John Woods
They broke into and desecrated the WWII
cemetery where Hungarian, German and Austrian soldiers rest, smashed several
wooden crosses that marked the memory of fallen Hungarian heroes and beat up
Hungarians protecting the cemetery with flagpoles and rods torn from the fence.
Meanwhile, the Romanian gendarmerie did almost nothing; nobody was taken into
custody yet because of what had happened, and the Romanian ambassador in
Budapest refused to show up in the Hungarian foreign ministry and give an
explanation as to what happened and why due to a higher order.
“Out with the Hungarians from the country!”
According to the newsletter of the Mikó Imre
Minority Rights Legal Services Assistance, close to a thousand civilians and
public personalities from Szeklerland formed a human chain around the military
cemetery in the Úz Valley yesterday (Friday) afternoon in order to inhibit
Romanians from unlawfully breaking into the common graveyard, where the bodies
of Austrian, German and Hungarian soldiers rest. Meanwhile, Romanian groups
demanding the opening of the cemetery gate shouted “out with the Hungarians
from the country!”, sang irredentist songs and yelled at Hungarians.
The Romanian crowd was strongly influenced by
alcohol and revolted then climbed on the fence, broke the cemetery gate,
smashed several wooden crosses that marked the memory of Hungarian heroes, beat
up Hungarians with flagpoles and rods torn from the fence, causing enormous
damage both in a moral and physical sense. The Romanian authorities quickly
lost control over the happenings, though Romanian foreign minister Teodor
Meleșcanu previously promised his Hungarian counterpart that they would do
everything to prevent provocations and physical abuse towards local Hungarians.
However, though Romanian authorities were present at the scene, they were not
able or would not like to protect the Hungarians, and yet, nobody has been
arrested, and nobody has been taken into custody because of what happened.
The Romanian ambassador refused to give an explanation.
Furthermore, representatives of Romanian political organisations also took part
in the event, radicalising the civilians and sharing abusing texts against
Hungarians on social media. Meanwhile, Hungarians were praying, and a lot of
them even burst into tears because of what happened.
Hunor Kelemen, president of the Democratic
Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), condemned the incident from Úz
Valley and called the destruction of the cemetery a barbaric act. He said that
the Hungarians did not provoke anyone but formed a human chain to protect the
memory of their ancestors. He added that the Romanian news televisions should
put an end to misinformation and incitement because it only leads to further
conflicts. He also asked the Prime Minister to replace the Minister of Internal
Affairs and the prefect of Harghita county, both of whom were responsible for
letting such severe atrocities to take place.
According to MTI, Romania’s ambassador to
Hungary has been summoned to the foreign ministry to account for what had
happened but refused to comply, citing conflicting orders. On a press
conference today, state Secretary Levente Magyar said about the refusal that it
is “below all courtesy and friendship” and “Romania has refused an opportunity
for dialogue.” In fact, the ministry already issued a diplomatic note of
protest yesterday. Magyar added that Hungary still has a vested interest in a
correct and good relationship with Romania to ensure the peaceful coexistence
of Hungarians and Romanians.
Both government parties and Hungarian
opposition parties Jobbik – Movement for a Better Hungary and Our Home Movement
condemned the vandal destruction of the cemetery. The Romanian foreign ministry
issued a statement today in which they would like their Hungarian counterpart
to send a clear message towards Hungarians living in Romania to put an end to
boosting further tensions. Thus, it is clear that the Romanian government
blames Hungarians for what happened yesterday.
The antecedents
In fact, the local administration of the
village of Dărmănești/Dormánfalva appropriated illegally the Hungarian military
cemetery located in neighbouring Harghita county earlier this year. This is
because a law from 1968 clearly states that the valley belongs to Sânmartin/
Csíkszentmárton, a Hungarian village in Harghita county, instead of
Dărmănești/Dormánfalva, a Romanian settlement in Bacău county. The situation
has worsened considerably after several Hungarians were taken in for
questioning by the police, while the local administration of
Dărmănești/Dormánfalva that illegally put up concrete crosses and monuments in
the cemetery has still not been brought to account.
Árpád Antal, the president of the Szekler
Council of Local Representatives, declared then that “we, Transylvanian
Hungarians, are citizens with full rights of both Europe and Romania, and we do
not accept to be treated as second-class citizens in our homeland. Asking for
the situation of the military cemetery in Valea Uzului/Úz-völgye to be settled,
for the violation of the rights of our community to cease and for those
responsible to be brought to justice is a legitimate demand, one that we will
not give up.”
On the 16th of May, an unknown group of people
covered the crosses that had been illegally put up by the local government of
Dărmănești/Dormánfalva with black sacks. Although members of the Hungarian
community immediately removed the sacks, and the Szekler Council of Local
Representatives qualified the act as an obvious provocation, distancing
themselves from both the persons committing the act, as well as the act itself,
the Romanian media and some politicians took the opportunity to initiate a hate
campaign against Hungarians.
The cemetery located in Valea Uzului/Úz-völgye
(Valley of Uz) was the site of several battles during World War II. In fact,
many Hungarian and German, but no Romanian soldiers are buried there. The
cemetery has come to be almost like a place of pilgrimage, not only for
Hungarians living in Transylvania but for all Hungarians.
(In World War II, both Hungary
and Romania were allied with Hitler’s Germany. Hungarian forces participated in
Germany’s invasion of Yugoslavia and of the Soviet Union. When Hungarian
leaders decided they backed the wrong side, they began talks with Allied
nations. Hitler found out and in March 1944 occupied Hungary. Romania joined
the Axis powers in November 1940 and committed soldiers and a base of invasion
of the Soviet Union in 1941. With the invasion of Soviet troops in 1944,
Romania changed sides. After the war, Romania lost territory to the Soviet
Union and to Bulgaria, but regained northern Transylvania from Hungary. Much of
the animosity between Hungary and Romania is from both world wars of the 20th
century, plus occupation by Muslims in previous centuries.)
