The Eighth Hungarian Tribe, 1983 (10. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1983-10-01 / 10. szám
TO: THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRADE OF THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE Mr. Chairman: As the legal representatives of this organization, as well as loyal and proud citizens of the United States of America, we strongly oppose the renewing of the "Most Preferred Nation" status to the government of the Socialist Republic of Romania due to the following reasons: 1. Last year this status was renewed to Romania in order to give the Romanian government a chance to improve its emigration practices and its treatment of the ethnic minorities. We have more than sufficient proof that these conditions were not met. 2. Though the "emigration tax" was allegedly abolished on paper during the month of May 1983, in practice there are no serious improvements noticeable. Persons whp are petitioning to leave the country are still suffering the same harassments as before, especially if they are not of the Jewish race. 3. The treatment of the nearly three-million Hungarians grew worse during the last year instead of improving, as we have sufficiently proven it during the past year in our Transylvanian Quarterly. 4. The Protestant as well as the Roman Catholic churches are under heavier oppression than ever. Old, historic churches are demolished under the pretext of being "unsafe", and building permits for new ones are denied. This persecution is especially noticeable against the Baptist Church, as the gentleman of Kentucky already reported to this Subcommittee. 5. Hungarian poets, writers, artists, clergymen, and other intellectuals are arrested in greater numbers than ever on trumped-up charges. They are beaten, tortured, and even killed. One of the latest victims of this "ethnocide" is a noted Hungarian historian who was working on a research project dealing with the early history of Hungarian villages in Transylvania. The truth is, that the government of Romania is an extremely brutal dictatorship based on the rule of a small communist minority, which does not believe in the basic human rights of its citizens and has no respect for international agreements. We strongly feel, that encouraging this government by any kind of aid would seem that we approve the evil it perpetrates, and therefore it is against the very principles upon which America was built, and still stands. In the name of the United States Branches of the Transylvanian World Federation and Affiliated Organizations, as well as in the name of 1.7 million American citizens of Hungarian descent, WE HEREBY LODGE OUR PROTEST AGAINST RENEWING THE MOST PREFERRED NATION STATUS TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF ROMANIA. On this 19th day of July, 1983, Respectfully, Albert Wass de Czege President Dr. John Nadas Gen. Secretary Mrs. Ilona Boissenin Washington Representative
