Calvin Synod Herald, 1979 (79. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1979-03-01 / 3-4. szám
REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA 5 ■fincf/imi/to?) WHEREAS, the people of'Xk* Hungarian Republic have continued to emulate the. demociatic philosophies and ideal* of, personal liberty despite theix domination by a totalitarian regime; and WHEREAS, theic people have at no all peril continued to express theix rupeet fox and appreciation of the people and institution* of the United State> of America; and WHEREAS, despite theix oppression, the spint of independence live* on in the heart* and mind* of the Hungarian people; and WHEREAS, thli State and oux Countxy have become a refuge for hundred* of thouiand* of Hungarian* who continued to struggle for the independence of their Motherland and uphold the tradition* and heritage of Hungary; NOW, THEREFORE, 1, BRENDAN B/RNf, Gwmho* of the State of New Jersey, do hereby proclaim MARCH 15, 1979 HUNGARIAN NATIONAL FREEDOM AW INDEPENDENCE DAV in New Jeney, and urge alt citizen* tu take cognizance of the contri-bution* to thli Country and the iacrifice* borne by the Hungarian people for the cauie of liberty. GIVEN, under my hand and the Great Seal of the State of Now Jeney, thli firit day of March in the year of Our Lord one thouiand nine hundred and ieventy-nine and in the independence of the United State*, Charleston remained for one more very important year in the hands of the “rebels.” Kováts’ magnificent life and heroic death is a shiny example for our materialistic generation which clamors for rights and privileges of freedom but is reluctant to pay its price. His famous one-liner: “Golden freedom cannot be purchased with yellow gold” is a timely warning that eventually we also have to pay for our freedom in sweat, tears and blood. The value of freedom is measured by the sacrifice a people is willing to offer. László Eszenyi "ROMANIA — FORCED LABOR CAMPS AND ETHNIC MINORITIES" This is the headline of an article in the Autumn 1978 edition of the Matchbox published quarterly by AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, USA. We reprint a section of this article entitled THE HUNGARIAN MINORITY Jenő Szikszai, a teacher and member of the Hungarian minority in Romania, was arrested by the Romanian Securitatae early in 1977. He was accused of persuading parents of ethnic Hungarian pupils to protest against the elimination of Hungarian schools in the Brasov region of Romania and of asking them to register their children in Hungarian schools rather than Romanian ones. During interrogations he was beaten by members of the Securitatae and reportedly committed suicide. The Hungarian minority in Romania, until very recently, has received little attention in the press, including the official press of the People’s Republic of Hungary, which until 1977, was not allowed to comment adversely on the situation oi Hungarians in Romania. In recent years, however, consistent reports have reached Amnesty International that the Hungarian minority is subject to cultural and political discrimination and that those who protest or engage in cultural activities disapproved of by the authorities are exposed to maltreatment, short-term detentions and other forms of harassment. In addition, some have been sent to forced labor camps or to psychiatric hospitals. According to scholarly sources, the number of ethnic Hungarians in Romania is between 2.4 and 3 million people, although official Romanian statistics published in 1977 put the number at 1.6 million. Most of the Hungarian-speaking population is established in the compact demographic region of Transylvania. DISCRIMINATORY DECREES Despite constitutional guarantees concerning the equality under law of all citizens regardless of nationality, and the right of co-inhabitating nationalities to the “free utilization of their native languages as well as books, papers, magazines and education at all levels in their own languages,” a number of laws and decrees have been enacted which impinge on the religious and cultural heritage of the Hungarian minority. The impact has been particularly noticeable in the field of education. In 1973, a law was passed which established a minimum of 23 pupils for elementary schools, and 36 for secondary schools for classes to be conducted in Hungarian rather than Romanian. As most of the Hungarian-speaking villages have less than 1,000 inhabitants, one-third of the Hungarian classes have since been closed. In addition, manuscripts, books and other documents in Hungarian kept by Hungarian intellectuals, churches and other institutions of their community have been confiscated. Other regulations allegedly applied in a discriminatory way against Hungarian ethnics concern banishment and allocation of manpower. In 1976 Romanian industrialization was stepped up significantly with the initiation of an economic five-year plan. Romania, at the same time, increased its foreign trade with several industrially developed nations.
