MINELRES: Romania: Ethic Minority Briefs No.14

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Mediafax <divers@mediafax.ro>


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No. 14 / July 1, 2002

DIVERS
- reporting ethnic diversity -


SUMMARY
1. ROMANIA HAILS HUNGARY'S COMMITMENT TO MAKE CHANGES TO STATUS LAW
2. IS THERE STILL DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ROMA AT THE OFFICIAL LEVEL?
3. FINLAND EXPELS FIRST ROMA PEOPLE
4. MOLDOVA TO CHANGE ITS ANTHEM?
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ROMANIA HAILS HUNGARY'S COMMITMENT TO MAKE CHANGES TO STATUS LAW
BUCHAREST - Authorities in Bucharest last week saluted the decision of
the new Hungarian Government to change the law on Hungarians living in
neighboring countries, known as the Statute law that stirred up firm
reactions in both Hungary and Romania.
In an official communique issued on 24 June, Romanian PM Adrian
Nastase said that the Hungarian side "fully accepts" the validity of
the memorandum of understanding reached last December, as well as the
"necessity to amend" the Status Law." Nastase added that Bucharest
welcomes this attitude but considers it necessary to establish a
"precise calendar." Being the agreement of the authorities in Budapest
to recognize the validity of the Romanian-Hungarian memorandum and
agree to changes, the Romanian official also requested a "firm agenda
and short terms this time".
"Such positive signals are entirely appreciated by the Romanian
authorities, but we have to make sure they are expressed in written
documents", said Adrian Nastase.
According to the Romanian Government, the new changed Statute Law will
allow for full compliance with European standards and eliminate
violations of the fundamental principles of the international
community.
Romanian and Hungarian Premiers signed, on December 22nd, in Budapest,
the Memorandum of Understanding based on which no discriminatory acts
should be allowed among Hungarian and Romanian citizens, such as
economic and social benefits for one category of population only based
on dual citizenship.
The Statute Law will be enforced only if complying with the provisions
of the memorandum and the recommendations of the Commission in Venice,
agreed last year the two heads of the Romanian and Hungarian
Executives, Adrian Nastase and Viktor Orban. (DIVERS)

IS THERE STILL DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ROMA AT THE OFFICIAL LEVEL?
BUCHAREST - Local press cited last week a special report of the
Romanian Police, in which according to official data, the most
numerous people under investigation for criminal charges are of Roma
origin. Officials from the Police did not want to elaborate, saying
that there is no discrimination against Roma people in Romania, their
data being just for internal use.
Shortly after, Sorin Encutescu, state secretary within the Defense
Ministry said that another media reports on discrimination against
Roma in the army are groundless. Encutescu accepted that should be
cases in which "low-ranked commanders" may commit anti-Roma acts, but
they are "isolated" ones. He added that the Defense Ministry will
punish any discriminatory acts, and set up a special commission n
charge of implementing the governmental strategy on the improvement of
the Roma minority situation. (DIVERS)

FINLAND EXPELS FIRST ROMA PEOPLE
BUCHAREST - A first group of 53 Roma whose request for political
asylum in Finland was rejected has been sent back to Romania last week
on 26 June. In the last months over 500 Roma from Romania have
requested asylum in Finland. Of those, 253 have been either rejected
by the authorities or withdrawn by the applicants themselves, and more
than 200 Roma still await a decision on their asylum requests.
(DIVERS)

MOLDOVA TO CHANGE ITS ANTHEM?
CHISINAU - The daily "Moldova Suverana" on June 25 wrote that Moldova
should change its national anthem, whose lyrics are based on the idea
that Romanian and Moldavian languages are the same.
The daily newspaper, which is close to the communist government in
charge at Chisinau (Kishinev), added that the the multinational
Moldovan state will not be able to achieve European integration and
genuine national unity as long as its anthem praises the language of
but one of its nationalities. Politicians from the Moldavian
opposition, quoted by the RFE/RL, said that the "antinational and
antidemocratic regime" intends to produce an anthem based on the
"primitive idea of Moldovianism." (DIVERS)

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