Statement of the WFH
5 March 2006

Autonomy for the Székelyland
Call for international support

The World Federation of Hungarians, the world largest Hungarian civil organization is turning to the international community in order to ask help in avoiding that, on 15 March 2006, the Székelyföld (Land of the Székely) become a place of violence and be turned into a second Kososvo.

You have certainly been informed about the fact that the Székely National Council, in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Székelyudvarhely (Odorheiul Secuiesc) called the inhabitants of Székelyland to participate, on 15 March 2006, in a public assembly at which the population would give expression to its desire to establish the autonomy/self-government of the Székely region. This particular date has been chosen, because, since 1848, this day simbolizes the longing and fighting for freedom of the Hungarian nation.

The World Federation of Hungarians is deeply concerned about the reports, according to which:
(1) in a TV emmission lasting one and a half hours (Saturday, 4 March 2006) Mr. C.V.Tudor, the leader of the „Great Romania Party”, called the Romanian population to travel by the hundreds of thousands to Székelyudvarhely to a counter-demonstration, at which they should beat up and destroy the Székelys; and
(2) the mobilization of troups and the deployment of tanks could be observed.

It seems to be unavoidable that international community should call on the Romanian Government to ensure that no violence is employed against the participants of the assembly, and to take appropriate measures to safeguard Székelyföld and its population.

In demanding the above, we would like to draw your attention to the following points:
(1) The Romanian State, which was enlarged after World War I, promised that the Hungarians in Transylvania would be granted self-government. In the treaty concluded in Paris on 9 December 1919, Romania accepted to garantee the autonomy of the Székely.
(2) In Székelyföld, which is roughly equivalent to the size of Slovenia, 87% of the one million inhabitants belong to the Székely nation.
(3) The European history of the Székelys reaches back to ancient times. Sicily and the indigenous population of Malta still wear the name of the Székely. The Székely belong to those rare nations which since ancient times possesses its own script, namely the Székely runic writing. Székelyföld has a rich and well organized tradition of self-government, which ranges from the Székely village legislations to the Székely Constitution, adopted in Székelyudvarhely on 23 November 1505. This Constitution was the first in Europe which made legally binding the inviolability of individual freedom.

As we are calling the peoples and nations of the world to support the aspiration for self-government of the Székelys, who are an integral part of the Hungarian nation, we remind everyone that the Hungarian State was throughout the centuries in the vanguard of guaranteeing the autonomy of national minorities. For example, the Andreanum, edicted by King Endre II in 1224, guaranteed during eight centuries the self-government and continued development of the Saxons in Transylvania.

We attach, for information, the closing statement of the conference entitled „Quo vadis Székelyland-Terra Siculorum”, held on 21 June 2003, which has already expressed the Székely’s desire for autonomy.

Budapest, 5 March 2006

Miklós Patrubány
President
World Federation of Hungarians

Discussion/Fórum