Romania: Uniunea Democrata Maghiara din Romania (UDMR) - Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (DAHR) in English: treatment of its members by authorities; whether there have been any reports of harassment, arrests or disruptions of its meetings anywhere in the country

The UDMR has been part of the Romanian government ruling coalition since 1996 (Andreescu Oct. 1999, 9; UDMR n.d.). In 1996 parliamentary elections, the party won over six per cent of the vote for both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, while a UDMR candidate won just over six per cent in a presidential ballot (ibid.). In local elections that year, over 100 mayors, over 100 county counsellors and over 2,000 local counsellors from the UDMR were elected (ibid.).

Representatives of Liga Pro Europa and Minority Rights Group International (MRG), as well as Romania's former Minister for Nationalities (a UDMR Member of Parliament), all stated that the UDMR is able to function without impediments (3 Apr. 2000; 4 Apr. 2000; 6 Apr. 2000).

"I can't say that the UDMR would not have all the chances to work freely" as any other party in Romania, the MRG representative stated; "in today's Romania, political parties can work freely" (4 Apr.). At the same time, she stated that there are certain subtle ways that the functioning of the party can be made more difficult (6 Apr. 2000). She cited as an example the fact that on occasion the Romanian government might call international meetings without informing representatives of Romania's Hungarians (ibid.). The UDMR chairman has pointed out that despite the party's membership in the coalition, "it has had no representative in the Ministry of the Interior or in the leadership of the Romanian intelligence service" (Hungarian Radio 26 Mar. 2000).

As to potential threats to individuals, the MRG representative is of the opinion that individuals of minority groups — with the exception of Roma — are not at risk of physical mistreatment or harassment from representatives of the authorities based on their membership in a minority group: "Hungarians would not be beaten because they are Hungarian" (6 Apr. 2000).

The Liga Pro Europa representative states that "Nobody was threaten (sic) in Romania only because he was a member of UDMR" (3 Apr. 2000).

In October 1998, the Chairman of the ultra-nationalist Greater Romania Party in Covasna County claimed that the party had recruited a 127-member national guard that would be used to execute leaders of the UDMR (Hungarian Minorities Monitor Oct. 1998). The UDMR asked the Brasov County Prosecutor General's office to investigate and no charges were laid as the office found no evidence of the existence of such a guard (ibid. Jan. 1999; ibid. Feb. 1999). One newspaper reported that the same prosecutors had, in contrast, "vigorously pursue[d] a complaint filed against [UDMR] politicians" (ibid.). In that instance, 20 UDMR politicians were subpoenaed following a complaint filed by Cluj Mayor Gheorghe Funar regarding a September 1998 UDMR conference in Cernat, which he claimed had posed a threat to national security (ibid.). The case was closed in March 1999 (ibid. Mar. 1999).

The MRG representative is of the opinion that an individual would not lose his or her employment if it was discovered that they were UDMR supporters (6 Apr. 2000) However, it is possible that if someone were found out to be an advocate of Hungarian rights or a supporter of the UDMR that they might not be offered a position they were applying for; "This is not a regular occurrence, but it cannot be excluded," she added. Both she and the former minister pointed out that ethnic Hungarians are not accepted into the higher echelons of certain ministries, such as the Interior Ministry or the Foreign Ministry (ibid.; 4 Apr. 2000).

Both the former minister and the MRG representative emphasized that the legal framework in Romania is a relatively good one, but that implementation is a problem, as is the "general mentality" or culture of the population that is anti-Hungarian or anti-minority (4 Apr. 2000; 6 Apr. 2000). Both indicated that the situation of members of minorities can vary, either because of political change, in the opinion of the former minister (4 Apr. 2000), or because of the undue importance of personal contacts in societal relations (6 Apr. 2000).

Two sources make reference to the secret services having a particular interest in the functioning of the UDMR. In its October 1999 NGO report on the implementation of the Council of Europe's Framework Convention on National Minorities, Gabriel Andreescu (APADOR-CH) refers to the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) as maintaining a "menacing character" toward national minorities even after the UDMR's 1996 accession to the governing coalition (Oct. 1999, 9). The report states that:

[The] SRI continues to believe that the opinions related to the existence of xenophobia and anti-Semitism in Romania, or the opinions discussed by national minorities related to various forms of administrative autonomy, are a threat to the Romanian State. It follows that the persons belonging to national minorities – especially their leaders – or those who approach the issue of national minorities continue to be threatened to be placed under surveillance by the SRI. This is a gross violation of inter-ethnic relations in Romania, stemming not (necessarily) from the particular person appointed as Director of the Romanian Intelligence Service, but rather from an institutional behaviour (ibid., 10).

The report states that a 1999 meeting between the UDMR and international Hungarian representatives in Odorheiu Secuiesc was "closely monitored" by the SRI (Andreescu Oct. 1999, 24).

The Liga Pro Europa representative also states that "the secret police, SRI had and has a special attention for UDMR leaders, considering that some persons represent a danger for the national, unified state. It is also true that by the law on national security, every person who could endanger the national, unified state by any action, could be punished by jail" (3 Apr. 2000). He cites an instance in which an individual — an Austrian citizen —was expelled from the country under the justification cited above for publicly advocating Hungarian autonomy within Romania; no date is provided (3 Apr. 2000).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Andreescu, Gabriel. October 1999. Romania: Shadow Report: October 1999. (NGO Report on Romania's compliance with the Council of Europe's Framework Convention on National Minorities)

Hungarian Minorities Monitor. March 1999. "Rumania: Transylvania/Erdély" [Accessed 6 Apr. 2000]

_____. February 1999. "Rumania: Transylvania/Erdély" [Accessed 30 Mar. 2000]

_____. January 1999. "Rumania: Transylvania/Erdély" [Accessed 30 Mar. 2000]

_____. October 1998. "Rumania: Transylvania/Erdély" [Accessed 6 Apr. 2000]

Hungarian Radio [Budapest, in Hungarian]. 26 March 1000. "Ethnic Hungarian Leader Complains of Inequality in Government Coalition." (BBC Summary 28 Mar. 2000/NEXIS)

Liga Pro Europa, Bucharest. 3 April 2000. Correspondence.

Member of Romanian Parliament and former Minister of Nationalities, Bucharest. 4 April 2000. Telephone interview.

Minority Rights Group (MRG), Central and Eastern Europe Programme Manager, Budapest. 6 April 2000. Telephone interview.

Uniunea Democrata Maghiara din Romania (UDMR). n.d. "Brief Presentation." [Accessed 30 Mar. 2000]