Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BUCHAREST457
2006-03-16 15:16:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Bucharest
Cable title:  

ROMANIA'S ETHNIC HUNGARIANS PEACEFULLY CELEBRATE

Tags:  PGOV PREL PHUM SOCI HU RO 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1417
PP RUEHAG RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBM #0457 0751516
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161516Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3965
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHUP/AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 1048
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS BUCHAREST 000457 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE DEPT FOR EUR/NCE - WILLIAM SILKWORTH

E.O. 12958, AS AMENDED: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SOCI HU RO

SUBJECT: ROMANIA'S ETHNIC HUNGARIANS PEACEFULLY CELEBRATE
INDEPENDENCE COMMEMORATION

REF: BUCHAREST 410

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY

UNCLAS BUCHAREST 000457

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE DEPT FOR EUR/NCE - WILLIAM SILKWORTH

E.O. 12958, AS AMENDED: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SOCI HU RO

SUBJECT: ROMANIA'S ETHNIC HUNGARIANS PEACEFULLY CELEBRATE
INDEPENDENCE COMMEMORATION

REF: BUCHAREST 410

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY


1. (SBU) Ethnic Hungarians in Romania of both Magyar and
Szekler descent peacefully commemorated March 15, a day
which marks the 1848-49 Hungarian revolution. In Cluj-
Napoca, Transylvania's largest city, up to 2000 ethnic
Hungarians gathered in the town's center for a low-key
ceremony. One sour note occurred at the end of the ceremony
when whistling and jeering greeted the laying of wreaths of
the Romanian tricolor, obscuring wreaths decorated with
Hungarian national colors. The event's organizers
immediately recognized the faux pas and restored the
Hungarian wreaths to prominence.


2. (SBU) Moderate, mainstream ethnic Hungarian party (UDMR)
leader Bela Marko feted March 15 in another Transylvanian
town, delivering a speech in which he urged greater civil
rights for ethnic-Hungarians. As in previous years, the
Romanian President and Prime Minister sent congratulatory
notes to the ethnic-Hungarian community to mark March 15.
Neither extreme nationalist party Greater Romania Party
(PRM) head Corneliu Vadim Tudor nor his followers staged
counter rallies at any of the observances.


3. (SBU) In the Transylvanian town of Odorheiul Secuiesc,
thousands showed up for a ceremony originally slated for a
declaration of "Szekler autonomy." (Ref) Both the event's
organizer, Mayor Jeno Szasz, leader of the tiny National
Szekler Council (CNS),and Bishop Laszlo Tokes publicly read
"manifestos." Despite reports in preceding days that the
speakers would proclaim "autonomy" for "Szekler Land," (Ref)
the speeches generally steered clear of controversy or
originality, but cited historical and modern precedents in
favor of the establishment of an "autonomous administrative
region." For most of Romania's ethnic-Hungarians, March 15
was a day for celebration, relaxation, and ethnic pride --
not overt politics.

Taubman