A Magyar Lobbi akciólevele az amerikai elnökhöz a Székely Nemzeti Tanács vezetőinek romániai zaklatása ügyében. Részlet a Magyar Lobbi 2004. január 9-i akció körleveléből.

RE: “Szekler National Council”

Dear Mr. President,

Recently, representatives of approximately 700,000 Szeklers living in a coherent group in Romania formed the “Szekler National Council.” The goal of the Szekler National Council (SzNC) is the formation of an autonomous Szeklerland within the borders of Romania.

Currently, the members of this council are being harassed by the Romanian government. On October 9, 2003 the Romanian police arrested and questioned for several hours Mr. Imre Fodor, Mr. Árpád Andrássy, Mr. Lajos Márton and Mr. András Tőkés.

The Szeklers are the Transylvanian branch of the Magyar people; their dialect of Hungarian is written in its own runic alphabet. The Szeklers had autonomy for approximately one thousand years — autonomy that was granted to them by the Hungarian kings. This autonomy was lost after WWI, when the Szekler lands were given to Romania.

We hope that the autonomy in the Szeklerland can be established on the model of South Tyrol, the Basque Country, Catalonia, or the Swedish people in Finland.

Dear Mr. President, in addition to the Szeklers, some 1.54 million American-Hungarians are also hoping that you will order an investigation of these harassments and will speak up for the human rights of the Szekler people in Romania.

Respectfully yours,

Frissítés: a román Legfelsőbb Honvédelmi Tanács alkotmányellenesnek nyilvánította a székely autonómia tervezetét

Radio Free Europe jelentése (2004. január 21.): “A statement issued on 21 January by Romania’s Supreme Council for National Defense (CSAT) said a proposed law on autonomy for lands inhabited by the Hungarian-minority Szeklers is ‘unconstitutional,’ Mediafax reported. The statement said administrative autonomy and the safeguarding of national minorities’ rights must not be mistakenly interpreted as tantamount to territorial autonomy based on ethnicity.”

President Ion Iliescu said the CSAT has taken a principled stand on the issue, but noted that deeper analysis of the draft project approved by the Szekler National Council (CNS/SZNT) is parliament’s task. Iliescu said any group of citizens is entitled to propose legislation, but the constitution entitles parliament alone to approve or reject law proposals. CNS Chairman Jozsef Csapo said the council has taken note of the CSAT’s position, but intends to continue pushing the proposal in parliament, and to submit it to the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Forrás: A Magyar Lobbi Akció Körlevele, 2004. január 9. és 2004. január 23.