Romania: Information on the treatment of miners who participated in the September 1991 demonstration in Bucharest, including whether miners were identified as perpetrators of the demonstration and the treatment of those suspected of having participated, whether any miners were illegally detained, charged with criminal offenses or put on trial, and whether the miners' unions protested any human rights abuses committed by state authorities against the miners
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 July 1996 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ROM24543.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Romania: Information on the treatment of miners who participated in the September 1991 demonstration in Bucharest, including whether miners were identified as perpetrators of the demonstration and the treatment of those suspected of having participated, whether any miners were illegally detained, charged with criminal offenses or put on trial, and whether the miners' unions protested any human rights abuses committed by state authorities against the miners, 1 July 1996, ROM24543.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad8e2c.html [accessed 4 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Numerous documentary sources consulted allege that different forces including President Iliescu, the Romanian Intelligence Service (RIS) (successor to the Securitate), and former Communist Party members, manipulated the miners involved in the September 1991 demonstration in Bucharest (RFE/RL 18 Oct. 1991a, 20; Reuters 18 June 1993; Manchester Guardian Weekly 13 Oct. 1991; Reuters 1 Oct. 1991). Response to Information Request ROM11509 of 11 August 1992, attached, in fact provides articles which discuss the possibility that the miners were manipulated by President Iliescu. The demonstration itself, a protest against low salaries, high prices and poor living conditions, turned into three days of rioting during which the violent conduct of both state authorities and miners resulted in a least two deaths and more than 400 injured (RFE/RL 18 Oct. 1991a, 18; The Independent 28 Sept. 1991; Reuters 18 May 1992).
Information concerning the possible illegal detention or arrest of the miners, or concerning criminal charges laid against them due to their involvement in the September 1991 demonstration, is scarce; some reports claim the miners were not punished at all (Reuters 10 June 1994; Rompres 28 Sept. 1991). It may be of interest to note that several sources also indicate that as authorities did not prosecute or punish those responsible for previous miners' riots during 1990-91 the miners may have participated in the September 1991 demonstration without fear of reprisal (LCHR July 1992, 294-95; Rompres 28 Sept. 1991; HRW 1991, 514).
A Reuters report alleges that 200 demonstrators, not miners, had been arrested during the June 1990 miners' clashes in Bucharest (18 May 1992); also, excessive force and violence was apparently used against demonstrators in the September 1991 riots, although again not against miners in particular (LCHR July 1992, 295; RFE/RL 18 Oct. 1991b, 44). No reports of arrests were made during or immediately following the September 1991 riots (Reuters 28 Sept. 1991), and according to Human Rights Watch World Report 1992, at the end of 1991 no one had been arrested for participating in the demonstration (1991, 515).
Two sources make reference to a parliamentary commission and to the office of the Prosecutor General, both of which were to conduct an inquiry into the September 1991 events; at the end of 1991, about 80 people were being investigated for their role in the demonstration (RFE/RL 24 Jan. 1992, 75; HRW 1991, 515). Nonetheless, one source refers to the public prosecutor's office as a "Securitate stronghold" (Manchester Guardian Weekly 13 Oct. 1991). A May 1992 Reuters report stated that Romanian police had proposed the arrest and prosecution of the two miners' leaders, Miron Cosma and Octavian Silviu Popescu (18 May 1992). As of 1994, however, Miron Cosma "had a significant say in who governs the country" and was reportedly planning a foray into Romanian politics (The Guardian 28 Feb. 1994; Reuters 10 June 1994). A sole civil case brought by a shop owner against seven miners who had looted his shop during the September 1991 demonstration resulted in jail sentences of about two years for all seven (Reuters 21 Sept. 1993). Up to that point, it was the only court case brought against the miners (ibid.).
Information on whether the miners' unions protested any human rights abuses committed by state authorities against the miners could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB 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. Please find below a list of additional sources consulted in researching this Response to Information Request.
References
The Guardian [London]. 28 February 1994. Julian Borger. "Strike Adds to Romanian Government's Troubles." (NEXIS)
Human Rights Watch (HRW). 1991. Human Rights Watch World Report 1992. New York: Human Rights Watch.
The Independent [London]. 28 September 1991. Adam Lebor. "Thousands Fight Security Forces in Bucharest." (NEXIS)
Lawyers Committee for Human Rights (LCHR). July 1992. Critique: Review of the Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1991. New York: LCHR.
Manchester Guardian Weekly [London]. 13 October 1991. Jean-Baptiste Naudet. "Whose Hand Was Behind the Miners' Coup in Romania." (NEXIS)
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). 18 October 1991a. Report on Eastern Europe [Munich]. Vol. 2, No. 42. Dan Ionescu. "Riots Topple Petre Roman's Cabinet."
_____. 18 October 1991b. Report on Eastern Europe [Munich]. Vol. 2, No. 42. "Weekly Record of Events."
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Research Institute. 24 January 1992. RFE/RL Research Report [Munich]. "Weekly Review."
Reuters. 10 June 1994. Karin Popescu. "Romanian Miners Leader Eyes Political Career." (NEXIS)
_____. 21 September 1993. BC Cycle. "Seven Romanian Miners Jailed for Riot Damage." (NEXIS)
_____. 18 June 1993. BC Cycle. "Romanian Miners' Leader Accuses Securitate." (NEXIS)
_____. 18 May 1992. BC Cycle. "Leaders of Romanian Miners' Riots Face Possible Arrest." (NEXIS)
_____. 1 October 1991. Douglas Hamilton. "Roman's Bid to Regain Romanian Power Helped by Coup Charges." (NEXIS)
_____. 28 September 1991. PM Cycle. Douglas Hamilton. "Romanian Police Crush Miners' Protest in Pre-Dawn Attack." (NEXIS)
Rompres [Bucharest, in English]. 28 September 1991. "Press Reaction to Latest Events Reported." (FBIS-EEU-91-189 30 Sept. 1991, p. 29)
Attachments
The Guardian [London]. 28 February 1994. Julian Borger. "Strike Adds to Romanian Government's Troubles." (NEXIS)
Immigration and Refugee Board Documentation Centre (IRBDC). 11 August 1992. Response to Information Request ROM11509.
The Independent [London]. 28 September 1991. Adam Lebor. "Thousands Fight Security Forces in Bucharest." (NEXIS)
Manchester Guardian Weekly [London]. 13 October 1991. Jean-Baptiste Naudet. "Whose Hand was Behind the Miners' Coup in Romania." (NEXIS)
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). 18 October 1991. Report on Eastern Europe [Munich]. Vol. 2, No. 42. Dan Ionescu, "Riots Topple Petre Roman's Cabinet," pp. 18-22.
_____. 18 October 1991. Report on Eastern Europe [Munich]. Vol. 2, No. 42. "Weekly Record of Events," p. 44.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Research Institute. 24 January 1992. RFE/RL Research Report. "Weekly Review," pp. 75-76.
Reuters. 10 June 1994. BC Cycle. Karin Popescu. "Romanian Miners Leader Eyes Political Career." (NEXIS)
_____. 21 September 1993. BC Cycle. "Seven Romanian Miners Jailed for Riot Damage." (NEXIS)
_____. 18 June 1993. BC Cycle."Romanian Miners' Leader Accuses Securitate." (NEXIS)
_____. 18 May 1992. BC Cycle. "Leaders of Romanian Miners' Riots Face Possible Arrest." (NEXIS)
_____. 1 October 1991. Douglas Hamilton. "Roman's Bid to Regain Romanian Power Helped by Coup Charges." (NEXIS)
_____. 28 September 1991. PM Cycle. Douglas Hamilton. "Romanian Police Crush Miners' Protest in Pre-Dawn Attack." (NEXIS)
Rompres [Bucharest, in English]. 28 September 1991. "Press Reaction to Latest Events Reported." (FBIS-EEU-91-189 30 Sept. 1991, p. 29)
Additional Sources Consulted
Amnesty International. 1991. Amnesty International Report 1991. New York: Amnesty International USA.
DIRB and UNHCR databases.
Documentation, Information and Research Branch (DIRB), Immigration and Refugee Board, Ottawa. April 1996. Contextual and Human Rights Packages: Romania.
Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. Monthly. 1983 to present.
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Daily Reports. Daily. 1991 to present.
DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa]. 1991 to present.
The Europa World Year Book. Yearly. 1991.
DIRB country file: Romania. 1991 to present.
