5. The present and future

What to tell then about the future?, is there a space under this circumstances even to discus about it, and if it is, is it possible to say something new and unheard?, Well, after these last 15 years it appears clear that the serbian regime is doing almost nothing to change the situation, there is nothing what can be even called for "future", or can be associated with it, anyway or anyhow.

There are many different options and solutions, but really it has to be said, that there are no "magic formulas" or fast solutions.

After the Air strikes, the chance was given, but the world turned it's back once and again, to Vajdaság. Even with a "sudden" disappearance of Milosevic's regime, unfortunately it seems to take several decades to restart, or build up, all that, what has been constantly "butchered" and in many cases never existed.

Unfortunatelly the institutions of democracy, laws that grant human rights to all citizens, including minorities, juridical system, the police, and the state prosecutors that doesn't discriminate the minorities do still not exist in Serbia.

The democratic structures of a civil society, the "culture of democracy" with it's all components and on all levels, (in governmental, juridical, banking, civil institutions, and not least the sphere of human and minority right), that type of culture, if ever existed, after all damage that it has been done, nowadays seems to us just as a bare dream to restart or establish at least something of it.

On the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the Trianon Peace Dictate of 4 June 1920 following World War I, we would like to draw attention to the still unresolved problems of Vajdaság Hungarians who came under serbian rule as a result of this dictate of Alied powers.

Even to this date the promised rights have not been provided to the native hungarians. Hungarians living in the historically Hungarian-inhabited areas in Vajdaság are increasingly forced to face intolerance, violence and discrimination and, furthermore, they are not able to exercise their right to self-determination - not even in the form of autonomy. The fact that the local government in the Province of Vajdaság, do have Hungarian members does not help the situation, rather, it diverts attention away from the actual realities.

For this reason, the situation of Hungarians living in Vajdaság requires increased attention and assistance in solving the problems in the interest of preventing conflicts and maintaining stability.

Some 30 years ago, on 1 August 1975, with the signing of the Helsinki Final Act, a process was started which led to a breakthrough in the area of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe and forged the signatory countries together in a community of values. Some 15 years ago (Copenhagen, 1990), the OSCE was the first to react to the minority problem and to draft standards in the field of minority protection.

The development trends of the past 15 years have shown that, being an indispensable and essential part (ius cogens) of international law, the peoples' right to self-determination has a growing significance. We hereby appeal to the OSCE's organization and member states to react to the challenge as a "community of responsibility" and take the first steps for the protection of Hungarian people living in the Carpathian basin (including Vajdaság) who are in need of this in the interest of preserving their historical, national and cultural identity. The mechanisms that are to support the assertion of the notion of "the right of peoples to self-determination", which is defined in Article 1. of International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights and in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, would also be helpful throughout the world in preventing conflicts.

Therefore, for the Hungarian people living beyond the border, who have been separated from the mother country for more than 80 years by a state border whose dividing role cannot be eliminated even within the framework of the European Union, we the signatories of this letter demand:

Freedom and the right to self-determination and human dignity on the basis of democracy, rule of law and equality of peoples and nations.

As Hungarians, we just want to call up and remind the western media knowledge, about our fellow countryman and women, about their situation and about the necessity on humanitarian help and support on levels. We see, that the only solution is to help and support those local communities, cites and civil organisations in Vajdaság, which in spite of all above mentioned facts, still stand up and fight and oppose the suppression and terror of the existing regime.

Our intention was to speak up and reveal the truth, and the facts on Atrocities committed against the Vajdaság Hungarians in 1944/45, to speak about issues, that has been "unspoken", for many years. If we managed to "clear up" the doubts, across this presentation, that action on strengthening the Minority Rights is not just necessity but indeed needed in Vajdaság (Vojvodina), then at least some of our goals toward reaching the aims has been achieved.



This presentation is made by Kormos László webeditor on Hungarian Swedish Online Resources.



[1.Background]   [2.numbers & facts]   [3.Methods of holocaust]  [4.Places and times of the massacres]   [5.The present & future]   [6.Autonomy Aspiration of Hungarians abroad]