy [see report of July 1]. According to the newspaper the ambassador’s statement is uncanny in its similarity to Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania calls for the relinquishment of the old-fashioned nation state concept. The word "multinational" is only one step away from the word "multiethnic," which is a grave problem, warned the article. [Népújság (Tirgu Mures/Marosvásárhely), Jul. 5, 1999]

July 1, 1999

In a joint session, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate approved Government Decree 36/1997, amending Education Law 84/1995 [see reports of June 16 and 9], ending two years of intense debate. Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Rumania President Béla Markó stated that the new law is an important step towards removing discrimination against ethnic minorities, but pointed out that even this law contains a number of restrictions. For example, it prohibits the native-language instruction of history and geography in secondary schools, allowing it only at the primary level. However, instead of mandating proficiency in Rumanian, the new law requires only the learning of the language, allowing for special programs and minority textbooks in primary schools and special textbooks in grades five to eight. In small communities or ethnically mixed areas, the law permits either the formation of native-language classes where the number of students falls under the established limits or requires the introduction of a native-language class in the next closest community. The law also allows for school documents to be written and issued in the native-language in minority schools. Importantly, it enables students to take final and entrance examinations at every school level, ranging from primary schools to universities, in the language of study. The key article of the compromise text, No. 123, stipulates that minority language sections, departments and divisions can be established in universities while it leaves the term "multicultural university" loosely defined, leaving it up to a future law to detail the parameters of such an institution including their language(s) of instruction. The new law also grants the right for minorities and denominations recognized by the state to establish privately-funded secular or denominational minority language universities. [DAHR Bulletin (Bucharest), Jul. 1 and 5, 1999; Magyar Hírlap (Budapest), Jul. 2, 1999]

The Washington Times published an op-ed by U.S. Ambassador to Rumania James Rosapepe who, in the wake of Milosevic’s brutality in Yugoslavia, called attention to Rumania' positive treatment of the country’s 18 ethnic minorities, including the largest group, the ethnic Hungarian community. Rosapepe credits Rumania with "building democracy and working to respect the rights of its ethnic minorities" illustrated by several examples of peaceful ethnic co-existence. The fact that problems continue to prevail due to the communist legacy is noted, with ethnic and religious controversies ranging "from whether or not to establish a Hungarian language university to whether street signs should be in two languages in towns with large ethnic minorities." However, the ambassador’s overall conclusion is that Rumania belongs to that part of the region, including Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Albania, Macedonia and Bosnia where "the rule is the struggle for multiethnic democracy." [The Washington Times, Jul. 1, 1999]