MINELRES: Romania: Ethnic Minority Briefs No.13

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Original sender: Mediafax <divers@mediafax.ro>


DIVERS
- reporting ethnic diversity -

DIVERS is a weekly news bulletin edited by the Mediafax news agency
with financial support from Ethnocultural Diversity Resource Center
(EDRC) in Cluj.
For now, the full version of the bulletin is only available in
Romanian and can be found at www.divers.ro.


SUMMARY

1. DISPUTES OVER NATIONAL FLAG IN TRANSYLVANIAN TOWN
2. ROMANIAN PM AGAIN REJECTS ANY AMENDAMENT TO THE MEMORANDUM FOR THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF STATUS LAW
3. BUCHAREST UNIVERSITY OFFERS 25 SEATS FOR ROMA STUDENTS
4. ETHNIC ROMANIANS FROM UKRAINE DEMAND THEIR RIGHTS TO BE OBSERVED
5. BUCHAREST TO PAY REPARATION TO ROMANIAN REFUGGEES FROM
SOVIET-OCCUPIED EAST

FEATURE
6. FOR ROMANIA'S ROMA, UNEMPLOYMENT AND POVERTY MAIN REASONS TO GO
ABROAD


DISPUTES OVER NATIONAL FLAG IN TRANSYLVANIAN TOWN
COVASNA - Despite a cooperation agreement between the Romanian ruling
party PSD and the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR), the
relationships between the members of these parties are not always
calm, especially in the mixed regions.

Harsh disputes erupted after the Sfintu-Gheorghe Mayor Albert Almos
decided to take down the Romanian national flag from the mayoralty's
building. The Public Administration Ministry on 13 June said it
"categorically disapproves" the decision and reminded the mayor that
the flag was hoisted on the building for the first time on 8 September
1944, "when the Romanian army liberated from fascist-Horthyiate
occupation the first town in Transylvania."

Shortly after, Covasna County Prefect fined Mayor Albert Almos with
100 million lei ($2,988) for its gesture but also for using a
Hungarian-language logo on official documents issued by his office. On
14 June, Grama gave Almos a three-day ultimatum to re-fly the Romanian
national flag, but Almos ignored him.
Several ethnic Romanian organizations and groups representing ethnic
Romanian veterans in Transylvania also protested against the mayor's
decisions.

But Prime Minister Adrian Nastase, who met with UDMR Chairman Bela
Marko on June 17, said the mayor's deed was "just as childish" as the
recent removal of bilingual street signs in the town and, in fact, may
have been provoked by that incident. "We should learn how to respect
each others' national symbols and at the same time respect the
country's laws. Then things will become normal," Nastase said. 

Two days later, the Romanian national flag has again been hoisted over
the building of the Sfintu-Gheorghe mayoralty. UDMR chairman Marko
Bela said the incidents involving the disappearance of the flags were
a "response to offensive acts" by Covasna County officials
representing the Social Democratic Party (PSD). He said there was a
link between the incidents and the dismantling of bilingual street
signs on the building hosting the local prefect's office. Marko said
he was persuaded this was a reflection of "the lack of collaboration"
between local PSD and UDMR officials. On June 20 the joint PSD-UDMR
commission examined the dispute in Covasna County and decided to put
an end to the incident. (DIVERS)

ROMANIAN PM AGAIN REJECTS ANY AMENDAMENT TO THE MEMORANDUM FOR THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF STATUS LAW
ARAD - Prime Minister Adrian Nastase on June 18 said Hungary should
start observing the memorandum with Romania on Hungary's status law
granting privileges to ethnic Hungarians in neighboring countries. "We
do not interfere in the Hungarian government affairs, it is their duty
to find the best solutions for Hungarians, but we may speak out in
matters that may have effect on Romanian territory," he said,
referring to the fact that the Hungarian government wants to amend the
memorandum. Nastase added that "Romania's minorities are the
responsibility of the Romanian government, which reflects the current
situation in any other European country." (DIVERS) 

BUCHAREST UNIVERSITY OFFERS 25 SEATS FOR ROMA STUDENTS
BUCHAREST - For the session of this year, University of Bucharest
allotted, through its colleges and faculties, a number of 25 seats for
ethnic Roma candidates. Most of the seats, namely 10, are incorporated
to social assistance section of the Faculty of Sociology, while the
Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures includes 5 seats (for
Roma language and literature section). Another 5 seats are at the
disposal of the Headmaster, in order to be granted to those faculties
and colleges whereto Roma candidates applied for (others than those
mentioned above). (DIVERS)

ETHNIC ROMANIANS FROM UKRAINE DEMAND THEIR RIGHTS TO BE OBSERVED
KIEV - Maramuresan Association from Transcarpathia (Ukraine), demanded
the Government and Romanian presidency to take the necessary measures
in ensuring the treaties signed by Bucharest and Kiev to be observed.
The representatives of the organization said that Ukraine has not
allotted any money so far in order to set up a Romanian language-high
school, nor to build a bridge over Tisza river, thus rendering easy
passing for the Romanians traveling to their relatives from the
country, namely from Maramures. Another non-observed promise refers to
the installation of bilingual plates within localities where Romanian
population exceeds 20 per cent out of the total. Maramuresan
Association also demands the officials from Bucharest to interrupt
right granting procedures to the Ukrainians from Romania, as long as
Kiev continues breaking the rights of its national minorities. Through
the basic Romanian-Ukrainian Treaty, Kiev pledged to abide by the
rights of the Romanian community, especially in the perspective of
assuring basic rights likened to their identity. The Romanian
organizations from Ukraine for many times claimed the lack of
education form in mother language. (DIVERS)

BUCHAREST TO PAY REPARATION TO ROMANIAN REFUGGEES FROM SOVIET-OCCUPIED
EAST
BUCHAREST - The Romanian government has announced it will pay
compensations to citizens who had left Bessarabia, Northern Bucovina
and Herta County 62 years ago, when these former Romanian territories
were occupied by the Soviet Union during World War II. Bucharest has
approved a legislation granting compensations to citizens who had left
their homes, property and land or lost their crops when the Soviet
troops invaded the eastern provinces of Romania in 1940. 

Both former owners and their legal heirs up to the 4th category
descent qualify for the reparations or compensations, under the
condition they hold the Romanian nationality and are legal residents
at the moment of application.

Under the proposed law, former landowners are allowed to claim
equivalent fields in Romania or financial compensation or reparation.
Claimants shall apply for the reparations or compensations in nine
months after the enactment of the law, if adopted, and shall prove
their claims and support these claims with testimonies from at least
two witnesses. The Romanian government is obliged to pay reparations
or compensations to the citizens who left the lost territories under a
1947 peace treaty signed in Paris between the allies and the defeated
countries. (DIVERS) 

FEATURE

FOR ROMANIA'S ROMA, UNEMPLOYMENT AND POVERTY MAIN REASONS TO GO ABROAD

By Minna Nalbantoglu*

Florea Tanase and Ion Lungu, members of Romania's Roma, or Gipsy
community, live in the town of Giurgiu in the south of the country on
the border with Bulgaria. They first heard about Finland a week ago.

Three families in their neighborhood left for Finland a couple of
weeks ago to seek political asylum there. Many of the nearly 400 Roma
who arrived in Finland recently are from Giurgiu. Some of them called
their families in Giurgiu, and the news spread quickly in the areas
inhabited by the Roma. "In Finland they get 600 euros a month, and
housing is provided", Tanase says, describing what he had heard.

Conditions sounded good in other ways as well, and they decided that
they might like to come to Finland too. They had no definite plans,
but the idea sounded attractive. "We would apply for political
asylum", Tanase says. He believes that it might be possible to get
asylum by telling Finnish officials that he is poor. And what if
poverty is not an acceptable basis for political asylum in Finland?
"Then we'll try some other country. We would try our luck", Tanase
laughs.

Unemployment is the main reason why Tanase and Lungu would like to
leave Romania. There is hardly any work to be found in Giurgiu. Until
the 1990s Tanase worked at three agricultural collectives. He has not
had a steady job since the fall of communism.  Both men take odd jobs
whenever any such work happens to become available. Usually they work
for two or three days in a week. The pay for one day's work is 50,000
Romanian lei, which is less than two euros. The men and their families
live in a small house with a garden and two chickens. A total of four
families live in the house - 20 people including children. They also
have a television - a luxury which makes them ineligible for social
benefits. In the view of the state, anyone who can afford a television
does not really need any help. Some of the children go to school.
Others cannot afford it: although education is free, the cost of
books, pencils, and school clothing would be too high. With no
education, it is likely that the children will also end up unemployed.
This is one reason why the men would like to leave Romania. "We would
like to work abroad for a few years, save our money, and then come
back to Romania", Tanase ponders. 
With the money they would like to arrange a better future for their
children. 

According to the Romany advocacy group Romani CRISS, a major reason
for the poor position of the Roma in Romania is that they are victims
of job discrimination. Romania has Europe's largest population of
Roma, estimated at between two and 2.5 million. Unemployment is a
serious problem in Romania anyway, but it is much worse among the Roma
because of the discrimination.  "Ask any owner of a company and he
will tell you that he would never hire a Roma", says Romani CRISS
leader Costel Bercus.

He says that unemployment among the Roma increased dramatically after
the collapse of the communist system. It is also difficult for the
Roma to get health care and social benefits, because many of them have
no identity documents. "This is why many of them try to find a better
life abroad", Bercus says. In 1999-2000 Romani CRISS conducted a
survey among Roma who had emmigrated to Poland. According to the study
70% of those leaving said that they had left for economic reasons.

Leaving the country is not necessarily very difficult. From the
beginning of this year Romanian citizens have been allowed to travel
to countries of the European Union without a visa. Local travel agents
also arrange trips to Finland and other countries. However, travel
costs money. Tanase and Lungu do not know exactly how much, but they
calculate that they would have to both sav and borrow money for the
trip.
For the poorest of the poor the idea of traveling outside the country
is an impossible dream. In a shanty village on the other side of
Giurgiu nobody knows of anyone who has managed to leave the country.
"We don't have money for that kind of thing", says Elena Costache, a
grandmother of five. Not even odd jobs are available for the people
living here. They survive by salvaging and selling scrap metal from
trash containers and dumps. (The article was first published in the
Finnish daily "Helsingin Sanomat")