OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 47, 7 March 1995
HORN DENOUNCES HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN CHECHNYA. Hungarian Prime Minister
Gyula Horn denounced human rights abuses in Chechnya prior to meeting
with Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin in Moscow on 6 March,
international agencies reported. Horn was accompanied by his foreign
minister, Laszlo Kovacs, who currently holds the rotating OSCE
chairmanship, and Istvan Gyarmati, who headed an OSCE mission to
Chechnya in late January. Horn's talks with Chernomyrdin are expected to
include discussions on Chechnya and bilateral economic matters.
Chernomyrdin said Russia and Hungary have no political disagreements and
"we are great partners and we have a potential for very important
economic development." -- Michael Mihalka, OMRI, Inc.
ROMANIAN-HUNGARIAN TREATY NEGOTIATIONS. Ferenc Somogyi, secretary of
state at the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, began a two-day
visit to Bucharest on 6 March, Romanian media reported the same day.
Somogyi and his Romanian counterpart, Marcel Dinu, are expected to sign
a document accompanying the basic treaty between the two countries.
Expert-level negotiations on the treaty resumed in Budapest at the same
time. Radio Bucharest, quoting MTI, reported on 7 March that the only
outstanding issue to be resolved is that of national minorities. The
previous day, Radio Bucharest reported that two new ethnic Hungarian
organizations in Romania had issued a declaration noting the worsening
situation of Hungarian minorities in "neighboring countries where
aggressive nationalism is growing" and claiming that those minorities
are facing a process of "assimilation and cultural genocide." The
International Transylvanian Committee and the National Union of
Transylvanian Circles insist that the "right to self-determination" for
the Hungarian minorities must be included in basic treaties. -- Michael
Shafir, OMRI, Inc.
[As of 1200 CET]
Compiled by Jan Cleave
Compiled by Victor Gomez
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A tovabbterjesztest a New York-i szekhelyu Magyar Emberi Jogok
Alapitvany tamogatja.
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Reposting is supported by Hungarian Human Rights Foundation News
and Information Service.
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Wednesday, 08 March 1995
Volume 2, Issue 48
REGIONAL NEWS
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**HUNGARY AT FOREFRONT OF CHECHEN PEACE EFFORTS**
Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula Horn announced yesterday that
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or
OSCE, is willing to help broker a ceasefire in Chechnya and
set up a permanent mission there. Horn met with Russian
President Boris Yeltsin yesterday, continuing his visit to
Russia. Hungary is currently chairing the OSCE and, in that
capacity, Horn brought up the issue of OSCE involvement in
Chechnya with Yeltsin. The organization is at odds with
Russia on how to monitor the war in Chechnya. Horn and Yeltsin
also discussed how Russia can continue repaying its $900
million trade debt with Hungary. The debt may be paid with
weapons. Horn gave no details on the proposed arms from Russia
but they could include air defense systems worth $150 million
or more. Russia has already settled $800 million of the debt
with the delivery of two MiG 29 fighter planes in 1993. But
Horn says Russia doesn't want to be on the rceiving end.
Budapest is trying to increase exports to Russia. Horn says
his country is ready to send half a million tons of corn and
about 100,000 tons of pork and poultry to Russia immediately.
--Sarah Brown
**HARSH WORDS IN HUNGARIAN-SLOVAK TREATY TALKS**
Slovakia is accusing Hungary of not honoring international
standards on minority rights. Bratislava is reacting to
comments from Hungarian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Gabor
Szentivanyi, who said on Monday that Slovakia has to "manifest
a stronger political will to conclude these treaties." In a
statement released in response to Szentivanyi yesterday, the
Slovak foreign ministry blamed Hungarians for a lack of
progress on a minority rights treaty the two countries hope to
sign March 21.
BUSINESS NEWS
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**OPPORTUNITIES WAIT AS FOREIGNERS KNOCK**
Representatives from 16 British businesses, mostly consulting
and industrial firms, are in Budapest to scout out
opportunities. During the four day visit, the group will be
looking for customers for their companies' industrial
products, but they'll also be searching out joint ventures,
and investments in Hungarian privatization. Andrew Monroe is
leading the delegation from the Derby chamber of Commerce:
"As a chamber of commerce this is our eighth annual trade
mission to Hungary. So, we identified the opportunity, if you
like, eight years ago, and kept on returning with a new group
of companies year after year."
Monroe says many of the visiting business representatives like
Hungary's central location, and relatively cheap labor force.
NEWS FEATURE
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**INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS TARGET HUNGARIAN ALIEN CAMP**
By Ella Veres
According to statistics from Hungary's border patrol, 84
million foreigners crossed into the country in 1994.
Fifty-eight hundred of them ended up in the Kistarcsa
detention camp for illegal aliens. Last week representatives
from a consortium of human rights groups visited Kistarcsa to
see if these illegal aliens are being unnecessarily treated
like criminals. Today they'll discuss the representatives'
findings.
When Hungary's borders opened in 1989, people wanting to head
West saw the country as the gateway. But many who just wanted
to pass through found the gate closed. As a result, Hungary's
population of illegal immigrants has grown, causing
authorities to crack down. The illegal aliens police catch
often end up at the Kistarcsa dentention camp to await
deportation. Since it was opened in 1990 some 3,000 people
have been sent home all at the expense of the Hungarian
government. The cost: more than $9 million.
Sorin Lucian Negrea from Romania is one of 170 illegal
foreignors currently at Kistarcsa. He says the camp is
supposed to be just a detention center, but those detained are
treated like criminals.
"I don't understand why there are bars everywhere, for we are
neither criminals nor wild beasts. Though police here speak
to us as if we were dogs. We can't go out of the camp and
solve our situation. We can't work, I have to sell my clothes
to get a cigarette. It's worse than in a prison."
But Negrea adds that since 50 volunteer inspectors from a
consortium of human rights groups visited the camp last week,
conditions have already improved.
"Since the watch group was here TV and fridges started to
appear. Even the dust bins were brought only yesterday.
Usually the food is tasteless, this week we have eaten fish
and meat for the first time.
The human rights groups representatives went to the camp when
they heard that people detained there were refused basic
rights, like fresh air and exercise. The group, comprised of
the Hungarian Helsinki Council, the Hungarian center for Human
Rights and the Veritas Foundation, also found that hygiene in
the camp was poor and no health services were available, not
even testing for contagious diseases. A draft of these
findings was sent to the Human Rights Committee of the
Hungarian Parliament two days ago, and will be the topic of
discussion today.
Martin Ill coordinated the group of volunteer inspectors who
ranged from translators to doctors. He says they found that
many prisoners at Kistarcsa are subjected to psychological
abuse.
"During the meals or the weekly football games policemen stand
with rubber sticks, gas spray and handcuffs. You can't keep
people in such an environment with no access to lawyers or
court."
He adds that many people at Kistarcsa aren't even aware they
can appeal against deportation or ask for refugee status. But
the head of the National Police Headquarters' Administration
Department, Julianna Czegeny, says the police at Kistarcsa
don't abuse camp residents.
"Sometimes it looks as if the immigration security staff is
very strict, but I have to say that there are many economic
migrants and few political refugees. Their aim is a Western
country, but there the borders are strongly guarded. If these
people don't get refugee status, our interest is to arrange
quickly their return home. "
In fact in the last four years less than 70 people were
designated refugees by the United Nations. But only about 10
percent of all those who go through Kistarcsa seek refugee
status. Of those who do, only 5 to 6 percent are granted
refugee status. Philippe Labreveux represents the UN's High
Commission for Refugees in Hungary. He says camp residents'
chances of being declared refugees are hurt further by
so-called administrative mistakes by the Hungarian government.
"We've had few problems only with the authorities, last year I
think on two or three occassions, some of the people were not
either allowed to put their claims to us or while we were
studying their claims they were expelled from the country and
we were told that this was an administrative mistake."
But for detainee Mourad Belahsene, who says his request to the
UNHCR was denied, life at the camp is better than being sent
home. He says he once worked for the Algerian Foreign Affairs
Ministry with top secret files and became the victim of
extremists:
"They asked me several times to collaborate with them, they
threatened to kill me. I refused categorically, I gathered
some money and fled with a tourist visa to Romania. After four
months there I crossed the Hungarian border illegally to get
to a Western country which can give me political asylum. I
can't prove that I'm in danger but I fear I will be sent back
home and die there."
So while the Kistarcsa detention camp may seem like an abusive
holding tank to some, it's still better than home for others.
And with the help of Human rights groups, the camp may even
become bearable temporary housing, offering legal assistance
to the many who don't understand their rights.
ABOUT CET ON-LINE
-----------------
* CET On-Line - copyright (c) 1995 Word Up! Inc. All rights reserved.
This publication may be freely forwarded, archived, or
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A tovabbterjesztest a New York-i szekhelyu Magyar Emberi Jogok
Alapitvany tamogatja.
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Reposting is supported by Hungarian Human Rights Foundation News
and Information Service.
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date=3/7/95
type=correspondent report
number=2-175134
title=E-U / Eastern Europe (l-only)
byline=John Fraser
dateline=Brussels
content=
voiced at:
Intro: A study of 18 nations says the majority of people in
Eastern Europe are disillusioned with the economic reforms which
have come following the overthrow of communism. John Fraser in
Brussels reports the European Union surveyed more than
18-thousand people in Eastern and Central Europe.
Text: The survey shows that half the citizens in Central Europe
and the Baltic Republics believe their country is moving in the
wrong direction, with just one-third backing reforms.
The position is even worse in the former Soviet Republics with
two-thirds opposing reforms and just 16 percent in favor.
The report says most people surveyed in the Eastern European
countries say their household finances have gotten worse in the
past year, and they are pessimistic about prospects for this
year.
There were mixed signals on the move toward a market economy.
While most people in Central European nations, including Poland
and Hungary, say they support market reforms, most people in the
former Soviet Republics are against reforms. Just 22 percent of
Russians support the free market, with 63 percent against.
There is a general feeling that the economic reforms are not
bringing benefits because they are going too slowly.
There is also deep dissatisfaction with the development of
democracy, with just eight percent of Russians happy with
progress. Nowhere in Eastern Europe is there a majority
satisfied with progress toward democracy.
There is also concern by the majority of East Europeans that
human rights are not being respected. Russia and Georgia are
the Eastern European nations whose citizens show the most concern
on this front. Only in Slovakia, Hungary, Albania, and the Czech
Republic, do more than half of those surveyed say they are happy
with progress on human rights.
When asked where their country's future lies, twice as many
Russians looked to the United States, as looked to the European
Union as an example to follow. However, people in most Central
European countries see their future more closely linked with the
European Union than with the United States. (Signed)
neb/jf/skh/jwh
07-Mar-95 8:59 am est (1359 utc)
nnnn
source: Voice of America
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A tovabbterjesztest a New York-i szekhelyu Magyar Emberi Jogok
Alapitvany tamogatja.
[*] [*] [*] [*] [*][*] [*][*][*]
[*] [*] [*] [*] [*] [*] [*]
[*][*][*] [*][*][*] [*][*] [*][*]
[*] [*] [*] [*] [*] [*] [*]
[*] [*] [*] [*] [*] [*] [*]
Reposting is supported by Hungarian Human Rights Foundation News
and Information Service.
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|
