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 UC - NRLF

KF
27 B4 351 148
F64214
1985e
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 HUMAN RIGHTS IN ROMANIA

HEARING
BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEES ON EUROPE AND THE

MIDDLE EAST AND ON HUMAN RIGHTS
AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OF THE

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NINETY -NINTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION

MAY 14, 1985

Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
SANTA CRUZ

OCT 30 1985

U.S. DEPOS.
COV'T. PUAS. - LIBRARY

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

49-957 O WASHINGTON : 1985
Univ. Library, UC Santa Cruz 1990

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS

DANTE B. FASCELL , Florida, Chairman
LEE H. HAMILTON , Indiana WILLIAM S. BROOMFIELD , Michigan
GUS YATRON , Pennsylvania BENJAMIN A. GILMAN , New York
STEPHEN J. SOLARZ, New York ROBERT J. LAGOMARSINO, California
DON BONKER , Washington JIM LEACH , Iowa
GERRY E. STUDDS, Massachusetts TOBY ROTH, Wisconsin
DAN MICA, Florida OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine
MICHAEL D. BARNES, Maryland HENRY J. HYDE , Illinois
HOWARD WOLPE, Michigan GERALD B. H. SOLOMON , New York
GEO . W. CROCKETT, JR. , Michigan DOUG BEREUTER , Nebraska
SAM GEJDENSON , Connecticut MARK D. SILJANDER, Michigan
MERVYN M. DYMALLY, California ED ZSCHAU , California
TOM LANTOS, California ROBERT K. DORNAN , California
PETER H. KOSTMAYER, Pennsylvania CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey
ROBERT G. TORRICELLI, New Jersey CONNIE MACK , Florida
LAWRENCE J. SMITH, Florida MICHAEL DEWINE, Ohio
HOWARD L. BERMAN, California DAN BURTON , Indiana
HARRY REID, Nevada JOHN MCCAIN , Arizona
MEL LEVINE , California
EDWARD F. FEIGHAN , Ohio
TED WEISS, New York
GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York
BUDDY MACKAY, FLORIDA
MORRIS K. UDALL, Arizona
ROBERT GARCIA, New York
JOHN J. BRADY, Jr., Chief of Staff
ROXANNE PERUGINO, Staff Assistant
SHIRLEY DAWSON, Staff Assistant

SUBCOMMITTEE ON EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

LEE H. HAMILTON , Indiana, Chairman
TOM LANTOS, California BENJAMIN A. GILMAN, New York
ROBERT G. TORRICELLI, New Jersey MARK D. SILJANDER , Michigan
LAWRENCE J. SMITH , Florida ED ZSCHAU , California
MEL LEVINE, California ROBERT K. DORNAN , California
HARRY REID, Nevada CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey
EDWARD F. FEIGHAN , Ohio
GARY L. ACKERMAN , New York
MICHAEL H. Van DUSEN, Staff Director
RICHARD J. GARON, Minority Staff Consultant
KENNETH B. Moss, Subcommittee Staff Consultant
CHRISTOPHER A. KOJM , Subcommittee Staff Consultant

SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

GUS YATRON , Pennsylvania, Chairman
GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York GERALD B.H. SOLOMON , New York
DON BONKER, Washington CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey
TOM LANTOS, California MARK D. SILJANDER , Michigan
EDWARD F. FEIGHAN , Ohio DAN BURTON , Indiana
GEO . W. CROCKETT, JR., Michigan
MARK J. TAVLARIDES, Subcommittee Staff Director
David LONIE , Minority Staff Consultant
BERNADETTE PAOLO , Subcommittee Staff Consultant
KERRY BOLOGNESE, Subcommittee Staff Consultant
( 11 )
 KI
27
214
CONTENTS
Love
WITNESSES
Page
Jeri Laber, executive director, Helsinki Watch 8
Nina Shea, program director, International League for Human Rights 35
Robert Sharlet, consultant, East European coordination group, Amnesty
International, U.S.A., accompanied by Curt Goering, Washington Office,
Middle East and Europe Coordinator .... 73
Laszlo Hamos, chairman, Committee for Human Rights in Rumania ... 83
Gary Matthews, Senior Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of
Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs ...... 99

MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD

Compilation of unresolved cases from the Family-Reunification Project of the
International League for Human Rights .......... 62

APPENDIXES
1. Letter from Jeffrey A. Collins, executive director, Christian Response Inter
national, to the members of the subcommittee, transmitting a copy of the
resolution passed by Christian Response International on May 10, 1985, in
Zurich , Switzerland, regarding Romania .. 117
2. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1984, section on Romania ... 120
3. Annual Romanian Emigration to the United States, Israel, and the Federal
Republic of Germany, 1971-84, prepared by the Department of State ........ 131
4. Statement by Hon . Robert H. Michel, Republican leader, U.S. House of
Representatives, from the State of Illinois ...... 138
5. Statement of Ion Vardala, vice president, Truth About Romania Committee 139
6. Article by Peter K. Keresztes entitled “The Bible as Romanian Toilet
Paper ,” published in the Wall Street Journal, June 14, 1985 ... 144
7. Article by Nine Shea entitled “Press Rumania on Rights,” published in the
New York Times, June 12, 1985 .. 146
8. Article in the New York Times entitled “ Rumanians Accused,” June 10,
1985 ... 148
9. Prepared statement of Hon. Christopher H. Smith, a Representative in
Congress from the State of New Jersey .... 149

( III )
 HUMAN RIGHTS IN ROMANIA

TUESDAY, MAY 14, 1985

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AF
FAIRS, SUBCOMMITTEES ON EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE
EAST AND ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL OR
GANIZATIONS ,
Washington , DC.
The subcommittees met at 2:10 p.m., in room 2172, Rayburn
House Office Building, Hon. Gus Yatron (chairman of the Subcom
mittee on Human Rights and International Organizations) presid
ing.
Mr. YATRON . The Subcommittee on Human Rights and Interna
tional Organizations and the Subcommittee on Europe and the
Middle East will come to order.
I welcome our distinguished witnesses to today's hearing on
human rights in Romania .
There is growing concern among Members of Congress, as well as
the international human rights community, over the severe repres
sion that is increasingly characteristic of the Romanian Govern
ment's domestic policy . According to the Department of State's
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, and reports submit
ted to Congress by major human rights organizations, our concern
is warranted.
Despite Romania's being a signatory to the Helsinki and Madrid
agreements, and its guarantee of an impressive range of freedoms
in its own constitution, human rights violations continue unabated
in this Eastern bloc country. Severe restrictions on freedom of
speech, the denial of the right of peaceful association, and the limi
tations placed upon the freedom of religion cannot be overlooked
by any person who values individual liberties. Nor can we feign
blindness at the disparate treatment of the Hungarian minority in
Romania. Further evidence of the psychological and physical in
timidation leveled at the Romanian citizenry is demonstrated by
thousands of arbitrary searches and detentions, denial of fair
public trials, and deplorable prison conditions.
Those of us who try to help Romanians seeking to emigrate are
aware of the serious procedural problems in Romania's emigration
system . While our letters to Romanian officials on behalf of poten
tial emigrees remain unanswered, our inquiries behalf have not,
nor willnot, cease .Romanians who dare to apply for exit visas are
often subjected to Government harassment, as well as economic and
social deprivation. These repressive measures may include demo
tion and expulsion from a place of work , forced retirements, false
( 1)
 2

allegations and arrests, and monitoring correspondence and tele

phones.
In view of the dire economic situation and the falling living
standards in Romania, renewal of the most-favored -nation (MFN )
trade status is imperative to strengthen this failing economy. I,
therefore, appeal to the Government of Romania to make signifi
cant improvements in the human rights situation and adhere to
the provisions set forth in the Helsinki accords to insure a continu
ation in the existing diplomatic and trade agreements between the
United States and Romania .
Chairman Hamilton, of the Europe and the Middle East Subcom
mittee, and the cochairman of this hearing, is not here at the
present time. He will be joining us shortly.
I would now like to acknowledge the presence of the members
who are here and call on them for opening statements. I would like
to first call on the gentleman from California, the distinguished
Congressman , Mr. Lantos.
Mr. LANTOS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First I want to publicly
commend you for having convened this hearing. It is an issue of
enormous importance tothe Congress. We are cognizant of the fact
that along several lines Romania maintains the most independent
foreign policy of any of the nations in Eastern Europe that are
commonly known as part of the Soviet bloc, while internally re
grettably many of its policies are extremely harsh and repressive. I
visited Romania most recently in Januaryof this year and I again
observed that despite our repeated and concerted and bipartisan ef
forts, many areas in the realm of human rights, religious freedoms,
the rights of ethnic minorities for cultural expression are still not
observed nearly to the extent that we would expect. I look forward
to listening to our witnesses, and I want to commend you again for
having convened this hearing.
Mr.YATRON . Thank you very much , Mr. Lantos.
Now the gentleman from Michigan , Mr. Siljander.
Mr. SILJANDER . Thank you, Mr.Chairman .
First, I would like to ask unanimous consent that Congressman
Solomon's statement be entered for the record .
Mr. YATRON . Without objection.
[The prepared statement of Hon. Gerald B.H. Solomon follows:) b

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. GERALD B.H. SOLOMON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN fc

CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK
tH
Mr. Chairman , with the renewal of Romania's most-favored -nation trade status lo
coming due in a few weeks, it is most appropriate and timely for the subcommittee ci
to conduct a hearing on human rights conditions in Romania.
One of the most ironic aspects of the whole situation in that country is the suc la
cess that President Ceausescu hasenjoyed selling himself to the west as a moderate in
and independent force in world affairs at the very same time he has maintained a
Stalinesque presonality cult and a severely repressive regine at home. If the
Ceausescu regime truly was independent, weshould be able to detect at least some
deviation from the orthodox tenets of Marxist / Leninism . But such is not the case.
Even by Communist standards, the Ceausescu regime ranks as one of the most tH
repressive. Whatever subject we consider - censorship , religious presecution, arbi lv
trary searches and detentions, controlled trials, ethnic discrimination, domestic sur
veillance, physical intimidation - all of these things are prevalent in present-day Ro Pg
mania. This is a deplorable record, a record that I hope every Member of Congress
will thoughtfully consider as we prepare to decide whether or not MFN status for is
Romania should again be renewed .
 3

ndence and te So I applaud the initiative ofChairman Yatron in calling for this hearing. I hope
that our deliberations today will have a positive impact on the situation in Roma
nia, that the plight of the many innocent, suffering people in that country will be
e falling list somehow alleviated. Regimes like that in Romania mustbe held accountable in the
d -nation M court of world opinion.
Eng economy Mr. SILJANDER . I would also like to ask unanimous consent that
co make sigui a letter I have from the Christian Response International be sub
and adhere mitted for the record .
sure a contin Mr. YATRON . Without objection . 1
ts between t Mr. SILJANDER. Mr. Chairman , I would like to make some brief
points regarding the trip to Romania I took in December for about
East Suher 10 days. We toured many of the cities in that country, including
t here at t my grandfather's hometown in Transylvania, Romania. Not only
do Ihave an interest being on both subcommittees, the Human
the member Rights and the Europe Subcommittee, but I also have a family in
5. I would li terest in the country. I did meet one of my relatives who still lives
distinguishe in that country.
As Congressman Lantos pointed out very clearly, the human
nt to public rights violations in that country are blatant. It is not something
s an issue 1 one would surmise or one would simply guess or one could simply
nt of the fa read about, it is blatant, it is obvious, it is evident in every aspect
independe oflife in that country, culturally, ethnically, andreligiously.
ope that ar The emphasis of my trip, however, dealt specifically with the re
nternally ligious persecution in that country. Mr. Chairman , I would like to
repressive. add to the record several points based on my trip there. It might
and I agai take 2 or 3 minutes if you do not mind.
Mr. YATRON . Certainly.
ipartisane Mr. SILJANDER. We have heard testimony by the Romanian Gov
us freedom
are still not ernment as to why we should continue the most -favored -nation
ook forward trade status with the country, which is very beneficial to them .
They argue that is they havefreedom of religion. I have met with
u again for former Ambassador Malitza many times in my office. He consist
ently advocated freedom of religion, freedom to have Bibles in their
seminaries, proper separation of church and state, and construction
of newchurches, and it all sounds veryrosy on the surface. Exam
ngressman ple: " We have seminaries for pastors." There may be 2,000 Baptist
churches, or 1,000 Baptist churches, 200 Baptist ministers and the
seminary may have 16 Baptists allowed per year. But oh , yes, they
have seminaries.
7 follows: “ People are free to have Bibles, Korans, and Torahs. " They are
TIVE IN free to have the amount that the Government feels is necessary for
them to have, but no other religious literature, of course, is al
rade status lowed. People are free to purchase a Bible if the Government de
bcommittee cides they are able to have one or allowed to have one, but they
have to register their name as they purchase a Bible or other reli
is the suc gious -type materials. And needless to say, there is discrimination
a moderate
intained a in the workplace if they happen to be Christian, if they happen to
ne. If the be Jewish , if they happen to believe in a God. Of course, they are
least some fired not because of religion but because " they stole something," or
the case, “ their work behavior is lower than other employees.” There is
the most
cion, arbi always an excuse, but after consistent analysis of behavior, one
estic sur begins seeing a clear trend. Oh, there is a token Christian or a
t-day Ro
Congress 1 See appendix .
tatus for
 4

token Jew somewhere in high -level management, but that certainly

is not the case overall.
"We built 32 brandnew churches in Romania over so many
months and years." But the other side of the coin , they tore down
34. That part they did not mention .
“ Oh, we issue building permits freely for churches to build in Ro
mania .” But they are not telling you under the 5 - year plan of
President Ceausescu, there are so many roofing nails, so many roof
ing materials, so many 2 by 4's for their 5 -year plan , and that is
what they produce. The country has a shortage of most everything
as a resultof the socialist 5 -year planning system . And what they
are not tellingyou isthat ,the churches are not necessarily includ
ed in their 5 - Year Plan Program . So while building permits are
issued ,there are not suppliesto build the church . And then if they
are able to find supplies or find someone who will sell supplies,
those who are involved in the sale or assistance of obtaining sup
plies are mysteriously fired or fined or their upward mobility in
theirjob is severely limited.
"We relocate churches that we have torn down even though the
center of town where the former church is located is destroyed be
cause of urban renewal," some legitimate and some obviously not.
Many of the local attendees, parishoners that live in the geograph
ic area, are elderly. Most people in Romania do not own an auto
mobile ; it is not like the United States. In fact, in the outskirts of
Romania most people, including those of my family's hometown,
use a horse and buggy. It is a quite typical mode of transportation
in Romania, especially outside of the capital city. But the problems
are they move the church so far away it is not accessible to the
people on foot or even horseback they are not able to attend the
church in a consistent fashion .
The governments compensate for buildings that are destroyed
financially, about a third of the value. People are free to organize
any religion, just so it is one of the 14 recognized by the govern
ment. Don't you dare meet for Bible studies or other activities be
cause that could be considered a meeting that is not approved by
the government.
And children in schools are harassed because they happen to be
religious.Theanswer is always " the childrenwere caughtcheat
ing” and that is why they are reprimanded . Or the person at the
workplace was caught stealing, and that is why they were repri
manded .
There is a rationing card given. Every person must buy food,
fuel, and other supplies with a rationing card. If the government so
chooses, as they have done with several pastors that we met with
in that country, they simply call back the rationing card. So the
pastor who might preach something the state does not appreciate
can no longer purchase food and the basic necessities of life. So he
is fully dependenton others in his community and his church.
Teachers are required to sign statements denouncing religion .
Visas, as mentioned by the chairman , are another angle. We are
getting closeto religious persecutionin the sense that those wish
ing toemigrate, cannot. And they argue back to us, Well, it is your
fault, it is you in the United States,you have a quota system and
we have approved more than your quota, but you do not approve
 5

them . But what they are not saying is they will approve those they
knowwill not be accepted , those they know that cannot get a job in
the United States, those they know will not have a sponsor in the
United States. They fill the quotas with those who are not eligible,
fully well knowing this in advance, and then they turn around and
blame us, saying we are the ones that are persecuting the religious
people in Romania who want to emigrate to the United States or
elsewhere.
And the last point, Mr. Chairman, the austerity program is cruel
to everyone no matter what religion, or even if one holds no reli
gion at all. The austerity program is produce and export it all else
where to help reduce the foreign debt of that country. That is why
the MFN , the most favored nation trade status, is so vitally impor
tant to this austerity program and economic recovery that theyare
attempting to implement in Romania.
So , Mr. Chairman and members, this austerity program requires
men, women, and children to wait in line sometimes for weeks for
meat, which by law is 25 - percent fat, 25-percent bone, and 25 -per
cent gristle - by rule and regulation . They are fortunate enough to
get a piece of meat at all 25 percent meat, after 2 or 3 weeks in
line which is OK . Shoes, the basic necessities, long lines again .
Long lines for fuel. This is a result of the socialist system . This is a
repressive system that we have been indirectly supporting by our
most favored nation trade status. And, Mr. Chairman, I would call
on this subcommittee to consider that the Jackson -Vanik amend
ment be expanded to include cultural, ethnic, and religious rights
as well as the rights of emigration. All those areas I consider, my
heritage considers, and my family considers very important, and
we as human beings should consider important as well.
Thank you , Mr. Chairman .
Mr. YATRON . Thank you, Mr. Siljander.
The gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Smith, do you have an
opening statement?
Mr. SMITH . Yes, Mr. Chairman, and thank you. And first of all I
want to commend you for holding this hearing to review the status
of human rights in Romania , and also to commend my friend from
Michigan, Mr. Siljander, for his very excellent statement and his
heartfelt commitment for this cause. Not only does his trip demon
strate his heartfelt commitment but his regular and frequent lead
ership on the floor of the House as well as in this committee on
behalf of Romanians, is a true testimony to his commitment, and I
want to commend him for that.
Mr. Chairman, Romania is undoubtedly unique. While it is part
of the Soviet bloc, a Warsaw Pact country, it has demonstrated its
willingness and ability to digressfrom many hard-line internation
al policies of the Soviet Union . For example, Romania's votes on
important issues in the U.N. General Assembly diverge from the
Sovietpositionsmorethan anyofthose of the other EasternEuro
pean countries. Romania has also been the only Warsaw Pact
member state to maintain normal diplomatic relations with Israel,
and it allows more Jewish emigration than the U.S.S.R. despite the
great contrast in the numbersof those seeking to leave each coun
try. In addition , Romania has condemned the U.S.S.R. for its inva
sion of Afghanistan, has served as an intermediary between the
 6

United States and China, and was the only Warsaw Pact country
to participate in the 1984 Olympics.
Mr. Chairman , while these manifestations of independence from
the Soviet model of repression are encouraging, there remain seri
ous human rights violations within Romania which we must ad
dress . The 1984 State Department Country Reports on Human
Rights Practices documents the continuation of severe government
limitations on human rights and fundamental freedoms, which by
the way are explicitly guaranteed by the Romanian constitution
and their concurrence with the Helsinki accords.
Mr. Chairman , it is sad but true that the Romanian Government
tolerates no criticism , no opposition , no dissent from its policies
from its own people. There are massive controls of all forms of the
media , freedom of speech, and movement within and without the
country. Furthermore, citizens are prohibited from the right to as
semble unless specific permission is granted by the Government. Of
course, that permission is only secured when the Government has
insured that the activity will serve the interests of the Communist
party.
Beyond all this, Mr. Chairman , the freedom of religion is in es
sence denied to the peoples of Romania . It is true, as my friend and
colleague from Michigan noted, that 14 churches are recognized
and they are supported by the Romanian Government, but this
number is significantly below the 60 denominations that existed
prior to World War II. Since the Communist Party in Romania di
rectly controls church finances, salaries, availability of religious
publications, and licensing of clergy, the state, in practice, has vir
tual control over the institutional church .
Mr. Chairman , as we meet here today there are many coura
geous men and women of faith in Romania who languish in prison
or who are under house arrest for the noncrime of promoting
human rights or exercising those rights. I know that you, like a
growing number of our colleagues, are aware of and are desperate
ly concerned about the fate of Father Calciu. Although Father
Calciu was released from prison on August 20, 1984, at the mid
point of his 10 -year sentence, he and his wife remain under house
arrest. His crime, by the way, was that he lectured on the evils of
atheism , materialism , and the demolition of churches in Romania .
He has been forbidden to engage in any pastoral or priestly duties,
he is under constant surveillance, and cannot receive anyvisitors.
It is my sincere hope, Mr. Chairman , that a clear, unambiguous
message will reach the authorities in Romania as a result of this
hearing, and that is, live up to your commitments to the Helsinki
Final Act, respect human rights of those who live within your bor
ders, especially freedom of religion, and let Father Calciu and his
family emigrate. Give him his freedom . Let him come to the West.
Mr. SILJANDER. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. SMITH . I will be happy to yield to my friend.
Mr. SILJANDER . Just for the record, I wanted and desired to meet
Father Calciu while he was under house arrest while I was in Bu
charest, Romania . And I and our Ambassador to Romania were
called by the government to a private meeting. We were told that
if I were to step within a block of Father Calciu's home, they would
consider that an international incident. I was not allowed to see
 7

Pact count him without creating an international incident! Out of deference to

:
relations between our two countries, I decided not to press the
endence fire point; but I think it is clear how repressive that regime is. I appre
remain se ciate the gentleman from New Jersey and all of his comments, es
we must a pecially those dealing with Father Calciu, and appreciate too his
1 on Huma ongoing leadership, since he has entered the doors of Congress,
governme dealing with human rights and the concerns of those in Hungary,
ns, which Transylvania, and throughout Eastern Europe.
constituti Mr. SMITH. I thank the gentleman, and I would also point out to
the subcommittee that in Ottawa where they are conducting a
Governme review of the Helsinki accords, there is a great deal of concern
its police being expressed and solidarity with Father Calciu. I certainly hope
forms of the thatall members of this committee will sign the letter thatMr. Sil
without the jander and Mr. Hall of Ohio are circulating asking for Father Cal
right to a ciu's immediate release.
rnment. I Mr. YATRON .Thank you very much, Mr. Smith.
rnment ha Now , Iwouldliketocall on the gentleman from New York, Mr.
Ackerman , for an opening statement.
Communs
Mr. ACKERMAN. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman .
on is in e Today's hearing is of particular interest to me as well, because I
friend an had the opportunity, although brief, to visit Romania during the
Easter recess .
recognize
t, but the I would like to preface my comments by stating that I believe it
at existe is importantto hold routine oversight hearings by this subcommit
mania di tee to study adherence to international human rights agreements. I
religiou would also like to say that while Romania is thesubject of today's
e, has vi hearing, we should keep in mind that the Helsinki accords were
the subject of agreements by 35 nations. Although there is certain
ny court
ly ample room to examine Romania's fulfillment of its internation
in prison al obligations, I would suggest that there are other nations which
romoting are certainly worthy of further examination as well. I would like to
u, like i point out that the International Helsinki Federation of Human
esperate Rights, a nongovernmental organization that seeksto promote com
2 Father pliance with the provisions of the Helsinki Final Act, hasissued a
the mid new reportwhich fully documents violations of this accord in nine
er house countries. These include_the U.S.S.R., Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia,
evils of East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Turkey, and Romania.
Comania During my discussions with Romanian officials, they communi
w duties cated particular sensitivity to the fact that the hearing in this sub
visitors committee was to focus exclusively on Romania. After perusing the
biguous report just mentioned, I can certainlyunderstand their desire not
of this to be singled out for special inquiry . There is a definite need for
Helsinki dramatic improvement in human rights conditions among all the
our bor signatory nations. It is my hope thatmembers of the subcommittee
and his will focus some attention on the policies in other countries which
e West. are equally deserving of careful scrutiny by this subcommittee. I
also believe it would be beneficial to keep in mind that Romania
has traditionally been sensitive to representations by the State De
O meet partment, Members of Congress, and private American organiza
in Bu tions which have sought to work with the Romanian Government
on immigration matters.
were
that I would like to relate my own experience, which demonstrated
would
concretely that the Romanian Government is willing to work seri
Co see
ously to resolve outstanding emigration cases. Just last month I
 8

was able to secure an exit visa for the wife of one of my constitu
ents. They became separated after the husband came to the United
States in 1982. After extensive discussions, the Romanian Govern
ment ultimately agreed to let her leave with me when I was in Ro
mania in April. I would point out that this was a gesture of great
significance, because my constituent had left Romania without the
permission of the Romanian Government. As demonstrated by this
case, the Romanians have shown a degree of flexibility in resolving
reunification issues that has not been seen in other East bloc coun
tries. It is my hope that we will see a continuation of this good
faith by the Romanian Government which will serve to promote a
mutually beneficial relationship which extends the humanitarian ,
political, and trade agreements that foster the friendship between
Romania and the United States.
Mr. YATRON. Thank you , Mr. Ackerman .
Gentlemen , we have to vote on the quorum call, and then a vote
on another one immediately following. The Chair would like to rec
ommend a short recess so we can go over, vote, and come back in
10 to 15 minutes. I apologize for the delay.
[Recess.)
Mr. YATRON. We will resume the hearing. Several other mem
bers said they had opening statements, but, since they are not here
now , we will have to call on them at another time.
It would be very much appreciated if the witnesses would limit
their oral statements to 10 minutes or less. This way we will have
more time for the question -and -answer period. Of course, your
entire written statements will be included in the record.
Our first witnesses today will be testifying as a panel. We would
like to welcome Ms. Jeri Laber, executive director of Helsinki
Watch; Ms. Nina Shea, program director of the International
League for Human Rights; Mr. Robert Sharlet, a consultant for the
East European Coordination Group of Amnesty International,
United States of America, accompanied by Mr. Curt Goering, the
Washington office Middle East and Europe area coordinator; and
Mr. Laszlo Hamos, chairman , Committee for Human Rights in Ru
mania .
Ms. Laber, we welcome you back again before our subcommittee,
and we look forward to hearing your statement. You may proceed .
STATEMENT OF JERI LABER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR , HELSINKI
WATCH
Ms. LABER. Thank you very much . As you know , I am the execu
tive director of the U.S. Helsinki Watch Committee, a nongovern
mental organization that monitors compliance with the human
rights provisions of the 1975 Helsinki accords.
In the past 5 years, Helsinki Watch has testified about human
rights in Romania on a number of occasions before various commit
tees of the U.S. Congress. We have also published several reports
about human rights in Romania over the years. Such reports are
becoming increasingly difficult to compile because reliableinforma
tion about events in Romania is becoming increasingly scarce.
Romania is a closed society. Factfinding missions are not wel
come there, nor are individuals who try to find out about the situa
 9

nstitu tion of Romanian citizens. I learned about this firsthand in October

United 1982, when I was invited to a conference in Romania that was
over sponsored by the Romanian Government. I took the occasion to
in Ro visit a few people in Bucharest, friends and relatives of people I
grea: knew in New York .
ut the As I was leaving Romania, I was summoned by the militia, told
y this that my conversations with Romanian citizens had been “ report
olving ed ," and that such behavior in the future would make me unwel
COUL come in Romania . I was also warned against repeating when I re
good turned home anything I had heard in my conversations with Roma
note nian citizens, and told that I would jeopardize the people with
arian whom I had met if I were to discuss those meetings.
tweer Several years ago, in 1983, at a time when Romania's most -fa
vored -nation status was due to be renewed by the U.S. Govern
ment, the Helsinki Watch Committee was courted by Romanian of
| vote ficials in an attempt to convince us to withhold a report on Roma
o rec nia that we were preparing. We were invited to visit Romania to
ick in see for ourselves, only to have the door slammed in our faces when
we persisted in testifying and writing about human rights abuses
there. Despite our testimony, and that of other organizations as
mem
well, Romania's most-favored -nation status has remained secure .
here
The U.S. State Department, which is well aware of Romania's
abysmal human rights record and has made efforts to bring about
limit improvements there, especially with regard to emigration , never
have
theless continues its special treatment of Romania. This is because
your
it values Romania's independence in foreign policy matters. While
it is clearly in U.S. interests to encourage Romania to break ranks
ould with the other Warsaw Pact countries, there is good reason to be
sinki lieve that the foreign policy differences that have been noted over
the years are, mainly, superficial. In matters that count, Romania
Eonal is still firmly under the control of the U.S.S.R.
r the
onal,
When it comes to domestic policies, Romania's are very harsh
the
indeed. Romania is generally considered to be one of the most egre
gious human rights offenders in Eastern Europe. Nor has the situa
and
Ru
tion improved over the past few years. A severely deteriorating
economy, a corrupt bureaucracy, an omnipresent secret police net
work , and the cult of personality surrounding the Ceausescu family
ttee, have resulted in increasing misery for Romanian citizens. Human
ceed rights violations continue in a number of areas.
TKI
In the written testimony that I am submitting today I deal at
some length with these various areas. In the interest oftime I will
justbriefly touch on some of them in my oral testimony.
ecu With regardto freedom of expression, Romania maintains tight
zrn control over all forms of expression. The mail, the press , contact
man with foreigners, the constant presence of the secret police.
There are no human rights monitoring groups in Romania , and
nan samizdat is virtually nonexistent. Citizens are required to register
mit their typewriters with the police, an effective way of monitoring
orts any samizdat publications.
are
The state has closed a number of cultural and research institu
ma tions in Romania, and books are severely censored .
With regard to emigration, the only grounds for emigration are
el cases of family reunification. Despite this, there are thousands of
wa
requests to emigrate, and the movement to emigrate remains the
 10

only large -scale independent activity that the authorities in Roma

nia seem unable to halt. Would -be emigrants face reprisals, harass
ment, denunciation, demotion, loss of job, loss of housing, loss of
public services, sometimes even arrest.
There are thousands of documented examples of unresolved
family reunification cases.
Other measures are also taken to discourage emigration. Would
be emigrants must sell all real property at fixed, lower, govern
ment rates, and they are not permitted to take funds out of the
country. Family members left behind are often harassed as well .
The number of political prisoners in Romania is not known .
Many of them are people we believe who had sought to leave Ro
mania illegally or are religious or human rights activists. There is
also reason to believe that forcible confinement in psychiatric hos
pitals is frequently used .
Prison conditions are reported to be very poor. There is also a
campaign of repression and intimidation against former political
prisoners.
I will skim over the repression of freedom of religion, seeing that
it has been dealt with so well by members of this subcommittee,
except to say that it seems to be as severe as any case, any other
country in Eastern Europe, perhaps more so. And just in recent
months particularly the practice of demolishing church buildings
has stepped up, a practice which I think is worth noting. Several
churches andmonastery buildings have been demolished, and there
are reports of parishioners who meet on the ruins of their former
church in order to carry on religious observance.
There is no independent trade union movement in Romania that
we know of. The only one that existed, the Free Trade Union of
Workers, was formedas long ago as 1979, had about 2,000 support
ers, and was rapidly suppressed. A number of people associated
with that movement were imprisoned . Some remain in prison
today.
There is also a labor law known as the Global Agreement which
was passedin September 1983. Workers in Romania must now sign
a pledge of productivity, and their salaries are decreased if their
production figures are not met.
The largest minority in Romania ofcourse are the Hungarians,
officially tabulated at 1.7 million people but actually closer to 242
million according to sources in the West. The Hungarian minority,
which I think will be dealt with by other witnesses here in greater
detail, claims that there is a deliberate policy of cultural extinction
going on in Romania, and there is much evidence to support that
claim . Recently it was reported that there is a new discriminatory
decree that limits the number of Hungarian -speaking students at
the University of Cluj to 5 percent, and that all geography and his
tory teachersin schools in Transylvania must be Romanian, which
is a provocative move given the conflicting Romanian and Hungari
an interpretations of the history of that area.
Publications from Hungary are confiscated. Restrictions are
placed onsending Hungarian -language publications printed in Ro
mania to Hungary, andvisits to #ungary by Hungarians in Roma
nia are discouraged, and those Hungarians who have tried to visit
 11

the Hungarian nationality members in Transylvania have met

with very rough treatment indeed.
There are many improvements obviously necessary in Romania's
human rights policies, but we must be realistic, I believe, in what
kinds of pressure the U.S. Government can actually exert. Our in
fluence is limited , but thanks to the concern with mostfavored
nation status, the Government does have more leverage with Ro
mania than it does, for example, with certain other Warsaw Pact
countries.
The U.S. Helsinki Watch Committee does not advocate that MFN
be ended . Rather it urges the U.S. Government to continue using
its leverage and to work for such issues as the easing of emigration
rules, the cessation of extralegal persecution of would -be emi
grants, repeal of legislation aimed at preventing contact between
Romanian citizens and foreigners, and allowing factfinding mis
sions to visit Romania . We also urge the removal of restrictions
aimed at suppressing the cultural identify of Hungarian and other
minorities.
There is something else I would like to urge the U.S. Govern
ment to do. We must find a way to ease the ceiling on Romanian
emigration. This is an area in which the United States can and
must do something. We cannot continue on the one hand to urge
full emigration from Romania and on the other hand to strictly
limit the number of Romanian immigrants who are allowed into
the United States. There are thousands of refugees who are already
registered under the now suspended third -country processing pro
gram . They should be allowed to enter the United States, especially
because as would -be emigrants they are being subjected to great
hardship right now within Romania .
Thank you very much.
[Ms. Jeri Laber's prepared statement follows:)
 12
PREPARED STATEMENT OF JERI LABER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, U.S. HELSINKI WATCH
COMMITTEE

My name is Jeri Laber . I am the Executive Director of

the u.s. Helsinki Watch Committee , a nongovernmental

organization that monitors compliance with the human rights
provisions of the 1975 Helsinki accords . I have been asked
to testify today about human rights abuses in Romania .
In the past five years , Helsinki Watch has testified
about human rights in Romania on a number of occasions
before various committees of the U.S. Congress . We have

also published several reports about human rights in

Romania over the years . Such reports are becoming

increasingly difficult to compile because reliable

information about events in Romania is becoming

increasingly scarce .
Romania is a closed society . Fact - finding missions
are not welcome there , nor are individuals who try to find
out about the situation of Romanian citizens . I learned

about this first - hand in October 1982 , when I was invited

 13

to a conference in Romania that was sponsored by the Romanian

government . I took the occasion to visit a few people in

Bucharest , friends and relatives of people that I know in New

York . As I was leaving Romania , I was summoned by the ' militia ,
told that my conversations with Romanian citizens had been
" reported , " and that such behavior in the future would make me
" unwelcome in Romania . I was also warned against repeating

when I returned home anything I had heard in my conversations

with Romanian citizens and told that would jeopardize the

people with whom I had met if I were to discuss those meetings .

Several years ago , in 1983 , at a time when Romania's Most
Favored Nation status was due to be renewed by the U.S.

government , the Helsinki Watch Committee was courted by Romanian

officials in an attempt to convince us to withhold a report on
Romania that we were preparing . We were invited to visit

Romania , only to have the door slammed in our faces when we

persisted in testifying and writing about human rights abuses
there . Despite our testimony , and that of other organizations
as well , Romania's Most Favored Nation status has remained

secure .

The U.S. State Department , which is well aware of Romania's

abysmal human rights record and has made efforts to bring about
improvements there , especially with regard to emigration ,
nevertheless continues its special treatment of Romania . This

is because it values Romania's independence in foreign policy

matters . While it is clearly in u.s. interests to encourage
Romania's to break ranks with the other Warsaw Pact countries ,
 14

there is good reason to believe that the foreign policy

" differences " that have been noted over the years are , at best ,
only superficial . In matters that count , Romania is still
firmly under the control of the USSR .

When it comes to domestic policies , Romania's are very

harsh indeed . Romania is generally considered to be one of the
most egregious human rights offenders in Eastern Europe . Nor

has the situation improved over the past few years . A severely

deteriorating economy , a corrupt bureaucracy , an omnipresent

secret police network and the " cult of personality " surrounding
the Ceausescu family have resulted in increasing misery for
Romanian citizens . Human rights violations continue in a number
of areas .

I. Freedom of Expression

The Romanian government closely monitors and tightly

controls all forms of expression . Every type of communication ,

including the spoken word , the mails , the press and contact with
foreigners , is watched by the Securitate ( secret police ) . It
is virtually impossible to carry on any kind of communication
without the state's knowledge .
There are no human rights monitoring groups in Romania .
Efforts to form a Helsinki group in 1977 by writer Paul Goma
ended in his expulsion from Romania and the arrest and
imprisonment of his associates . The government policy has been

to exile or imprison virtually all citizens who attempt to

organize " watch " groups , or gather and disseminate to the West

information on human rights violations .

 15

All publications are controlled by the government , so

effectively that Romania may be one of the very few Eastern
European countries in which samizdat periodicals are virtually
nonexistent . Citizens are required to register their
typewriters with the police , which is clearly designed to
prevent the production of samizdat .
The only known samizdat publications in Romania are those
of the Hungarian minority . Since November 1982 , the editors of
the Hungarian samizdat publication , Ellenpontok ( Counterpoints ) ,
have been harassed and / or imprisoned . On May 20 , 1983 , however ,
a new samizdat publication was established , the Hungarian Press
of Transylvania ( HPT ) , issues of which continue to be
distributed in Transylvania .
O The author of a samizdat book , Adevarul ( The Truth )
which was critical of the Ceausescu regime, was arrested
in June 1984 . There is no evidence indicating that he
was tried or sentenced , but there has been no information
as to his condition or his whereabouts since his arrest .
Western publications are generally not available to the
Romanian public . All U.S. Information Agency publications are
reviewed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before they are
distributed . On the other hand , Romania does not jam Voice of
America or Radio Free Europe , radio stations that are often
jammed by other East European governments .
Independent cultural activities and artistic expression are
strongly discouraged by the state . The state encourages instead
a mass culture that is intended to promote the interests of the

political system . Art is seen as an instrument of propaganda .

 16

o It was reported that Mircea Sandulescu , a writer , and

Mircea Daneliuc , a filmmaker , both prominent Romanian
intellectuals , resigned from the Communist Party in
the summer of 1984 in protest against the Party's domination
of Romania's literary and cultural life . They said it
was impossible to write or make films without constant
state interference . Sandulescu's novel , Placebo , was banned
from book shops and Daneliuc's film , Glissando , was banned
from movie theaters .

In the past few years , the state has closed a number of

cultural and research institutions . The Institutes of

Mathematics , Chemistry and History are among the now defunct

institutions .

The Council for Culture and Education is the Romanian office

for book censorship . Books that are deemed critical of certain

a spects of Romanian life never reach the printing press . The

works of some of the best known Romanian writers , artists and

musicians can be found only on the black market , imported from

abroad .

II . Freedom of Movement

The Romanian government does not recognize the right of its

citizens , guaranteed by the Helsinki Final Act , to leave and
return to their country as they choose . The government strongly
opposes emigration , recognizing as the only grounds for
emigration cases of family reunification . ( Exceptions to this
rule involve those who are deemed " undesirable " usually
political dissidents or militant religious activists . )
Nevertheless , there are many thousands of requests to

emigrate . Applicants include not only persons seeking family

reunification , but also those seeking religious , political ,
 17

artistic and ethnic freedom . Such requests may be said to

constitute the only large -scale independent activity carried on
by Romanian citizens that , the authorities have proved unable to
halt .

For Romanian citizens , there are many obstacles along the

road to emigration . The application process is long ,

complicated and arbitrary . Would -be emigrants are sometimes

prevented from applying to emigrate for months or years on
procedural grounds constructed by the state . More important ,
would-be emigrants face almost certain reprisals : official

harassment , public denunciation , demotion , loss of job , loss of

housing , loss of public services and sometimes even arrest are
among the risks . There are delays of two to three years and

some substantially longer in obtaining a passport .

There are thousands of documented examples of unresolved
family reunification cases . While it would be impossible to
list them all , the following serve as illustrations of the
problem :
O Ieremia Trif and his family have sought to emigrate to
the u.s. since 1976 . His brother and brother - in - law are in
the U.S. , but his requests have been repeatedly rejected .
Matei Simionescu Ramniceanu and his family ( str .
Schitul Darvari 2 , Bucharest ) , have sought to join their
mother and sister in France since 1980 . In the interim ,
they have been threatened by the authorities , and Metei's
salary has been reduced . They are also having
difficulties in obtaining a French visa .
Regina Grommes , 35-years-old , has sought to emigrate
to West Germany to join her parents since 1974 . Each of
her 23 requests has been refused .
 18

o Barbara Muller , her mother Gertrude and her brother

Michael Hellebrandt , all from Timisoara , have sought to
join their family in West Germany since 1961 . Gertrude
managed to give a petition to President Ceausescu , and
she was beaten in her factory immediately thereafter .
O
Gheorghe Nicolae and his family ( str . Postavarului 19 ,
Bucharest ) , have sought to leave for the U.s. to join
their brother . They have submitted 65 requests , which
have to date resulted only in threats of loss of work and
imprisonment .

Sanctions are imposed on would-be emigrants both before and

after they obtain their passports . Although it appears that the
Education Tax Act of February 1983 is no longer being

implemented , incidents of bribes and forced payments often in

hard currency have been reported . Generally , however , the

authorities rely on other methods to discourage emigration .
Felicia Rusu , a 33 -year -old Pentecostal woman from
Timisoara , began a hunger strike on March 17 , 1985 , to
protest the authorities ' refusal to allow her to emigrate .
She had been dismissed from her job as an accountant in
1980 , allegedly because she was a Pentecostal . She was
later dismissed from an unskilled job and has been unable to
find work since February 1981 . She applied to emigrate
after being dismissed for the second time and when
permission was not granted , she attempted to leave the
country illegally . For this , she was sentenced to nine
months imprisonment . Without employment , Ms. Rusu is not
entitled to ration cards for food and her situation is
reportedly desperate .
Would- be emigrants are often subjected to official

harassment , which may include deprivation of employment and ,

thus , means of survival . After a person has been fired from his

or her job , charges of " parasitical " or " anarchic " conduct can
be brought under de cree 153/1970 . Conviction under this decree

can result in six months imprisonment or " corrective labor

without deprivation of liberty . " The latter penalty means that

 19

the person is assigned to a particular place of work , often far

In
away from his or her home , with greatly reduced wages .
addition , he or she cannot leave the assigned area without
permission from the local militia .
In addition to specific reprisals against individuals who

express a desire to emigrate , the authorities have devised yet

another set of hurdles to discourage emigration : would - be

emigrants must sell all real property at fixed , and

substantially lower , government rates , and they are not
permitted to take any funds out of the country .
The state punishes those who try to leave the country
illegally under Article 245 of the Criminal Code " fraudulent
crossing of the border " an offense punishable by imprisonment

or corrective labor for periods from six months to three years .

Ilie Savu , a 32 -year -old mechanic from Bucharest , had
requested permission to join his brother in France , but
received only rejections and demotions at his job . He
jumped from a tourist boat on the Danube and entered
Yugoslavia . Before being extradicted to Romania , where he
was immediately imprisoned , he spent 25 days in prison in
Yugoslavia . In Romania , he was sentenced to 3 years
imprisonment . His lawyer was allowed to see him only in the
courtroom .

Nicolas Turcas , 21 , has been imprisoned in Timisoara and

reportedly tortured , though never tried , for trying to cross
the border to Yugoslavia . His family has requested that he
be given a trial .

Even if an applicant is successful in his / her bid to

emigrate , those family members they leave behind are often
subjected to official harassment . For example :
 20

Emeric Ambrus and his wife , Piroska , have been suffering

continuous harassment since their son , a Romanian Orthodox
priest , Emeric Ambrus - Cernat , emigrated to the USA in July
1984 . They report receiving weekly visits from the
securitate , as well as being harassed and threatened on the
street . Emeric Ambrus is seriously ill . They have applied
to join their son in the USA .

Their son was one of the five priests who signed a

" Testimony of Faith " in April 1981 that criticized the
regime and called for the release of Father Calciu . Father
Ambrus - Cernat experienced three years of harassment by
the state and the church before being allowed to emigrate
last summer .

III . Political Prisoners

The number of political prisoners in Romania is not

known . Many are incarcerated for seeking to leave Romania
illegally or for protesting the denial of exit permission ;
others are imprisoned because of their religious or human
rights activities . While information is scarce , there is

reason to believe that forcible confinement in psychiatric

hospitals is frequently used to punish people for the
legitimate exercise of their rights .
Religious and political activists are frequently detained

in Romania , although detention does not always result in

arrest . When people are summoned or taken to the local
security offices , they are often subjected to long periods of
interrogation under rigorous conditions , threatened with a

variety of penalities , and sometimes physically abused .

Romanian law does not provide for habeas corpus or the
right to counsel . The concept of due process does not exist ,

and individuals may be detained without charges for periods

ranging from two to four days , with no legal recourse .
 21

The judiciary is subordinate to the Party and the

government . Trials may legally be held behind closed
doors a practice used most often when a trial is likely to
attract undue attention and the Ceausescu regime wishes to
prevent foreign observers and diplomats from attending .
Reports of poor prison conditions inadequate food

and medical care , overcrowding , unsanitary conditions and long

working hours are frequent .

Radu Filipescu , 28 -year -old electronics engineer , was

arrested in May 1983 for distributing leaflets that
called for peaceful demonstrations against the Ceausescu
regime . In September 1983 , he was sentenced to 10 years
imprisonment for "anti -state propaganda . "
Filipescu is being held in Aiud prison and has
reportedly received particularly harsh treatment . His
family is not allowed to visit him . A committee for his
release has been formed in France and Switzerland .

The Securitate has been engaged in a campaign of

repression and intimidation against former political
prisoners , often involving repeated and prolonged
interrogations , threats , isolation , surveillance and physical
abuse . The campaign appears to be aimed at preventing former
political prisoners from creating any form of organized
resistance . Most of these former prisoners have been

persecuted since their release from prison in the 1960s and ,

due to years spent under the deplorable conditions of Romanian
prisons or camps , are now old and ill . They barely manage to

maintain a subsistence - level existence .

 22

IV . Freedom of Religion

Church attendance in Romania , considered the largest in .

Eastern Europe after Poland , may very well reflect disaffection

from Party ideology . Yet , while maintaining extremely
antireligious policies at home , President Ceausescu has sought
to capitalize on the fact that church attendance is high by
claiming that this proves there is religious freedom in Romania .
In fact , restrictions on religious freedom in Romania are among
the most severe in all of Eastern Europe .
of the 60 denominations that existed in Romania before
World War II , only 14 are currently recognized by the
government . Romanian Orthodox , Roman Catholic , Lutheran ,
Calvinist , Unitarian , Baptist , Pentecostal , Seventh Day

Adventist , Jewish and Muslim groups are among the officially

recognized sects .

The government agency that monitors religious activity

and reports directly to the Central Committee is known as

the Department of Cults . This Department works closely with the

the Securitate . The Department of Cults not only controls the

activities of the recognized religions ; it also effectively
controls church finances , to the point of paying the salaries of
the clergy .

Not all the clergy have been co -opted by the state ,

however . Indeed , many of Romania's most famous and outspoken
dissidents come from the ranks of the clergy . Many of these
 23

individuals have also received the harshest punishments ,

including the following two celebrated cases :
O
Father Gheorghe Calciu -Dumitreasa is considered to be
Romania's most important dissident . An Orthodox lecturer ,
he gained international attention as a crusader for
religious rights . In 1978 , he was dismissed from the
seminary where he lectured for denouncing atheism ,
materialism and the demolition of churches . On March 10 ,
1979 , Father Calciu was arrested and sentenced to 10 years
imprisonment . Although the charges against him were never
made public , they apparently relate to his support of the
free trade union , SLOMR , and the Romanian Christian Committee
for the Defense of Freedom of Religion and Conscience ,
ALRC . Clearly , the regime felt threatened by his
influence and his criticism of religious conditions in
Romania .

Father Calciu was unexpectedly released on August 20 ,

1984 , in connection with Romania's national day . He had
served five years of his 10-year sentence . He is now under
virtual house arrest and is not permitted to communicate with
foreign embassies , thus preventing him from making any
arrangements to emigrate . His home is being guarded by two
men with machine guns and several other uniformed militia and
plainsclothesmen . Both Romanians and foreigners have been
prevented from seeing him .
o Traian Dorz is a 70 - year -old writer , poet , composer and
popular figure in Romania . As a leader of the banned Army
of the Lord ( the religious revival movement in the Romanian
Orthodox Church ) , his works are prohibited in Romania . He
has spent a total of 17 years in prison . His last arrest
was in 1982 when he was imprisoned for possession of
" illegal contraband " copies of his Christian songbook
for children . He was released after six months due to
extremely poor health . Dorz is now under constant police
surveillance and cannot leave the town of Mizies .
Religious instruction is actively discouraged in Romania ,
and the role of priests and pastors is strictly defined . Only the
Department of Cults is authorized to print and distribute Bibles ,

and it does so in vastly inadequate numbers . The result is that

religious literature is virtually inaccessible to believers in
 24

Romania . Distribution of such literature by unauthorized

individuals is punishable by severe prison terms .
The government's tight control over the distribution of
religious materials has led to a number of cases of "Bible
smuggling . " Those arrested for this offense are imprisoned for
violating the official restrictions .
The National Orthodox Church in Romania has by far the
largest following in Romania , with approximately 16 million
members or 70 percent of the population . It is not subject to
the sort of persecution that the state inflicts on other
denominations . This is due , in part , to its traditional role
throughout Romanian history , but mainly to the accommodations it
has made to the regime .

The Roman Catholic church with some 1,200,000 members ,

largely ethnic Hungarians and Germans , is officially recognized

by the state , but subjected to continual harassment .
Peter Nastase and his family are Catholics and have been
subjected to growing official harassment because of their
attempts to emigrate for religious reasons . Mr. Nastase
has already served two prison terms for religious
activities , although he was charged under political
articles of the criminal code . Their telephone was
disconnected last summer , and their house is under constant
surveillance . Recent , unconfirmed reports indicate that
Mr. Nastase has been arrested and his wife interned in a
psychiatric hospital . For the past two years , the couple
has been denied work , existing on the charity of the
Catholic community .
Perhaps the largest minority church in Romania is the

Reformed Church in Transylvania , composed principally of ethnic

Other
Hungarians and officially numbered at 700,000 .
 25

estimates , however , indicate that the number is closer to

one million . Like the Roman Catholics , members of the Reformed

Church are persecuted .

Minister Laszlo Tokes is the son of Dr. Istvan Tokes , who
was involved with a Hungarian samizdat publication that
discussed the problem of minority churches . First the
father and then the son were subjected to official
harassment . Minister Tokes has been transferred out of
Transylvania . However , he refused to take the position and
is currently unemployed .
O
Father Gaza Palfi , a Hungarian priest who worked in
Odorhei , Transylvania , was allegedly murdered by the
Security police . Father Palfi gave a sermon at a midnight
mass on Christmas eve opposing the government's decision to
declare Christmas a working day . He reminded his
congregation that in Hungary , Christmas was an official
holiday . The following day , he was arrested and severely
beaten , particularly around his liver . He was taken to a
clinic in Tigru Mures , where he died two months later in
late February . The autopsy was not made public , and the
death certificate stated that he died of liver cancer . Two
hundred and six priests gathered in protest at his funeral .
The Evangelical Christian churches Baptists ,

Pentecostalists and Seventh Day Adventists have long been

singled out among the recognized religions for especially

harsh treatment . Church buildings have been demolished for
exceeding the dimensions set forth in the building permit
by as little as one meter , or for other petty infractions .
Families have been evicted from their homes for holding
" unauthorized " or " illegal " services . Entire congregations

have been fined , and religious activists have been imprisoned .

o Pastor Nicolae Gheorghita of the Second Baptist Church in
Oradea has been under house arrest and is under constant
police surveillance . On January 17 , 1985 , he was fined 500
lei because he was staying overnight in Oradea while his
official residence was in Deva . Gheorghita has been trying
 26

to get permission to change his residence since 1982 , when he

accepted the pastorate . Until he receives permission , he
must commute the more than 100 miles between his home and the
church . Also on January 17 , his wife Cornelia was dismissed
from her job at a museum something the authorities had
been threatening to do for several months .

However , in late April 1985 , it was reported that

Gheorghita finally received his license from the Baptist
Union .

After many years of discrimination and persecution , however ,

there have been some recent positive developments in the

situation of the Baptists . A long -delayed Baptist Congress took
place on April 12 , 1984 , in Bucharest . Surprisingly enough , the
regime -accommodating President and General Secretary of the

Baptists Union were replaced by two apparently independent men :

Rev. Mihai Husan , from Cluj , as President and Dr. Vasil Talpos ,.
from Bucharest , as General Secretary .
During the past year , several articles with anti -Semitic
passages appeared in the Romanian press , and a book of poetry was
published which included anti - Semitic sentiments . Groups in the
United States and elsewhere expressed concern , but received
assurances from President Ceausescu that these incidents did not

reflect official policy .

As difficult as circumstances are for the recognized churches

in Romania , they are far worse for those who belong to the
non - recognized denominations . Two major churches the Catholic

Church of the Byzantine Rite and the Army of the Lord are

officially banned . Other banned groups include smaller sects such

as the Jehovah's Witnesses , Mormons , Christian Scientists and the
Romanian Uniate Church . Unlike the recognized sects , the
 27

nonrecognized faiths are not allowed to hold services and are

subject to severe penalties if they do . " Illegal " services are
suppressed whenever possible by the regime .
The Romanian government's practice of demolishing church
buildings and historical monuments has been going on for some
time . Various reasons are given from the building of a new
urban development project or a new civic center in downtown

Bucharest to infractions of the building codes but the ultimate

purpose seems clear ; to stamp out evangelical activism and to

erase the religious past of Romania .
Reports indicate that several Orthodox church and monastery
buildings some of which date from the 16th century have

been demolished in recent months . The Enei Church , the cloister

of the Cotroceni ( from the 16th century ) , the churches of Spirea

Veche , Spirea Noua , part of the monestary of Antim all of these

have been demolished . In addition , the Mihai Voda monastery ( from

the 16th century ) and the Vacaresti monastery ( from the 17th
century ) are in the process of being demolished . Other historic
monuments , including the churches of St. Ilie Rahova and Olari and
the monastery Schitul Maicilor , were seriously damaged when they
were moved . Occasionally , the regime tolerates protests against
the demolitions , but only those protests emanating from the
Orthodox clergy who have proved loyal to the state .
O The Second Baptist Church of Oradea was given notice on
September 1 , 1984 , that it was to be destroyed becuase of an
urban renewal project . The demolition was to begin on
October 1 . This is in violation of Romanian law in two
 28

respects : 1 ) one year's notice is required to be given to

permit time for relocation ; 2 ) a new facility equivalent to
the building to be demolished is to be made available to the
church .
o
The Bistrita Baptist Church was destroyed in 1981 in an
urban renewal project . The congregation purchased a house
one month later and requested permission to remodel the
house . A permit was issued by the districk Judesk in
December 1982 , but the city officials refused to give their
permission . By June 1984 , the city permit was still not
forthcoming , and the congregation began renovation . When
the city ultimately granted the permit , it was designated for
less renovation than had already been done . The congregation
was ordered to destroy the church , and , when they refused ,
the church was demolished by city engineers on November 3 ,
1984 . The church was then billed for the cost of the
demolition . The congregation still holds services in the
ruins of their church .

V. Workers Rights

The Ceausescu regime boasts of full employment , full

housing and contented workers . In reality , however , working

conditions are quite pitiable in Romania , and without free trade

unions , workers cannot press their demands .
The only independent trade union in Romania was SLOMR ,

the Free Trade Union of Workers in Romania , formed in 1979 by a

group of intellectuals and workers . SLOMR eventually attracted

some 2,000 supporters . The Romanian authorities rapidly suppressed

the fledgling labor movement .
O Dr. Ionel Cana , one of the founding members of SLOMR , was
sentenced to 5-1 / 2 years imprisonment for " conspiracy and
anit -government propaganda . " Cana was eventually amnestied .
Recently , he has complained of constant harasmment
surveillance of his home , his telephone and his
correspondance by the Securitate . He has been prohibited
from communicating with his friends . Because of this
situation , he would like to emigrate .
O
Carmen Popescu , a founder of SLOMR , was imprisoned and
released , then re -arrested in 1981 and sentenced to six
 29

years imprisonment . She is still in prison and in poor

health .

The plight of Romanian workers is illustrated by a labor

law , known as the " Global Agreement , " that wa enacted on

September 1 , 1983. This law , in effect , has eliminated fixed and

guaranteed wages . Workers must now sign a contract which
amounts to a pledge of productivity . If a worker is deemed to

have reneged on his or her contract , the pledge itself is used

as the legal grounds for punishment . Workers ' salaries are tied

to the enterprise's production , and salaries are decreased if

the production figures are not met .

In addition , a five -year training period has been

instituted . During this time , the worker is considered an
" associate " ( what some have called " second - class " ) employee with
only limited rights . Among other things , an associate worker

receives only half of his or her salary , while the other half is
deposited in a state savings bank without interest . If the

worker leaves the enterprise before the end of the five -year

period , he or she loses the withheld money .

Agricultural workers ' rights are affected by a program
announced on January 16 , 1984 , which is designed to offset the
inefficiency of the socialized agricultural sector by squeezing
private agriculture . Private agriculture , consisting of private

plots of land that belong to members of agricultural cooperatives

and to private farmers , has long supplied the country with
significiant quantities of food , accounting for a large

49-957 0-85--2
 30

proportion of Romania's total national production . The new

program requires every private plot to produce strictly specified

minimum quotas of agricultural products . These quotas are

replacing the previous system of compulsory delivery to the

state , failure to comply with them will result either in the loss
of ownership of the land , or in its transfer to the socialized
sector . In all likelihood , this program will cause a drop in
private production , which , in turn , will increase the already
serious food shortages that have existed in Romania for the last
several years .

VI . Minority Rights

Ethnic minorities constitute 12 percent of Romania's 21

million people . The largest minority is Hungarian , officially

tabulated at 1.7 million people , but closer to 2.5 million ,

according to emigre sources . In addition to Hungarians , Romania
has a large number of ethnic Germans , Bohemians , Gypsies and
numerous smaller groups .

The minority groups in Romania often say that they live

under a double burden : the burden of repression in a
totalitarian state , and the burden of discrimination stemming
from Romanian chauvinism and "Romanianization . "

The Hungarian minority , centered mainly in the section of

Romanian known as Transylvania , claims that the Ceausescu regime

is engaged in a deliberate policy of cultural extinction , or

" cultural genocide . " Hungarian schools , churches , traditions ,
 31

and even the Hungarian language are being systematically

eliminated from Romanian society . The forced assimilation to
which ethnic Hungarians are being subjected increasingly takes
the form of discriminatory and sometimes brutal practices .
The Romanian government has recently stepped up repression
of the Hungarian minority . The London Times reported on June 6
that a new , discriminatory decree has been passed limiting the
number of Hungarian- speaking students at the University of Cluj
to 5 percent . Prior to this decree , Hungarian students made up
65 percent of the student body . The government has also decreed

that all geography and history teachers in all schools in

Transylvania must be Romanians S
a provocative move given the

conflicting Romanian and Hungarian interpretations of the area's

history .

There are other examples of persecution faced by the

Hungarian minority :
o Arpad Visky , an actor with the Hungarian Theaters of
Marosvasarhely ( called Tigru Mures in Romanian ) and of
Sepsiszentgyorgy (Sfintul Gheorghe), was sentenced on
August 7 , 1983, to five years imprisonment for " slandering
Romania , the Romanian people and the socialist system , " and
" disseminating hostile propaganda . " Visky was known to
identify with the Hungarian minority . He was arrested on
February 24 , 1983 , after an incident at the cafe of the
Hungarian Theater in Sfintul Gheorghe . He was in Prakova
Prison in Bucharest , until he was amnestied and released
in September 1984 .
O The Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party is
reported to have ordered an investigation into the
Kriterion Publishing House in Bucharest . This is the only
publisher of books for national minorities . The stated
objections to kriterion were: 1 ) the activities of the
publishing house were labeled " degenerate activities which
have strayed from the principles of Marxism-Leninism ; "
 32

2 ) falsification of history ; 3 ) " fostering the publication

of writings of no literary value . "
On November 5 , 1983 , Romanian border guards reportedly
closed the Romanian -Hungarian border at two different
points for several hours . This occurred at the start of a
3 - day holiday when many Hungarians would have crossed the
border to visit relatives in Transylvania . The intent was
to discourage visits from Hungarians .
Several Hungarian theater directors were fired in May
for their plans to put on a play about Karoly Kos , a
Hungarian architect . The authorities banned the play as a
fascist provocation . Since January 1984 , a wave of
dismissals of Hungarians from positions in the cultural
sphere has been reported , including editors of Hungarian
newspapers and journals .
Publications sent from Hungary are often confiscated by the
Romanian authorities . It is virtually impossible to subscribe
to newspapers or periodicals from Hungary , which are not for
sale in Romania . The free exchange of magazines between
institutions in Romania and Hungary has decreased , and Romanian
libraries are compelled to refuse gifts from Hungary .
The Romanian authorities have also placed restrictions on
sending some Hungarian- language publications printed in Romania
to Hungary . This makes it more difficult for people in Hungary
to get reliable information about the Hungarian minority in
Romania .

Visits to Hungary by Hungarians from Romania are also

discouraged , although by law Romanian citizens are permitted to
visit any Warsaw Pact country every two years . Nor are

Hungarians from Romania allowed to travel to Hungary to study ,

even on student scholarships . Amnesty International has
reported that Romania has an official quota on the number of

ethnic Hungarians who can travel to Hungary for prolonged

 33

visits . Some who have applied have been questioned ,

intimidated , or assaulted in public places by unidentified
persons and in this way pressured to withdraw their
applications . Sometimes Hungarians are unable to obtain the
appropriate application forms from officials who claim they are
out of print .

There have also been reports of harassment of foreigners

who visit Transylvania and meet with Hungarian intellectuals .

O
In October 1984 , Zsolt Szekeres , a United Nations
employee , visited Transylvania and met with several well
known Hungarian intellectuals . After his visit , the
Romanian security police interrogated all the people with
whom he had met . It is alleged that threats and violence
were employed during some of these interrogations .
Szekeres himself was detained in Tigru Mures by the
Romanian traffic police when he was en route to cluj to
meet with Geza Szocs . It is reported that he was falsely
accused of having been involved in a traffic accident , and
was forced to spend the night in the city . The next day he
was taken to the police station and interrogated for over
seven hours concerning his contacts in Transylvania and in
Washington D.C. Szekeres claims that the police threatened
him during the interrogation .
VII . Recommendations

Although there are many improvements in Romania's human

rights policies that we would wish to see made , we must be

realistic in assessing the U.S. government's ability to

influence Romania's policies . U.S. influence is limited , but

thanks to Romania's concern with maintaining its MFN status , the

U.S. government does have more leverage with Romania than it
has , for example , with certain other Warsaw Pact countries . The

U.S. Helsinki Watch Committee does not advocate that MFN be

ended ; rather , it urges the U.S. government to continue using

 34

its leverage based on MFN to exert pressure on the Romanian

government to improve its policies .
We urge the U.S. government to use its influence in

bilateral discussions with Romania by urging a general

improvement of human rights policies , including such issues as
the easing of emigration rules , the cessation of extralegal
persecution of would-be emigrants , the repeal of legislation
aimed at preventing contact between Romanian citizens and
foreigners and allowing fact - finding missions to visit Romania
and meet with Romanian officials and ordinary citizens . We also

urge the removal of restrictions aimed at suppressing the

cultural identity of the Hungarian and other minorities in
Romania . We believe that open dialogue between citizens of the
U.S. and Romania would do much toward improving relations
between the two countries .

We also urge the U.S. government to find ways to ease the

ceiling on Romanian immigration that has been imposed by our own
authorities . This is an area in which the U.S. can , and must ,

do something . We cannot continue , on the one hand , to urge full

emigration from Romania , and on the other hand , to strictly
limit the number of Romanian immigrants who are allowed into the
United States . Certainly , the thousands of refugees who are
already registered under the now-suspended Third Country
Processing Program ( TCP ) should be allowed to enter the United

States , especially because , as would-be emigrants , they are

being subjected to great hardship within Romania .
 35

Mr. YATRON . Thank you very much , Ms. Laber.

Our next witness is Ms. Nina Shea.
Please proceed with your statement.
STATEMENT OF NINA SHEA, PROGRAM DIRECTOR ,
INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Ms. SHEA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman .
Mr. Chairman , the International League for Human Rights
wishes to thank the Human Rights Subcommittee for holding hear
ings today on the status of human rights in Romania .
This past year the House Ways and Means Committee failed to
continue its annual practice of sponsoring hearings on Romanian
emigration rights in connection with the granting of most favored
nation status. Each year the League has testified at the trade hear
ings on our ongoing Family Reunification Project concerning Ro
manian citizens who are seeking to leave their country and
who
suffer often severe Government reprisals as a consequence. Each
year close to the hearings, emigration restrictions in Romania are
eased slightly; some of our right-to-leave cases are resolved; and on
occasion political prisoners have been released from detention .
That the Romanian Government responds in some degree to the
pressure of U.S. congressional scrutiny is itself testament to the
importance of today's hearings.
While having a somewhat enlightened foreign policy, Romania is
internally a totalitarian dictatorship. It is perhaps the most repres
sive and Stalinistic of the East European nations. No dissent is al
lowed . No independent labor unions, farmers associations, human
rights groups, citizens groups, scientific, legal, or other professional
associations are permitted to function . The Government, which
rules by decree, controls virtually all segments of life, intruding
into even the most deeply personal matters of family and religion.
To stifle dissent and maintain absolute control, the Government
does not hesitate to employ brutal tactics such as disappearances,
detention, psychiatric abuse, torture, and even politicalkillings.
Mr. Chairman, we have included some examples of these abuses
in our written testimony, and I would like to refer you to that. I
think some of the otherpanelists will be addressing those issues,
and for the sake of time I would like to discuss other issues.
Mr. YATRON. Thank you very much .
Ms. SHEA . Thank you.
Far more regularly the Government, using its absolute and per
vasive control, turns to more subtle but no less efficient adminis
trative sanctions to silence its critics and deny other basic human
rights. It is able to punish, coerce, and co -opt its citizenry through
diverse measures without even the pretext of an independent inves
tigation , charge, trial, due process, conviction , or appeal. Such
measures imposed simply upon administrative order include exter
nal exile; internal banishment; forced labor, or so -called corrective
labor without deprivation of liberty; job demotion, transfer, or even
dismissal; wage reduction, withholding, or complete denial; denials
of food rations and medical care; denial of education ; eviction from
home or forcible resettlement to remote or undesirable areas; and
fines or taxes .
 36

Administrative sanctions commonly do not affect the observer as

do the more brutal methods of repression. They fail to shock or
horrify. All too often they are overlooked by the international com
munity. Yet in Romania their cumulative impact on human rights
is devastating.
Karoly Kiraly, the well -known Romanian dissident of Hungarian
ethnic background, speaking of the plight of the Hungarian minori
ty, recently stated :
Those who denounce or protest (human rights violations) are not necessarily si
lenced by violence. For example, a schoolteacher who speaks out may be suddenly
transferred to another city where his wife can not find work. The shattered life of a
miserable schoolteacher does not make headlines in Transylvania , nor would it in
the West. And what about two and a half million shattered lives ? Would that make
a headline? I do not think so .
Mr. Chairman , the International League wishes to take this op
portunity to publicize some of these pervasive administrative sanc
tions that so thoroughly undermine human rights in Romania.
The Romanian regime is officially atheistic and prohibits reli
gious education for the young. Through the Ministry of Cults, it
controls all the activities of the 14 state-approved religious groups.
It is the sole distributor of Bibles, which are always in short
supply. It pays the salaries of religious leaders, some of whom it
has managed to co -opt.
It is able to discourage religious observance by calling for patriot
ic labor on significant religious holidays, like Christmas.Those who
dare not to work on such days risk losing certain privileges, such
as better housing or a job promotion.
Since 1977, but with particular intensity since spring 1984, the
Government has been in the process of demolishing many church
buildings. It appears to be a systematic campaign. As stated previ
ously, the situation is especially acute since worshipping in other
than officially designated buildings is forbidden.
A number of religious figures who have become too popular and
too critical of the Government have recently been singled out for
repression by administrative action . I refer to the cases that are in
cluded in my written testimony.
Mr. Chairman, administrative action has also been employed to
curtail the right of privacy, particularly with respect to the family.
In a February 24, 1984, decision, the Romanian Communist Party's
Executive Political Committee endorsed the regime's directive to
raise the nation's birthrate. It decided to continue to ban abortions
and oral contraceptives for women under 42. Among the measures
adopted aimed at enforcing the ban and promoting the state's
birthrate goals is a compulsory monthly gynecologicalexamination
for female workers over 20 years of age. The purpose of the check
ups is to ensure that pregnancies are not interrupted. Those who
fail to comply are to be denied paychecks, refused other medical
services, or denied social benefits.
The committee's decision also requires compulsory medical treat
ment for sterile women .
The minorities, Mr. Chairman, I will leave to the other panelists,
especially Mr. Laszlo Homas of the Romanian Committee for
Human Rights.
 37

I would like to conclude my testimony by mentioning the right to

leave. The International League has a special concern with the
right to leave. It is the focus of our Family Reunification Project,
which currently contains documentation on more than 1,000 fami
lies who wish to leave Romania. For these reasons we place empha
sis on this issue in our written testimony, and I refer particularly
to our appendix which contains details about 100 of these right-to
leave cases, many of whom suffer hardship because of interminable
delays or administrative sanctions like eviction, job dismissal, and
even transfer to remote areas within the country.
Mr. Chairman, my time has expired, so I will conclude.
Mr. YATRON . Thank you very much, Ms. Shea, for your state
ment. The entire text of your statement will be printed in the
record .
Ms. SHEA. Thank you very much .
[Ms. Shea's prepared statement follows:)
 38

PREPARED STATEMENT OF NINA SHEA , PROGRAM DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR

HUMAN RIGHTS

INTRODUCTION

Mr. Chairman , the International League for Human Rights

wishes to congratulate the Human Rights Subcommittee for
holding hearings today on the status of human rights in
Romania .

This past year the House Ways and Means Committee failed to
continue its annual practice of sponsoring hearings on Romanian
emigration rights in connection with the granting of "Most
Favored Nation " trade preferences. Each year , the Inter
national League has testified at the trade hearings on our
ongoing Family Reunification Project concerning Romanian
citizens who are seeking to leave their country and who
suffer often severe Government reprisals as a consequence .
Each year close to the hearings , emigration restrictions in
Romania are eased slightly, some of our right - to - leave cases
are resolved and, on occasion, political prisoners are
released from detention. That the Romanian Government

responds in some degree to the pressure of U.S.

Congressional scrutiny is itself testament to the importance
of today's hearings.
While having a somewhat enlightened foreign policy ,
Romania is internally a totalitarian dictatorship. It is

perhaps the most repressive and Stalinistic of the East

European nations . No dissent is allowed. No independent
 39

labor unions , farmers' associations , human rights groups ,

citizens' groups , scientific , legal or other professional
associations are permitted to function. The Government ,

which rules by decree , controls virtually all segments of

life , intruding into even the most deeply personal matters
of family and religion.
To stifle dissent and maintain absolute control , the
Government does not hesitate to employ brutal tactics , such
as disappearances , detention, psychiatric abuse , torture and
even political killings : In April 1984 , the Hungarian Roman
Catholic priest Father Geza Palfi was beaten to death by
security police for criticizing the State's policy of making
Christmas a workday ; more recently , on April 26 , 1985 , the
Baptist Minister , Reverend Petru Popescu , also a critic of
the official anti- religious policies, disappeared from a
train station platform C
his whereabouts remain unknown ; on

April 19 , 1985 , Constantin Sfatcu , a Baptist lay leader was

imprisoned for distributing Bibles ; Radu Filipescu , a
Romanian engineer , is currently in prison for distributing
leaflets critical of the regime ; Laszlo Buzas , an ethnic
Hungarian , is also in jail for smuggling writings in the
Hungarian language into Romania.
These are only a few examples , as Amnesty International
will testify , there are hundreds more .
Far more regularly , the Government , using its absolute
and pervasive control , turns to more subtle but no less
efficient administrative sanctions to silence its critics
and deny other basic human rights. It is able to punish ,
 40

coerce and co-opt its citizenry through diverse measures

without even the pretext of an independent investigation ,
charge, trial , due process , conviction or appeal. Such

measures , imposed simply upon administrative order , include

external exile ; internal banishment ; forced labor or so
called "corrective labor without deprivation of liberty " ;
job demotion, transfer or even dismissal ; wage reduction,
withholding or complete denial ; denials of food rations and
medical care ; denial of education ; and eviction from home ,
or forcible resettlement to remote or undesirable areas ; and
fines or taxes.

Administrative sanctions commonly do not affect the

observer as do the more brutal methods of repression. They
fail to shock or horrify . All too often they are overlooked
by the international community. Yet , in Romania, their
impact on human rights is devastating.
Karoly Kiraly, the well-known Romanian dissident of
Hungarian ethnic background, speaking of the plight of the
Hungarian minority recently stated :
Those who denounce or protest ( human rights
violations ) are not necessarily silenced by violence.
For example , a school teacher who speaks out maybe
suddently transferred to another city where his wife
can not find work . The shattered life of a miserable
schoolteacher does not make headlines in
Transylvania , nor would it in the West . And what
about two and a half million shattered lives ? Would
that make a headline ? I do not think so .

Mr. Chairman, the International League wishes to take

this opportunity to publicize some of these pervasive admin
istrative sanctions that so thoroughly undermine fundamental
 41

human rights in Romania .

RELIGION

The Romanian regime is officially atheistic and

prohibits religious education for the young. Through the
Ministry of Cults , it controls all the activities of the 14
State-approved religious groups . It is the sole

distributor of Bibles , which are always in short supply. It

pays the salaries of religious leaders , some of whom it has

managed to co- opt .
It is able to discourage religious observance by
calling for " patriotic " labor on significant religious
holidays , such as Christmas. Those who dare not to work on

such days risk losing certain privileges , such as better

housing or a job promotion.
Since 1977 , but with particular intensity since Spring
1984 , the Government has been in the process of demolishing
many church buildings , including several that are several
centuries old and have historical significance. It appears

to be a systematic campaign . The situation is especially

acute since worshipping in other than officially designated
buildings is forbidden. A Protestant leader , who held a

prayer meeting in his own home , after the congregation's

church had been torn down, was soon afterwards evicted.

These include : Romanian Orthodox (the largest ) , Roman

Catholic, Lutheran , Calvinist, Unitarian, Baptist ,
Pentecostal , Seventh Day Adventist , Jewish, and Muslim .
 42

A number of religious figures who have become too

popular and too critical of the Government have recently
been singled out for repression by administrative action,
as well as through arrest and imprisonment . In none of the
examples which follow has the individual been able to appeal
the administrative punishment imposed .
-
Father Calciu -Dumitreasa , a Romanian Orthodox
priest and professor of theology, was released from
prison in August 1984 , after serving five years of a
ten year sentence for non-violent human rights

activity . Since then he has been placed under

virtual house arrest. He is unemployed, deprived of
outside contacts , denied a passport and subject to
strict surveillance .
Reverend Istvan Tokes , an internationally
respected theologian and a senior official of the

Hungarian Reformed Church , after strong official

pressure , was fired in November 1983 from his
position as professor at the Protestant Theological
Seminary , and in May 1984 was dismissed from his post
as Assistant Bishop. He continues to be monitored.
Reverend Laszlo Tokes , son of Istvan Tokes and
also a minister of the Hungarian Reformed Church , was
banished from his congregation in Des to a remote
village in May 1984 .
Felicia Russo , a convert to the Pentecostal Church
in Lugoj , has been repeatedly harassed by authorities
since her conversion . She was expelled from the
 43

university and denied a passport . Currently, she can

get only menial jobs for which , church sources report ,
she is paid approximately $ 4 ( U.S. ) a month .
Ferenc Wisky , a former pastor of the Hungarian
Reformed Church, was forcibly retired and banished
from his church and home in April 1983 .
The Romanian regime is not willing to persecute directly
the large number of devout in its country . Instead the regime

has , through administrative measures , sought to undercut

religion through isolating independent -thinking religious
leaders and limiting religious exposure for the bulk of the
population .

At the 13th Congress of the Romanian Communist Party in

November 1984 , President Ceausescu vowed to " take firm

measures against various mystical and obscurantist

manifestations , " an obvious reference to an official crackdown
on religious practice . There is no indication that the

situation will improve in the near future .

PRIVACY

Administrative action has also been employed to curtail

the right of privacy, particularly with respect to the family.
In a Februrary 24 , 1984 decision, the Romanian Communist
Party's executive political committee endorsed the regime's .
directive to raise the nation's birth rate . It decided to

continue to ban abortions and oral contraceptives for women

under 42 . Among the measures adopted aimed at enforcing the
ban and promoting the State's birth rate goal is a compulsory
 44

monthly gynecological examination for female workers over 20

years of age . The purpose of check-ups is to ensure that
pregnancies are not interrupted. Those who fail to comply are
to be denied paychecks , refused other medical services or
denied social benefits.
The committee's decision also requires compulsory medical
treatment for sterile women. In addition, unmarried adults
over 25 and childless couples are : subjected to a five per
cent income surcharge . One child families also confront

problems ; families with two or more children have priority in

enrolling in school or for housing .
There is no opportunity for women or families to appeal
or even protest such measures . Those who attempt to do so
risk further reprisals.

MINORITIES

At the Romanian Communist Party Congress last November ,

President Ceausescu declared , "We have resolved the
nationality problem for good. ** In fact , the persecution and
forced Romanization of some minority groups in Romania appears
to have intensified in recent years . Since Fall 1984 ,

authorities of Hungary and Yugoslavia , as well as the Council

of Europe , have voiced official concern to the Romanian
Government about its treatment of the minorities and their

culture .

The Hungarian minority has been among the hardest hit.

In addition to penal , and even extra- legal measures , they have
 45

faced a relentless barrage of administrative sanctions in a

Government attempt to force them to give up their culture and
assimilate into the dominant Romanian one .

Hungarians are underrepresented in important local and

national political bodies. Transylvania , the center of

Hungarian ethnic culture in Romania , no longer holds the semi

autonomous position it had during the 1950's. Romanians are

now regularly appointed as mayors of Hungarian districts .

Many previously independent Hungarian cultural and educational
institutions have been merged with their Romanian
counterparts .
Romania has sought to disrupt the flow of Hungarian
speaking individuals to and from Romania. It has denied its

own citizens passports or permission to visit Hungary . It has

discouraged visits by foreign ethnic Hungarians to Romania by

close surveillance and police interrogation and harrassment .
It has closed the Romanian-Hungarian border on important
Hungarian ethnic holidays and has recently decreed that
Hungarians are among the foreigners who cannot spend the night
in Romanian homes , unless they are family members .
Romanian authorities also make Hungarian cultural exchanges
difficult . They routinely confiscate written materials in Hungarian ,
including those without political content , at the border. They

have banned Romanians of Hungarian ethnicity from accepting

scholarships in Hungarian universities and professional schools .

Minority groups in Romania include ethnic Hungarians

and Germans , Jews , Serbs , Ukranians , Slovaks , Czechs ,
Bulgarians , Armenians and Gypsies .
 46

Within Romania they have repressed Hungarian culture by

limiting opportunities to learn and speak Hungarian and practice
Hungarian traditions, In the past year , the Government has
stopped all television broadcasting in Hungarian. It has also

continued to close Hungarian schools or incorporate them into

Romanian ones as mere sections which , in turn are gradually
phased out . Recently, by an order of April 4 , 1984 , the
Ministry of Education abolished the designation of the " Babes
Bolyai University " as a Hungarian institution .
A quota is set by authorities to limit the number of
university students allowed to major in Hungarian ; in July
1983 , the Ministry of Education reduced the quota at the
University of Kolozsvar from 25 to 15 students , according to
reports of the " samizdat" Hungarian Press of Transylvania.
Students of Hungarian are harassed : The Hungarian Press of
Transylvania reported in June 1984 that ten students from the
Academy of Fine Arts in Kolozsvar were interrogated by the
secret police and two of them were expelled , after the
interrogations had determined that they were "maintaining
contact with citizens of Hungary ... and allowing Western ,
Hungarian ideals to influence their work . "
The Government has also routinely assigned Hungarian
graduates of universities and trade schools to jobs outside
the Hungarian community . Ethnic Hungarians are sent into
Romanian areas , while Romanians are transferred to Hungarian
speaking districts . For example , the 23 graduates who had
majored in Hungarian at the University of Kolozsvar in 1983
 47

were all forced to accept teaching positions outside

Transylvania . Instead of teaching their native Hungarian to
ethnic Hungarians , they must now teach various foreign
languages to Romanian speakers . The New York -based Committee

for Human Rights in Romania reports that , as a result , there

is an acute deficiency in the number of Hungarian teachers in
Transylvania and Hungarian language experts are isolated from
their native communities.

Other prominent Hungarian cultural figures have been

forcibly transferred from the Hungarian region or fired from
their positions, merely because they are viewed by authorities
as obstructionists to its minority assimilation plans.
Certain religious leaders , who have been victims of this
practice , have been mentioned above. Others include

journalists , writers, broadcasters , and actors. For example

In 1984 Zoltan Bartha , an editor of a Hungarian-language
children's magazine was reassigned to another job in a remote
region .
In late 1983 , Sandor Huszar , editor of a popular
Hungarian-language weekly , and his assistant, Andor
Horvath , were summarily fired from their jobs.
Arpad Visky, a popular actor with the Hungarian
Theatre , after being released in September 1984 from
imprisonment on political charges, is now banned from

acting on Romanian stages.

 48

The dissident Karoly Kiraly eloquently summarized the

situation of the Hungarian minority in an interview in October
1984 :

The atmosphere of terror is beyond description. It

permeates every aspect of everyday life. The most
arbitrary and extreme measures are taken with respect to
education , housing, cultural and religious activities ,
in total disregard of established laws and regulations .
The fear which the secret police has managed to instill
in every citizen makes even the simplest act become
incredibly risky and complicated. Making a long
distance telephone call to Hungary , for example , is
itself already considered a suspicious activity. Three
phone calls are allowed per month and each call is recorded
inone's personal identification card. Distrust is so
prevalent that no one dares communicate anything to
anyone . Those who do dare to trust someone risk their
jobs , their homes or anything they might hold dear .

THE RIGHT TO LEAVE

The individual's right to leave his country has been an

area of special concern to the League and is the focus of our
Family Reunification Project , which currently contains
documentation on more than 1000 families who wish to leave

Romania . For these reasons we place particular emphasis on

this issue at today's hearing .

Many of our cases , noted in the Appendices to our

testimony, reveal instances of particular hardship. Merely
for requesting permission to leave , many families have

suffered reprisals at the hands of administrative authorities

and a number have . enduredinterminable delays in
the processing of their exit application , in itself a form of
administrative sanction.
 49

The right to leave is not safeguarded in Romanian law : it is

not mentioned in the current Romanian Constitution , and there
are no specific domestic laws guaranteeing the right to leave.
On the contrary , various provisions stipulate lengthy and
complex conditions for acquiring exit visas and passports. In

the absence of legal guarantees to protect citizens ' rights to

leave , the State's claim of the right to control the movement
of its citizens goes unchallenged. Under provisions of
passport decrees , criminal codes , and civil laws which

legislate movement across the country's borders , the State

exercises unharnessed power to determine who may leave , when,
and under what circumstances.

The following examination of Romanian domestic law

reveals that the right to leave is severely qualified even on

the face of the legislation. A review of the League's
extensive caseload demonstrates that these laws are applied in
such a way that an alarming curtailment of emigration rights
results .

Article 12 of the Romanian Decree on Passports provides

for complete Government discretion in the issuance of
documents for foreign travel . It empowers Romanian

authorities to deny or withdraw a passport when " by going

abroad, (a Romanian citizen) could prejudice the interests of
the Romanian state or affect the good relationship thereof
with other states. " The vague wording of this decree permits
arbitrary denials of passports and contemplates restrictions
on the right to leave far exceeding those permitted under
 50

international law, namely "those necessary to protect national

security , public order , public health or morals or the rights
and freedoms of others . "
Other legal provisions ensure strict State regulation of
movement from the country :

One decree governing travel limits the validity of exit

visas to only six months from the date of issue .
Another stipulates that personal travel is permitted only
once very two years, with certain exceptions regarding
family reunification or obtaining medical care .
Yet another makes State permission for personal travel
contingent on " the limits of available foreign currencies
as established for this purpose through the annual State
Plan and in accordance with the criteria and preferential
order established by the Resolution of Council of Ministers. '
Before being permitted to leave to marry a foreign
national , citizens must also seek and receive separate
permission to wed from the Romanian Parliament .

As in other areas of State control in Romania , there is

no possibility for independent judicial review of State

denials of permission to travel .
As noted above , Romanian law exempts travel for purposes

of family reunification and for obtaining medical care from

certain restrictions applicable in other cases of personal
travel . We have found, nevertheless , that in practice travel
from Romania is severely and routinely limited irrespective of
the would -be traveler's purpose .

Many of the League's cases involve family members who

wish to emigrate to rejoin relatives abroad . As a result of

travel denials , husbands are separated from wives, and

children from parents. Even in the most compelling
circumstances denials are common.
 51

The League wishes to draw the Subcommittee's attention to

a group of cases involving elderly and often ill applicants
whose children are already in the West . There can be no
justification for withholding emigration permission in these
cases . The individuals concerned are pensioned , and it has
been many years since they were members of the work force ; in
addition, these cases do not involve issues of State security.

The League has documented 68 such cases in the past year .

They range in age from 60 years. Some are seriously ill , such
as : Borislav Nikolin who is partially paralyzed; Theresia
Michelbach , who suffers from hardening of the arteries as well
as stomach problems ; Michael Weber , 83 years old, suffers from
a stomach disease on which he has twice undergone surgery ,
and his wife Elisabetha , 78 years old, is almost blind ; Anna
Bieber , 70 years old, suffers from arterial hypertony ,
arteriosclerosis , and myocardial sclerosis ; her husband Jakob
Bieber , 80 years old , suffers from myocardialsclerosis and
adenoma of the prostate . Many of these individuals need
medical treatment available only in the West .

Hardship in some families is particularly acute in view of

the very meager pensions on which they must subsist. In several
cases , these are as low as $ 6 or $ 10 ( 0.5 . ) dollars a month .
Inordinate delays in Romania's emigration application
process continue to be reported . Partly responsible are
cumbersome and obscure procedures coupled with the
bureaucratic indifference of officials. Applying to emigrate
is a two- level process in which applicants must acquire ,
 52

submit and receive decisions on both a " short " and "long "
application form . A number of individuals have reported to us
that even obtaining the forms can be a frustrating and
patience - testing process. On more than one occasion it has

been reported to us that after filing the applications , one or

both of the forms have been "lost " or filled out incorrectly ;
for example , officials use minor misspelling as an excuse for
requiring the entire process to begin a new . A large number of
these persons have been applying for permission to leave
Romania for many years , in some cases well over two decades :
Since 1961 :
Elisabetha Haecker ( 60 years old )
Mathias and Margareta Wilhelm ( 77 and 73 )
Since 1962 :
Josef and Barbara Lindemann ( both 61 )
Since 1963 :
Ignatz and Katharina Schmidt ( 81 and 77 )
Since 1964 :
Anton and Elisabeth and Katharina Kilzer ( 67 , 58 , and 82 )
Since 1965 :
Josef and Anna Eberle ( 82 and 76 )
In addition , Romanian authorities direct economic and
other administrative reprisals against the would -be emigrant.
For some , these practices signify a continued campaign of
intimidation against them--the same factors that initially
prompted their desire to leave ; for others this treatment may
mark the beginning of a long and torturous ordeal .
In Romania , the unemployed are often treated as second
class citizens and may even be criminally prosecuted for
"parasitism. " Therefore, dismissal from employment can be a
severe sanction for an emigration application and an effective
 53

deterrent for others who might wish to apply. A number of

individuals in League-documented cases were fired from their

jobs soon after requesting permission to emigrate. According
to our case files, several persons, apparently blacklisted
from employment , have yet to find other work although they are
skilled in their professions. ( See Appendices' cases : Guni ,
Orendi , Dengel, Griesel, Gehl, Bonbol , and Georgescu )
In other cases , emigration applicants have been demoted
to lower - paying positions far beneath their capabilities : for
example , professors are being forced to work as unskilled
laborers in factories . ( See Appendices' cases : Resch , and
Gehl )
Students in families applying to emigrate have reported
discrimination with regard to education. A number of families

report that their children have not been permitted by authorities

to enroll in school ( See Appendices' cases : Dengel , Bonbol ,
and Georgescu )
Others have been evicted from their homes ( See Appendix
case : Galalae ) ; or given inadequate housing ( See Appendix
case : Gehl ) ; Many emigation applicants are deemed ineligible
to receive State benefits such as medical and dental care ,
hospitalization and pensions.
Apparently , the Romanian authorities have also in the past
year adopted a new administrative sanction : the exacting of large
cash payments from the applicants . Numerous League-documented
cases report that Government agents requested bribes or
unofficial payments of up to $3,200 ( U.S. ) as a prerequisite
 54

to receiving emigration permission. Western diplomatic

sources have also reported on this new practice. Such

payments seem to have replaced and are a substitute for the

Education Tax , which was to be imposed after November 1982 for

all emigration applicants who had received education beyond
the compulsory level of ten years. The practice of taxing
emigrants for their education was abandoned by Romanian
authorities after strong U.S. Congressional and Administration
protests .
Finally , regarding emigration, the League wishes to draw
the Subcommittee's attention to another problem faced by the
many Romanians who wish to emigrate to the U.S. to rejoin
family members : Thousands of such applicants have already
received Romanian exit visas and are waiting to be processed
by the American embassy in Bucharest. These families have

applied to leave Romania under the United States State

Department's Third Country Processing Program (TCP) that
encouraged emigration from Romania but was discontinued in
1982 . The Romanian Government , believing that the United
States would not be able to take many of the applicants , began
a policy of selling passports to those wishing to migrate to
the United States and other Western European countries ( except
the Federal Republic of Germany) . These individuals , many of
whom were forced to give up their jobs or homes , after
applying to emigrate live in particularly distressing
circumstances . One example is the Bonbol family , described
below :

Nicolae Bonbol in December 1983 applied, together

 55

with his wife and daughter , for a passport to join his

mother in the United States. His mother , Lise Bonbol
Wendler , is married to an American citizen and is
herself a permanent resident of the United States.
He received his passport and permission to leave
Romania in December 1984 . However , he has not been

able to receive a U.S. immigration visa. In fact , the

U.S. Embassy in Bucharest , to this date , has not even
opened a file on his case. The reason given was that
there are already too many such applications to be
processed at the Embassy.
As soon as Mr. Bonbol received his Romanian
passport he and his wife lost their jobs. He was a

construction engineer and she a technical draftswoman.

The Romanian Government now forbids them from working ,
even at menial jobs.
Their child cannot attend school unless they pay
$ 200 ( U.S. ) a month for her schooling. In addition ,
they must now pay for medical and legal services in
U.S. dollars. Since Romanian citizens are not allowed

to have foreign currency , Mr. Bonbol's mother must send

them large sums of money to help them survive. The
Romanian family's only other means of support comes
from selling their furniture and other possessions.
Under United States immigration policy ,

immigration visas are given to those who have first

degree relatives in the U.S. are themselves citizens or
 56

permanent residents of the U.S. The Bonbol family fits

this category It appears that there are no grounds for
not considering Mr. Bonbol's application .
Other emigration applicants to the U.S. in the
League's caseload face similar hardships and merit
attention. ( See Appendix cases : Georgescu and
Galateanu ) .

EXPRESSION

Free expression is not tolerated in Romania. All press ,

broadcasting and publishing is controlled by the Government.

Western written materials are rarely allowed in to the
country. Even underground publications are scarce. The

Hungarian Press of Transylvania is one of the only underground

publications still able to function .
Many of the leading dissidents writer such as Paul Goma
and Vlad Georgescu , have been exiled , aften after
imprisonment and/or physical abuse . Others , such as those

mentioned above in the "Minorities " section, have been

isolated and silenced after being fired from newspaper jobs ,
internally banished and / or imprisoned .
In this context , Radio Free Europe , which broadcasts news
about Romania within Romania in the native language , is a
significant alternative information source. Radio Free Europe

offices and personnel operating in Western Europe have been

threatened by physical attacks , reportedly backed by Romanian
agents . Two French citizens , suspected of eing Romanian
security agents , were sentenced to prison by a West German
 57

court in July 1982 after being convicted of attempting to

murder a Romanian exile working for Radio Free Europe in
Munich. On November 9 , 1984 , the West German Government
requested the withdrawal of five Romanian diplomats from the
Embassy in Bonn for allegedly being linked with a planned bomb
attack on Radio Free Europe .
Popular or well-known Romanian writers , who have dared to
dissent , are likely to be exiled , censored, and punished by
administrative measures , rather than imprisoned. A few well
known writers still do manage to have pieces critical of the
Government printed. For example , Ana Blondiana , an
internationally - acknowledged poet had four dissident poems
published in December 1984 . Augustin Buzura , a novelist , has

had published a number of dissident pieces , including some

critical of totalitarianism in connection with President
Ceausescu's birthday celebration in January. This Spring , one
of his editors at the Cartea Romanescu publishing house ,
Georgeta Naidin , was transferred from her job .
Dorin Tudoran , a widely acclaimed Romanian writer , in
1984 had an essay critical of the repression of Romanian
writers , banned in Roma a ; it was later broadcast by western
radio and serialized in a French journal . Mr. Tudoran now lives
under continuous police surveillance with his telephone and
mail intercepted . He has been dismissed from his job as an
editor of the literary magazine Lucenfarul .

During 1984 some banned writers and artists have resigned

from the Communist party to protest the " intolerable
 58

restrictions" on culture and press in Romania. Others ,

including Dorin Tudoran , had done so in previous years. An

administrative decree , aimed at monitoring the unofficial

press , by requiring private persons to register typewriters came
into force in April 1983 . Shortly afterwards , President

Ceausescu called on artists in all fields to propagate "the

model of the new man . " Official control over all forms of
expression can be expected to remain tight .

LABOR

Romania prohibits independent labor unions and has

effectively eliminated any type of labor movement .
Administrative sanctions , such as job transfers , demotions,
banishment or exile , are used to isolatate activists and
suppress labor organizing and dissent .
Incipient efforts to organize a union and protect
workers ' rights arose during the 1970s but were quickly
suppressed by authorities . In the early 1970s Vasile
Paraschiv , a petrochemical worker in Ploiesti , proposed in a
letter to the Romanian Communist Party the formation of
independent trade unions. He never received a reply ; instead

he was forcibly detained in a psychiatric hospital . In 1977 ,

he was permitted to leave Romania.

The next significant attempt to assert workers' rights
occurred in 1977 among miners in the Jiu Valley. The miners

organized a strike to protest food shortages and working

conditions . Despite promises by the Government to address
the strikers ' grievances , their demands were never met .
 59

finally in 1979 , a group of intellectuals and workers ,

prompted by the Government's inaction regarding the miners'
strike , announced the formation of the Free Trade Union of
Romanian Workers ( SLOMR ) to press for workers ' demands . The

authorities quickly responded by arresting the union organizers

and harassing its members .

There have been no significant movements to start a new

union . Some of the original labor activists are in exile ,
while others such as Carmen Popescu , are still in jail .
Meanwhile , workers ' rights continue to deteriorate.
Authorities regularly continue to make calls for days of
" patriotic " labor , during which workers are not paid for the
work rendered . Students , particularly , are expected to
"volunteer " their labor during vacation periods. A new decree

places those entering the labor force in virtual indentured

servitude . They are forced to remain at their first assigned
job for five years; otherwise half their wages, which are
withheld by the State , are forfeited .
Without any opening to organize or express dissent ,
Romania's workers face a bleak furture. They can expect
further hardships and exploitation as the nation's economy
continues to perform poorly .
 60

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

In conclusion , Romania systematically violates a wide

range of human rights through the extensive use of
administrative sanctions, as well as by other tactics . The

victims of exile , house arrest , eviction , job dismissal or

other administrative measure for political reasons merit U.S.
concern .

Romania shares with the U.S. certain trade and foreign

policy interest. Unlike other Eastern-bloc nations , Romania
is sensitive to U.S. Congressional opinion : in the past , it

has yielded to American , particularly Congressional , pressure

to moderate its actions. The International League urges

Congress to make effective use of its leverage and continue

such efforts . In Romania , precisely because there is
virtually no opening for internal dissent, U.S. and other
external pressure becomes all the more critical .
The following are among recommended actions to help
maximize the U.S. Government's influence in improving human
rights in Romania. They are meant to be illustrative , rather
than exhaustive .
1. Enhancing information gathering on human rights abuses
and its dissemination . Visible initiatives to protect those
who speak out in defense of human rights could be undertaken
by the U.S. Government .
Ensuring that the American Embassy protests or takes
other measures when there is harassment of leading relgious ,
minority or other human rights activists .
 61

Urging the American Ambassador to regularly visit

oppressed minority areas , such as Transylvania , or attend

prayer meetings and church functions of persecuted
denominations ; and to invite dissidents and individuals who
work and protect human rights often and visibly to the U.S.
Embassy .
Ensuring the continuation of Radio Free Europe and
even the improvement of the quantity and quality of its
broadcasting. The U.S. Government should vigorously protest

the reported attacks by Romanian agents against Radio Free

Europe broadcasters and their facilities .

2. Actively encourage the National Endowment for

Democracy to support the projects and exchanges with Romania
that would promote respect for human rights and assist
pluralistic voices .
3. Protest repeatedly in both Washington and
Bucharest when human rights abuses occur , particularly when
increased repressed administrative sanctions are imposed or
when abusive practices are otherwise institutionalized .
4. Continue to link trade preferences , loans or other
examples of economic coooperation with human rights. In
particular , the House of Representatives should continue to
hold public hearings to review Romania's elegibility for "Most
Favored Nation " status under the Jackson - Vanik Amendment's

human rights requirements .

5. Urge the U.S. Government to expedite the granting of
U.S. visas to Romanians who , through a hard fight , sometimes with
the intervention of the Members of this Committee , were able
to acquire Romanian emigration permission .

49-957 0-85-43
 62

APPE N D I X

A compilation of unresolved cases from the

Family - Reunification Project of the

International League for Human Rights

 63

LAST NAMB PIRST NAME (birthdate ) ADDRESS PIRST APPLIED

ANHEUER Elisabeth 1938 Periul Nou 1970

No. 140
Jud . Timis

BADER Peter ( 1/24/01) 2922 Neudorf

Ana ( 12/12/08 ) No. 82
Jud . Arad

BARTHOLD Susanna ( 4/12/37 ) Bom . Peciul- Non 1979

Gerhardt ( 5/3/42 ) No. 441
Alfred ( 6/23/69) Jud . Timis

BASTIEN Jacob (3/24/03). 1974 Tomnatic 1965

Francisca ( 1/1/09) No. 726
Jud . Timis
BECKER Hans Str . Laterala 1979
No. 552
2219 Vulcan
Jud . Brasov

BENDER Josef ( 10/25027 ) Cheglevici 1970

Katharina ( 7/24/36 ) No. 70
Johann (7/12/56 ) Jud . Timis
Karen ( 8/7/69)
BERENZ Nicolae ( 5/21/30 2944 Sampetru 1966
Katharina ( 1/3/31 ) German No. 33
Nicolae ( 7/4/55 ) Jud . Arad

BIEBER Jakob ( 2/5/05) 1993 Sinandrei 1976

Anna ( 12/10/14 ) No. 341
Ioan ( 5/23/37 ) Jud . Timis
Eva ( 10/14/48)
BIEBER Stefan ( 9/20/39 ) 1938 Peciul Nou 1958
Anna (7/15/41) No. 331
Stefan ( 1/11/71) Jud . Timis
Elke ( 7/4/77 )
BONBOC Nicolae ( 1945 ) Cetatea Histria 4
Anca Ioana ( 1946 ) Bld . D2 Apt . 15
Ioana Raluca ( 1971 ) Bucharest
 64

BUCHERT Erwin ( 10/17/41 ) Arad 1978

Magdalena ( 10/12/37 ) Aleea Vlaicu
Erwin Jr. ( 10/12/67 ) B1.35
Helmuth ( 5/1/69 ) Judetul Arad
BUECHER Guenther ( 6/20/53) 1900 Timisoara 1980
Christine ( 8/3/54 ) Calea
Kai - Uwe ( 5/9/79) Bogdanestilor No.31
Jud . Timis
CHRISTMAN Hans ( 10/15/27 ) 1952 Iecea Mare 50 unknown
Elisabeth ( 8/26/25 ) Jud . Timis , Banat
Johann 1952 Ieca Mare 7
CSAFTARI Anna ( 11/4/07 ) 1834 Nitchidorf 1965
No. 100
Jud . Timis

CZ IVAY Nikolaus , Jr. ( 4/1/32 ) 1938 Pecuil Nou 1964

Elisabeth ( 10/18/34 ) No. 64
Anna ( 10/29/61) Jud . Timis
DECKER Anton ( 1/28/38 ) Timisoara 1975
Katarina ( 5/9/37 ) 2 , Str . Mures
Jud . Timis
DENGEL unknown unknown 1981

DIAN Francise ( 7/6/22 ) 1938 Peciul Nou 1970

Anna ( 12/12/26 ) No. 140
Jud . Timis

EBERLE Josef ( 9/8/03) 1978 Cheglevici 1965

Anna ( 4/10/09 ) No. 179
Jud . Timis

EICH INGER Johann ( 11/11/08) 1981 Giarmate 1962

Elisabetha ( 4/7/12 ) No. 820
Johann, Jr. ( 4/7/32 ) Str . Morii
Valentina (9/18/46 ) Jud . Timis
Juliana ( 12/18/65 )
Helmuth ( 12/5/68 )
Johann ( 2/1/70)
ERNST Johann ( 3/20/44 ) Cenad 1979
No. 1798
Jud . Timis
FELLER Sebastian ( 4/2/33) 1982 Pischia 1980
Eva ( 10/1/36 ) No. 288

FERCH Adam (7/21/34 1981 Giarmata 1972

Josefina ( 11/1/42 ) No. 28
Ewald ( 6/27/60) Str . Nona
Jud . Timis
 65

FINSER Anton ( 1/18/35 ) 2922 Neudorf unknown

Katharina (5/21/45 ) No. 82
Jud . Arad

PORTLER Valentin ( 6/14/28 ) 1936 Sanmihaiul 1962

German
Ratherina ( 3/4/34 ) No. 70
Walter ( 1/18/59 ) Jud . Timis
Gerhard ( 3/23/74 )
GALALAE Costel ( 1/1/32 ) Rue Soveja 1981
Bloc H2
Demecilie Coustauta

GALATEANU Gabriel ( 5/29/57 ) Str . C. Caracas 49

Tabita- Ileana ( 5/22/52 ) Sector 1 Cod .
p . 78156 Bucharest
GEHL Maria ( 8/25/32) St. Strandului 1974
Helga ( 3/7/56 ) Bloc 14
Mehrbrot ( 8/25/55 ) 2400 Sibiu
Dagmar ( 1/20/81 )
GEORGESCU John ( 4/22/29 ) Caderea Bastille
Ruxandra ( 9/11/62 ) 30 , Sect . I
Johut ( 1/16/68) Bucharest

GERHOLD Jakob ( 11/9/33 ) Birda 1977

Eva ( 10/19/35 ) Jud . Timis
Peter ( 10/4/54 )
Gerlinde ( 11/2/56 )
Ramona ( 3/17/74 )
Roland ( 5/25/79 )
GERING Josef ( 9/10/27 ) 1981 Giarmata 1969
Katharina ( 2/10/27 ) No. 526
Jud . Timis
GHERGH ISAN Gheorghe ( 8/18/55 ) 1984 **

GRIESEL Peter ( 1/18/20 ) 1956 Bul ganis 1965

Iosefa ( 12/11/22 ) No. 246
Jud . Timis
GRIESEL Ewald ( 9/5/42 ) 1900 Timisoara 1965
Maragaret ( 3/5/44 ) No. 3
Gernot - Uwe ( 11/27/67 ) Str . Lidia
Artur - Sven ( 9/20/69 ) Jud . Timis
GRIPPATON Josif ( 9/7/27 ) 1974 Tomnatic 1965
Ecaterina ( 3/3/29 ) No. 724
Jud . Timis
 66

GRUBER Enric ( 1/5/32 ) 1900 Timisoara 1976

Hermina ( 11/6/36 ) No. 10A
Gunter ( 10/10/62 ) Spl . N. Titulescu
Jud . Timis
HACKER Elisabetha ( 5/14/25 ) 1981 Giarmata 1967
No. 91
Jud . Timis

HANS INGER Ioan ( 2/9/40 ) Gottlob 1978

Elisabeth ( 2/17/42) No. 107
Elvine (11/10/68) Jud . Temeschburg

HASSENTEUFEL Ioan ( 2/11/09 ) Lovrin 1978

Maria ( 12/2/19) No. 855
Jud . Temeschburg
HEIDENFELDER Michael ( 1/27/11 ) 1947 Johanniesfeld 1970
Elisabeth ( 3/17/15 ) No. 301
Jud . Timis

HEIDENFELDER Theresia Ana ( 2/18/42 ) Calea Sagului 1970

Michael ( 12/12/37) No. 24
Artur ( 12/14/630 Timisoara
Jud . Timis

HESS Helene ( 1/24/40) Jimbolia 1978

Joan (11/29/37) No. 7
Manuella ( 1/23/69 ) Str . Araduli
Jud . Timis

HUBER Elisabeta ( 3/17/30 ) 1900 Timisoara 1973

Hans ( 5/7/28 ) No. 10
Horst ( 1/9/54) Str . Ion Slavici

HUGEL Elisabetha ( 12/26/03 ) 1981 Giarmata 1978

Str . Garii
Jud . Timis

HUMMEL Barbara ( 12/7/11 ) 1948 Sacalez 1963

No. 73
Jud . Timis

HUMMEL Ioan ( 10/10/56 ) Sacalaz unknown

Hedwig ( 11/7/58 ) No. 196
Jud . Timis

JAGER Francisc ( 12/22/38 ) 2875 Lipova 1975

Eva ( 8/8/41 ) No. 1
Inge ( 11/27/61 ) Str . 6 Martie
Francisc , Jr. ( 6/26/65 ) Jud . Arad

JUNG INGER Barbara ( 3/18/10) 1981 Giarmata 1975

Francisc ( 1/18/33 ) No. 424
 67

JUNGINGER ( cont'd ) Ecaterina ( 11/2/37 ) Str . Principala

Francisc , Jr. (7/18/61) Jud . Timis
JUNKERT Mathias ( 4/17/37 ) Pischia 1965
Magdalena ( 8/9/41) No. 4
Edmar (6/21/62) Jud . Timis
Engelhardt ( 7/3/64 )
KARL P - ta Vasile Roaita
Rosemarie ( 3/2/62 ) 1983
No. 9-11
2900 Arad

KASNEL Johan ( 12/23/28 ) Str . Pareului unknown

Elisabeth ( 11/12/28 ) No. 123
Josef ( 4/4/51 ) Giarmata-VII , God .
Jud . Timis
KELLER Anton ( 1/17/18 ) Str . Paroseni 1964
Elisabetha ( 2/8/27 ) No. 23
Timisoara V. Mehala
Jud . Timis
KILZER Ratharina ( 3/10/03 ) Str . Paroseni 1964
No. 23
Timisoara V. Mehala

KILZER Nikolaus ( 7/6/08 ) 1981 Giarmata 1970

Magdalena ( 6/16/12 ) No. 66
Str . Noua
Jud . Timis
KU CHLER Ioan ( 8/7/26 ) 1981 Giarmata 1961
Margareta ( 2/7/30 ) No. 500
Elisabeta ( 11/21/53 ) Jud . Timis

KU MAUS Margareta ( 12/29/06 ) 1981 Principala 1975

Petru ( 7/24/10 ) No. 474

LEGO Nicolae ( 10/11/35 ) 1981 Giarmata 1961

Ana ( 11/3/38 ) No. 267
Rosemarie ( 3/1/60 ) Jud . Timis

LEIB Anton ( 9/11/34 ) Str . Imprietaritilor 1983

No. 15
Katharina ( 9/10/36 )
Anton ( 11/4/03 ) 2915 Vladimirescu
LES SL Varvara ( 12/15/28 ) 1978 Cheglevici 1965
Ioan ( 2/5/27 ) No. 179
Petru (4/25/1899 ) Jud . Timis

LINDEMANN Iosef ( 2/8/24) Str . Viilor 1962

Barbara ( 12/24/24 ) No. 550
Franz ( 1/1/52) Giarmata
Katharina ( 4/5/56 ) Jud . Timis
Alwin ( 6/6/77 )
1
 68

LINDEMANN (cont'd ) Melita ( 8/2/80)

LORIS Mathias ( 8/15/27 ) 1981 Giarmata 1963
Anna ( 4/28/27 ) No. 846
Jud . Timis
LOSER Gertrude 99/26/19) 1981 Giarmata 1961
No. 267
Jud . Timis
MARX Erna ( 12/19/61 ) 1981 Giarmata 1970
Roland ( 5/14/62 ) No. 287
Str . Batrina
Jud . Timis
MAUER Maria ( 4/19/21) Com . Biled 1973
No. 112
Jud . Timis

MIHAILESCU Florin ( 1959 ) Caderea Bastille

30 , Sect . 1
Bucharest

NIKOLIN Borislav ( 3/7/20 ) 1938 Peciul Nou 1975

Maria ( 1/24/30 ) No. 244
Jud . Timis

OBERKIRSCH Johann ( 7/21/06 ) Dolati 1980

No. 195
Jud . Timis

OBERTEN Elisabeta ( 7/11/28 ) 1974 Tomnatec 1968

Nikolaus ( 12/21/17 ) No. 434
Jud . Timis

ORENDI Rudolf ( 12/23/39 ) 116 Str . 7 Noembrie 1981

Maria ( 2/28/36 ) 3194 Balcaciu
Hans ( 6/5/62 ) Jud . Alba
Heinz ( 11/28/68)
PAL IMARIU Angela ( 01/22/55 ) 6600 Iasi 1983
Viorel ( 03/17/54 ) No. 37
Robert ( 12/24/79) Strada Ruf eni
Caludia ( 12/03/82 )
POKINYI Martin ( 4/7/24 ) 1947 Ionel 1979
Therezia ( 3/26/21 ) No. 241
Stefan ( 2/16/1900 ) Jud . Timis

PROBST Peter ( 9/15/59) 1981 Giarmata 1961

Rosemarie ( 7/5/62) No. 267
Christian- Holger Jud . Timis

RAUCH Franz (8/28/37 ) Str . Balcescu 1983

No. 2
 69

RAUCH ( cont'd ) Tudor Vladimirescu

Jud . Arad
RAUCH Magdalena ( 4/13/10) Str . Progresului 1983
No. 126
Tudor Vladimirescu
Jud . Arad

REIS Elisabeth ( 2/26/15 ) 1981 Giarmata unknown

Nikolaus ( 9/11/12 ) No. 898
Anna ( 11/20/37 ) Jud . Timis
RENOTH Hilde ( 3/5/61 ) 1981 Giarmata 1961
Mathias ( 12/16/58 ) No. 429
Jud . Timis
RESCH Friederich ( 5/11/30 ) Str . Cezar Boliac 1960
Anna- Maria ( 1/10/40 ) No. 19A
Manfred ( 7/31/66 ) Timisoara
RIESER Nikolaus ( 8/9/40 ) 1937 Peciul Nou 1974
Annemarie ( 7/3/51 ) No. 471
Brigitte ( 3/3/72 ) Jud . Timis
Karin ( 9/17/73 )
RITTINGER Elisabeth ( 6/14/24 ) Progresului 1981
No. 4
Temeschburg

ROSENAUER Barbara ( 10/22/36 ) 1900 Timisoara 1963

Ioan ( 12/3/36 ) No. 12
Christina ( 6/28/61 ) Str . Stelelor
Karin ( 6/22/64 )
ROTH Johann ( 1929 ) 1935 Codul 1964
Eva ( 1936 ) No. 151
Josef ( 1968 ) Giera
Jud . Timis
ROTH Maria ( 3/11/38 ) 1993 Sanandrei 1977
Jakob ( 6/6/33 ) No. 473
Annemarie ( 11/2/64 ) Jud . Timis
RUDOLF Ernest ( 4/21/51 ) 1981 Giarmata 1970
Magdalena ( 6/6/56 ) No. 66
Harold ( 4/2/78 ) Str . Noua
Alfred ( 8/18/82 )
RUECKERT Susanna ( 10/16/12 ) 1981 Giarmata 1962
Josef ( 7/17/37 ) No. 944
Maria ( 8 / 19/ 42 ) Str . Garni
Helmut ( 5/3/64) Jud . Timis

SCHIKULA Anna ( 5/29/36 ) Str . Progresului 1983

No. 126
 70

SCHIKULA (cont'd ) Jud . Arad

SCH INDL ER Elena ( 7/24/07 ) Str . T. Vladimi 1979

Juliu Eduard ( 4/28/41 ) rescu No. 1725
Ecaterina ( 3/22/44 ) Bosca I
Rarina ( 1/24/70 ) Jud . Timis
Tiberiu ( 1/6/72 )
SCHIROKMANN Anna ( 5/2/07 ) 1965 Vizejda unknown
No. 92
Jud . Timis

SCHLAUCH Nicolae ( 1/5/23 ) 1910 Giarmata VII 1962

Anna ( 5/3/29 ) No. 5
Peter ( 8/14/55 ) Str . Islaz
Beate ( 3/3/80 ) Jud . Timis

SCHMIDT Ignatz ( 2/25/03 ) 1981 Giarmata Str . 1964

Katherina (8/4/07 ) Morii No. 772
Mathias ( 8/10/27 ) Jud . Timis
Elisabetha ( 1/9/30 )
SCHMIDT Martin ( 3/19/36 ) Str . Emanoil Gojdu 1979
Valeria ( 12/20/38 ) No. 5
Ernst ( 1/1/61) Jimbolia
Jud . Timis

SCHMIDT Anton ( 11/16/09 ) 1900 Timosoara unknown

Wilhelmine ( 11/16/16 ) Batria 34
Erich - Roland ( 10/14/42) Str . Mircea cel
Jud . Timis

SCHMIDT Mathias ( 8/19/10 ) 1981 Giarmata 1970

Ekatarina (8/28/10 ) No. 287
Str . Batrina
Jud . Timis

SCHNEIDER Pavel ( 3/12/29 ) 1981 Giarmata 1978

Barbara ( 7/23/33 ) No. 229
Str . Batrina
Jud . Timis

SCHUH Gertrude ( 8/24/49) 1985 Masloc 1973

Francisc ( 1/10/43 ) No. 142
Hannelore ( 5/1/68 ) Jud . Timis
Frank ( 5/4/70 )
SCHULLER Susanna ( 11/18/11) 1982 Pishcia 1975
No. 288
Jud . Timis

SCHULLER Renate ( 3/13/57 ) 2463 Seica Mare 122 unknown

Edith ( 12/4/61 ) Jud . Sibiu
SCHUMMER Rosina ( 7/22/20) 1900 Timisoara 1964
 71

SCHUMMER ( cont'a ) Josef ( 11/16/44 ) Str . A. Nicolaescu

Margareta ( 5/31/54 ) No. 36
Claudia Iris ( 4/19/73) Jud . Timis
Harald Erich ( 7/3/73 )
SCHUSTER Michael 3050 Sighisoara 1979
Bloc 50 Ap 6
Str . Dumbrawe i
Jud . Mures

SEEGER Annemarie ( 9/8/53) 1938 Peciul Nou 1970

Herbert ( 11/30/54 ) No. 140
Silvia ( 7/30/78) Jud . Timis
Sven ( 3/26/80 )
STAMP Ilse ( 1907 ) Str . Christian 1962
Richard ( 1936 ) No. 32
Sibiu

STAUDT Maria Theresia ( 5/15/23 ) 1947 Johanniesfeld 1974

Ioseph ( 8/25/52 ) No. 391
Jud . Timis

STEIN Elisabeth ( 6/5/30 ) 1938 Pecuil Nou 1964

Mathias ( 8/2/28 ) No. 59
Jud . Timis

STRICKER Anna ( 9/24/32) 1981 Giarmata 1967

Michael ( 7/12/35 ) No. 151
Erika ( 3/25/65 ) Str . Noua
Richard ( 8/6/62) Jud . Timis

SZERERES Anna ( 6/21/52 ) Progresului 1981

Michael ( 6/23/54 ) No. 4
Jurgen ( 5/18/79 ) Temeschburg
TITTEL - FELLER Oskar ( 11/8/57 ) 1982 Pischia 1980
Adelheit ( 4/22/62 ) No. 288

TYOSITS Ferdinand ( 10/11/30 ) 1981 Giarmata 1970

Anna ( 6/18/33) No. 66
Str . Noua

UNTERWEGER Dorothea ( 6/10/50) 1985 Masloc 1964

Erich ( 4/10/49 ) No. 207
Eduard (12/30/69 Jud . Timis
Helga ( 7/29/71 )
VOLB Andreas ( 7/23/54 ) Birda 1977
Magdalena ( 3/20/58 ) Jud . Timis
Melitta ( 8/5/77 )
Arnold ( 5/11/79)
WALDNER Franz 98/4/22 ) 1951 Carpinis 1958
 72

WALDNER ( cont'd ) Anna ( 4/28/23 ) No. 29

Helmut 95/12/53 ) Str . 7
Susanne ( 6/24/56 ) Jud . Timis
Katarina ( 4/5/01 )
WEBER Malwine 3076 Com Hetius unknown
No. 178
Jud . Mures
WEBER Michael ( 2/16/02 ) 1918 Giarmata 1981
Elisabeta ( 8/26/07 ) No. 1098
Josef ( 5/17/31 ) Str . Johane i
Irina ( 5/23/36 ) Jud . Timis

WEIDENHOF Stefan ( 1912 ) 1953 Jimbolia 1980

Barbara ( 1920 ) No. 104
Str . T. Vladimirescu
Jud . Timis

WEILAND Sebastian ( 9/13/34 ) 1981 Giarmata 1970

Anna ( 7/15/36 ) No. 287
Str . Batrina
Jud . Timis

WENZ EL Maria ( 1937 ) 1938 Codul 1968

No. 285
Peciu - Nou
Jud . Timis

WENZ EL Katharina ( 1959 ) 1938 Codul 1968

Adam ( 1960 ) No. 64
Peciu Nou
Jud . Timis

WIESSENS Francise ( 1/9/21 ) 1834 Nitchidorf 1965

Francisca ( 12/15/27 ) No. 100
Jud . Timis

WILD Nicolae ( 10/29/21 ) 1985 Masloc 1973

Ekaterina ( 6/10/28 ) No. 142

WILHELM Elisabeth ( 11/3/30 ) 1972 Biled 1961

Johann ( 12/26/32 ) No. 176
Werner ( 11/7/55 ) Jud . Timis
Waltraud ( 8/11/58)
Mathias ( 3/25/08 )
Margareta ( 4/12/12 )
WIRSZ Hanelore 1900 Timisoara 1984
No. 1
Str . Batania
Jud . Timis

WIRSZ Mireana 1900 Timisoara 1984

No. 2
 73

WIRSZ ( cont'd ) Str . Crisul

Jud . Timis
WOLF Johann ( 10/13/11) 1961 Gelu 1961
Margareta ( 4/11/21 ) Nr . 79/a
R- 1961 Sanpetru - Mic
Jud . Timis
ZAPPE Hans ( 1/9/42) Com . Biled 1973
Katharina ( 9/14/42 ) No. 112
Rheinhard ( 8/26/67 ) Jud . Timis
Horst (10/2/68 )
ZIMMER Gertrud ( 8/25/50 ) 1900 Timisoara 1961
No. 45
Strada Moncitorilor

* These families have Romanian exit passports , but are waiting for American
immigration visas .
** This person has a Romanian exit passport , but is waiting for French
immigration visa .

Mr. YATRON . Our next witness is Mr. Robert Sharlet, accompa

nied by Mr. Curt Goering.
Please go ahead with your statement, Mr. Sharlet.
STATEMENT OF ROBERT SHARLET, CONSULTANT, EAST EUROPE
AN COORDINATION GROUP, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL , U.S.A.
Mr. SHARLET. Thank you, Mr. Chairman .
As a political scientist and specialist on East European affairs at
Union College, and on behalf of Amnesty International (AI),
U.S.A., in consultation with its international secretariat in London,
I am very glad to have this opportunity today to share with the
Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Organizations
our current concerns on the human rights situation in Romania .
A single word on AI, which I think you are all well acquainted
with. Amnesty International is an independent worldwide move
ment working impartially for the release of all prisoners of con
science, for fair and prompt trials of political prisoners, and for an
end to torture and executions.
Now I would like to summarize briefly the salient aspects of the
prepared statement we are submitting for the record .
Amnesty International's concerns in Romania continue to re
volvearound four types of cases and four related patterns of abuse
of individual human rights. In overview , these cases involve, first,
Romanian citizens desiring to emigrate; second, religious observ
ance ; third, ethnic Hungarian activists; and fourth , individuals ex
pressing nonconformist opinions or political dissent; while, in turn ,
the specific human rights issues concern first, the question of fair
trial; second, the treatment of prisoners of conscience; third, the
abuse of psychiatry for political purposes; and last, extrajudicial
pressure on the families of prisoners of conscience.
Let mejust briefly illustrate these points. First, the cases .
Emigration cases. A large percentage of the cases currently on
Amnesty's books arise from situations in which Romanian citizens
are attempting or attempt to emigrate. For instance, the Marian
 74

case. Mr. Marian , a former military pilot in Romania, who had al

ready served a prison term for previously attempting to emigrate,
was once again arrested in August 1984 and charged under Decree
153/1970 for parasitism . What did he do ? He merely continued his
activity as a would -be emigrant.
A second example of emigration cases would be the Todea case.
Mr. Todea in September 1984 was arrested for " unauthorized
flight” -in the Romanian Criminal Code, this is so-called fraudu
lent crossing of the border - for his attempt to cross from Romania
into Yugoslavia. Charged under article 245 of the Romanian Code
which carries a maximum penalty of 3 years, he was sentenced to 1
year.
And finally on emigration cases, a case which Amnesty Interna
tional presently has under investigation , the Olteanu case. Mr. Ol
teanu was arrested in September 1984. He is a 35 -year-old railroad
worker. He has a wife and two small children . He has been at
tempting to emigrate to the United States for several years, most
recently in 1984. The government replied by conscripting him to
work on the Black Sea -Danube Canal. He refused the conscription
order, seeing it from his point of view as an attempt at bureaucrat
ic obstruction to his emigration, and refused a subsequent order to
appear before the military procurator. The police arrived at his flat
last September, forcibly entered , administered him an extremely
severe beating, arrested him, and took him away. This case is cur
rently under investigation.
A second major category, religious cases.
First we have the Catarama case. Mr. Catarama, a prominent 33
year-old Seventh Day Adventist, was arrested in August 1982 and
charged with embezzlement and unlawful possession of foreign cur
rency. The verdict was based entirely on statements forcibly ex
tracted from the defendant, who subsequently retracted the state
ments. Nonetheless, he was sentenced to 10 years. On appeal by
the prosecutor, the sentence was raised to 1542 years which was re
duced last August during the general amnesty to 14 years.
And then finally under religious cases we have the very familiar
Calciu case, which has already been mentioned by several members
of the subcommittee. Father Calciu, originally sentenced in 1979
for his critical sermons to 10 years, subject of an immensepublicity
campaign throughout the world by Amnesty International, by
Members of Congress, and by other human rights organizations
was released last August and has since been subject to what is tan
tamount to de facto house arrest.
The third category, ethnic cases.I will mentionjust one, the case
of Bela Pal, a 55 -year-old ethnic Hungarian teacher arrested May
1983, charged under article 166 of the Romanian Code with at
tempting to overthrow the socialist order in Romania , and sen
tenced to 6 years. What did Mr. Pal do ? He wrote to Romanian
radio and television proposing that they include more program
ming in the Hungarian language.
The last category of cases is political cases and one very recent
example, is the Filipescu case. Mr. Filipescu, a young electronics
engineer from Bucharest also charged under article 166, antistate
propaganda, is serving 10 years. What did he do ? He stuffed mail
boxes with a leaflet calling on citizens to assemble in a main
 75

square of the city to demand the replacement of Nicolae Ceausescu

as head of state and Communist Party leader.
Let me conclude by touching quickly on the four particular pat
terns of abuse which especially concern Amnesty International in
Romania . They are fair trial - we know of instances of counsel
being denied access to the courtroom during the appellate stage;
prison treatment - we have received reports of individuals being
beaten to death ; psychiatric abuse - no current cases, but we have
under investigation the case of a psychiatrist who, refusing to sign
documents committing dissidents to mental hospitals, was arrested
in August 1982; and extrajudicial pressure — we are aware of in
stances of administrative pressure on families of prisoners of con
science .
Finally, apart from these cases and issues, Amnesty maintains a
continuing concern with the death penalty, which it opposes uni
versally. There are a number of recent death sentences in Romania
which Amnesty is extremely concerned about, especially those in
volving noncapital economic crimes.
This concludes my statement. Thank you , Mr. Chairman and
members of the subcommittee.
Mr. YATRON . Thank you very much, Mr. Sharlet, for your state
ment.
Mr. Robert Sharlet's prepared statement follows:)
 76

PREPARED STATEMENT OF ROBERT SHARLET, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL U.S.A.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL'S CONCERNS IN ROMANIA

Introduction

The United States section of Amnesty International , in

consultation with the International Secretariat of Amnesty
International in London , welcomes this opportunity to present
testimony before the Subcommittee on Human Rights and International
Organizations on Amnesty International's current concerns in Romania .

Amnesty International is an independent worldwide movement

working impartially for the release of all prisoners of conscience ,

fair and prompt trials for political prisoners and an end to torture
and executions . It has formal relations with the United Nations

Unesco , the Council of Europe , the Organization of African Unity

and the Organization of American States .

In Romania , Amnesty International is concerned about the

imprisonment of prisoners of conscience , most of them would be
emigrants , and about reports which indicate that defendants in
political cases do not receive fair trials . The organization
continues to receive allegations of ill - treatment of political
detainees and is further concerned about the continuing application
of the death penalty .
 77

Prisoners of Conscience

Amnesty International continues to receive , as it has for many

years , reports of people who are imprisoned or harassed for the
non - violent exercise of their right to freedom of expression .
Most of the cases about which Amnesty International has information
concerns would - be emigrants , but also includes religious believers
and political dissenters . Following are examples which illustrate
these concerns .

Would -be Emigrants .Amnesty International continues to receive reports

of people who are imprisoned or harassed by the authorities for
having applied to emigrate , or for having attempted to leave the
country without official authorization after this had been refused
or delayed . In the Amnesty International report 1984 we noted that
Ilie Savu , aged 32 , mechanic from Buchares , and Paul Barolescu
were adopted as prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International
after being sentenced to two and one - and - a - half years ' imprisonment
respectively by the municipal court of Bucharest Sector II in
September 1983 on charges of " fraudulent crossing of the frontier " .
This is an offence punishable under Article 245 of the criminal
code with up to three years ' imprisonment . They were reportedly
arrested by Yugoslav border guards after they had dived into the
Danube from a Romanian excursion boat and had swum to the Yugoslav
bank . After serving a 25 - day prison sentence in Yugoslavia they
were reportedly returned to Romania , Ilie Savu was reportedly not
allowed to see his lawyer or his parents during investigation
proceedings ; his lawyer was permitted to see his court dossier only
two days before the trial . While Amnesty International has learned
 78

of the release of Paul Barolescu , Ilie Savu , although no longer in

prison , 18 kept under close police supervision , amounting to
virtual house arrest .

More recently , Dragos Todea , aged 29 from Cluj , was arrested

in September 1984 after trying to cross from Romania into Yugoslavia .
He was subsequently sentenced by the Court of Timisoara to one
year's imprisonment , also under Article 245 of the criminal code .

Another recent case illustrating the arrest and harassment of

would - be emigrants is Ion olteanu , a 35 -year old railway worker from
Dobreta -Turnu Severin , reportedly arrested in September 1983 .
According to the information received by Amnesty International ,shortly
after he had applied to emigrate to the United States of America in
August 1983 he received a call - up order obliging him to work on the
Danube - Black Sea Canal . He reportedly refused to sign this order
believing that it has been specifically issued to prevent him
continuing with his emigration application . Then he reportedly
refused to obey a summons to appear before the military procuracy .
After the police then allegedly threatened to assault him and his
wife , his wife sent letters of complaint to a number of officials
and also tried to send a telegram to the Military Procurator General
but the local post office reportedly refused to send it . On 19
September 1984 the police allegedly broke into Ion Olteanu's a part
ment , beat him severely and arrested him . Amnesty International is
investigating his case , in particular seeking information as to his
current legal status .

Individuals can also be imprisoned for the non - violent exercise

of their human rights on charges of " parastical " or " anarchic conduct"
under Decree 153/1970 , which provides for summary trial without the
right to legal defence and prescribes sentences of up to six months '
imprisonment or " corrective labour without deprivation of liberty :
An example 18 Tiberiu Marian , a military pilot from Arad who was
 79

first arrested in 1979 after a friend of his fled the country . On

his release in 1981 he reportedly applied unsuccessfully for permission

to emigrate and was arrested again in 1983 after attempting to leave
the country illegally . He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment
and after serving his sentence he was arrested once again in August
1984 and charged with leading a " parasitic life" under Decree 153/1970 .

Religious Believers . Amnesty International continues to receive

reports of the arrest and harassment of religious believers , in
most cases members of Protestant evangelical sects , as for example , Dorel
Catarama , aged 33 from Bacau county and a prominent Seventh Day
Adventist . He was sentenced to 10 years ' imprisonment in August
1982 and forced to pay a large sum of money to his former employers
after being convicted of embezzlement and illegal possession of
foreign currency . He was found guilty almost solely on the basis
of statements which he had allegedly signed under duress and which
he later retracted . The only evidence produced to show that he
possessed illegal foreign currency was a cheque for $ 3,000 sent
by a Chicago bank on 27 April 1982 , when he was already in custody ,
which was returned to the same bank on 11 June 1982 through official
channels . Amnesty International was informed that the police had
previously told Dorel Catarama's family that to procure his release
they should raise this sum , which they did with the help of Seventh
Day Adventist communities in the USA . Amnesty International received
copies of two signed affidavits from companies from which he was
accused of embezzling money stating that he had no debts to them and
that they had no complaints against him . On appeal his sentence was

increased to 14 years . On further appeal his sentence was increased

to 15 years . However , under an amnesty in August 1984 his sentence
was reduced again to 14 years . The major inconsistencies between
the charges brought against him and the evidence produced led
Amnesty International to believe that the real reason for his
imprisonment was his religious activiites as a Seventh Day Adventist
and his father's and brother's refusal to return to Romania after
a visit to the USA in February 1982 .
 80

Amnesty International has also received reports that Father

Calciu - Dumitreasa , an Orthodox priest aged 58 , who was sentenced
in 1979 to 10 years ' imprisonment after giving sermons critical
of the authorities , and who was released in August 1984 , is being
kept under close police supervision which entails virtual house arrest .

Political Dissenters . Radu Filipescu , a 28 -year - old electronics

engineer from Bucharest was arrested in May 1983 after he had posted
a large number of leaflets through the letter boxes of apartments
in Bucharest . These leaflets reportedly called on the citizens of
Bucharest to assemble in one of the city's main squares on a certain
date and demand the replacement of Nicolae Ceausescu as President and
party leader . In September 1983 the military court of Bucharest
found him guilty under Article 166 of the criminal code dealing
with propaganda or the undertaking of any ction in order to change
the socialist order or from which danger to the security of the state
may result " and sentenced him to 10 years ' imprisonment . He has

been adopted by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience .

Unfair Irials

Amnesty International is also concerned by reports

indicating that some defendants charged with political offences
are not accorded a fair trial . One such case is that of Béla Pál ,
a 55 year - old teacher from Ditrau and a member of the Hungarian
ethnic minority . On 25 May 1983 he was arrested at his home and
his wife reportedly received no information as to his whereabouts for
two months . A bill of indictment was drawn up but neither his
wife nor his defence lawyer are said to have been allowed to see it .
They were only informed that he was charged with " wanting to over
throw the socialist order " According to reports received by
Amnesty International full details of the charges were not given at
the trial nor at the appeal hearing , and at the third and final
hearing , where his originial sentence of six years ' imprisonment
was confirmed , the counsel for defence was not allowed to enter the
courtroom .
 81

Amnesty International was informed that Béla Pál was convicted

because he had written to Romanian radio and television asking for
more programs in Hungarian and because in the spring of 1983 ' he
has attended the funeral of Gyula Illyés , a famous Hungarian poet
who , just before his death , protested at the plight of the Hungarian
minority in Romania .

Amnesty International has heard of a number of cases of arrests

and house searches among the Hungarian minority in Romania since
November 1982 . The cases of Ernö Borbély and Laszlo Buzas , who both
come from Miercurea - Ciuc in Harghita county , and who received

similar prison sentences to Béla Pál , are currently under investigation

by Amnesty International . They appear to have been arrested in
connection with their activities in campaigning for the rights of
the Hungarian minority in Romania and as such , would be prisoners
of conscience , but full details of the charges against them are
not known .
During police searches of the homes of both Ernő Borbély and
Béla Pál , it is reported that the police said they were looking
for hoarded gold and for hidden illegal leaflets , but Amnesty
International has not received any reports that gold was found .

Allegations of 111 - Treatment

Amnesty International continues to receive allegations of ill
treatment of political detainees . In May 1984 it received reports
that Geza Palfi , a Roman Catholic priest from Odorheiu Secuiesc and
a member of the Hungarian ethnic minority form Transylvania , had been
arrested after preaching a sermon on Christmas Day 1983 protesting at
that day being designated an ordinary working day . He was reportedly
beaten so badly by the police while in custody that he was taken to the
Tirgy Mures hospital in critical condition and subsequently died of
liver failure , officially diagnosed as liver cancer .

Another case is that of Emil Mocanu , a 29 - year - old Baptist

from Bacau , who arrested on 6 September 1984 on the suspicion of
having helped his brother flee from Romania . A number of religious
books were reportedly found by the Securitate ( Romanian secret police )
 82

after his house was searched . Amnesty International has received

allegations that he was subsequently tortured by , among other things ,
being suspended by his wrists and beaten on the soles of his feet
by the Securitate in an attempt to force him to divulge the source
of this literature . He was sentenced on 11 December 1984 to two and

a half years ' imprisonment . Amnesty International has also been

informed that Mrs. Mocanu has been subjected to lengthy interrogation
about her husband's religious literature and that she is being
pressured to ask for a divorce by threats of losing all state aid
for herself and her 18 - months - old son if she refuses .

Prison conditions under which prisoners of conscience are

held are reported to be harsh with poor food , hygiene and medical
care . An account received by Amnesty International of Calea
Rahovei prison in Bucharest , written by a former prisoner of conscience ,
alleges that for punishment prisoners were placed in solitary
confinement for periods of up to 15 days and shackled with hand
cuffs and leg - irons to ring fixed into a concrete Pyramid
approximately 40 centimetres high in such a way that it was only
possible for them to squat .

Amnesty International has in the past also received reports of

the detention of people in psychiatric hospitals on account of

having exercised their right to freedom of expression . Although

Amnesty International does not have current information on specific
cases , the organization was informed that Aurelia Nistor , a 45 - year
old psychiatrist working at the hospital of Vulcan in Brasov county
was arrested in 1982 reportedly after refusing to sign documents
which would have resulted in psychiatric internment of people who ,
she believed , were in psychiatric care because of their political
opinions or because they had criticized the authorities . She
had also reportedly applied to emigrate to the USA . Amnesty
International is seeking further information as to her current legal
status .

The Death Penalty

Amnesty International is also concerned about the use of the
death penalty . The organization learnt of 12 people sentenced to
death in 1983 ( six of whom were sentenced for economic offences
not involving loss of life ) , and of two in 1984 , both for murder .
 83

Mr. YATRON . Our final witness on this panel is Mr. Laszlo

Hamos .
Please proceed with your statement, sir.
STATEMENT OF LASZLO HAMOS, CHAIRMAN , COMMITTEE FOR
HUMAN RIGHTS IN RUMANIA
Mr. Hamos. Thank you , Mr. Chairman .
My name is Laszlo Hamos, and I represent the Committee for
Human Rights in Rumania. This New York -based organization was
formed 9 years ago to monitor and call attention tohuman rights
violationsin Romania, with a particular focus on the growing per
secution of that country's large minority population .
I want to start by expressing our profound thanks to both sub
committees for organizing this hearing. As you have said, Mr.
Chairman , it is time to shine a steady,unflinching spotlight of pub
licity on Romania's abusive human rights behavior. This hearing
today — the first of its kind by either subcommitteeis an excellent
step in that direction , and I submit that the direction itself is one
which deserves to be strengthened and solidified .
The generally recognized human rights are denied to all citizens
of Romania. Those individuals who belong to one of the national
minorities, however - including 242 million Hungarians and 350,000
Germans - are subjected to an additional form of abuse. They are
victims of a systematic government campaign of denationalization
and forced assimilation which has become especially severe in the
1980's with Romania's economy coming nearer and nearer to total
collapse .
It would be impossible, Mr. Chairman , to fully describe even the
most recent manifestations of Romania's antiminority policies in
the time that has been allotted. My organization is presently en
gaged in organizing and translating the reliable primary source
materials, and will prepare a more extensive written report in the
coming weeks.
On the subject of primary sources, I should add that our organi
zation's work has been greatly assisted during the past 3 years by
the existence ofa clandestine samizdat reporting service in Roma
nia called the Hungarian Press of Transylvania (HPT ). Working
anonymously underextremely dangerous circumstances, the HPŤ
has managed to issue a total of 131 reports, ranging in length from
1 sentence to 20 pages, covering the Romanian regime's human
rights abuses in an up -to -date and — as we have found - highly reli
able fashion .
In the following I will quickly highlight some of the most recent
antiminority measures, based largely on information obtained from
the HPT and confirmed by others.
The Romanian authorities have increasingly resorted to sheer
physical violence and brutality in order to intimidate the minority
population. The best documented and most shocking case is that of
Father Geza Palfi, a HungarianCatholic priest from Szekelyudvar
hely (Odorheiv Secuisc) who died on March 13, 1984 as a result of a
severe beating by the secret police. During the beating, which
lasted several hours, Father Palfi's " liver burst, he suffered broken
ribs, and his kidneys were damaged ."
 84

There are undoubtedly additional, lesser known victims whose

cases resulted in their death, just as there are undoubtedly more
individuals who languish in prisons than have been reported. At
any rate , we do have detailed information that three Hungarians,
Erno Borbely, Laszlo Buzas, and Bela Pall, are still in prison more
than 2 years after their arrest on charges that apparently relate to
nothing more than open avowal of their national identity.
Duringthe past 2 years, Mr. Chairman , there has been a marked
increase in house searches, harassment, beatings, and general in
timidation of individuals who occupy any leadership position in the
community life of the Hungarian minority. A recent case was the
October 1984 secret police interrogation and beating of Karol Peter
of Marosvasarhely [ Tirgu Mures ]following his meeting with a visi
tor from the United States. Mr. Peter suffered a broken leg and in
ternal injuries to the stomach and head as a result of the beating.
Also on the increase are cases of interrogation and attempted in
timidation of Western visitors themselves. On October 19, 1984, for
example, Mr. Zsolt Szekeres a Washington resident, was detained
in Transylvania , threatened with physical abuse and retaliation
against his relatives living in Romania, and interrogated for 742
hours about his acquaintances and activities in the United States.
In early March 1985, Tibor Cseh, a U.S. citizen, was detained at the
Bors border crossing, interrogated for 10 hours, threatened with re
taliation against his brother , and forced to relinquish his personal
papers.
We have numerous detailed and authentic reports concerning
the most recent administrative measures to close Hungarian -lan
guage educational facilities, eliminate opportunities for cultural ex
pression, suppress minority religious activity, and relocate Hungar
ians out of their own ethnic communities while transferring Roma
nians into those communities.
I will cite only one example of the harsh restrictions imposed on
the minorities. In its past propaganda publications the Romanian
Government used to boast of the supposedly ample minority lan
guage broadcasting available in Romania. In reality, radio and TV
programs in the Hungarian and German languages were being sys
tematically reduced, and on December 31 , 1984, they were eliminat
ed in their entirety. This drastic move resulted in the firing of 600
persons connected with the radio broadcasts alone.
The preceding were only some of many examples which illustrate
that life is miserable in Romania today, but it is hell if you happen
to be a Hungarian , German , or a member of one of the other mi
norities. Accustomed as we are in this country to a multi-cultural
tradition and pride in pluralism , Romania stands in stark contrast.
It is a place where to learn your native tongue, to engage in cultur
al expression, and to take pride in your roots are considered sub
versive acts.
I would close by urging you, Mr. Chairman, and the members of
these subcommittees, to raise these matters in a forthright and
open manner with representatives of the Romanian Government. I
would also recommend that our delegation attending the Ottawa
Human Rights Experts' Meeting be encouraged to call the Roma
nian Government to account for its antiminority behavior in a
forceful, public, and effective manner . In addition , although I un
 85

derstand that this hearing is not specifically concerned with Roma

nia's MFN status, I believe this would be an opportune time to call
upon the President to note the deterioration inthe situation of na
tional and religious minorities in his message to Congress.
Finally, I would like to express our wholehearted endorsement
and support for Congressman Siljander's initiative as expressed
here, to tie the extension of Romania's MFN status to the situation
ofthat country's ethnic and religious minorities.
Thank you .
Mr. YATRON. Thank you, Mr. Hamos , for your statement.
I believe some members have arrived who want to make opening
statements. Did you have an opening statement, Mr. Burton ?
Mr. BURTON. Thank you , Mr. Chairman . I do not have a formal
opening statement. I would just say after hearing the testimony
that we have just heard that the repression in Romania is unbe
lievable but it is not inconsistent with the kindof repression we see
in Communist countries all around the world , and right now in
Central America, we see the budding Communist dictatorship in
Nicaragua, and we can expect to see the same thing only probably
more so .
Mr. YATRON . Thank you , Mr. Burton .
Now I would like to call on the gentleman from California, Mr.
Dornan , for an opening statement.
Mr. DORNAN . Mr. Chairman , I want to thank you and also Mr.
Hamilton of the Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East be
causethis subject of human rights in Romania needed desperately
to be brought before our Congress and the American people. It is a
matter that has concerned me for several years now , going back to
when I was a new congressman in 1977, particularly the violated
human rights of the Hungarian minority in Transylvania.
Earlierthis year, I introduced H. Res. 56, along with many other
Members, andsince then 75 additional Members of Congress have
cosponsored r, equesting the President and the Secretary of State to
remind the Government of Romania of its internationally accepted
obligations to provide human rights for all of its people , including
that Hungarian minority.
H. Res .56 , Mr. Chairman, is still alive and open for cosponsors.
At one point I had intended to introduce the language of H. Res. 56
as an amendment to the State Department authorization bill. How
ever, I decided not to take that step when I learned that I wouldbe
able to meet privately with the Ambassador of Romania and dis
cuss our concerns with him . I will be holding that meeting in the
near future; as a matter of fact I believe it is set up for tomorrow ,
Wednesday
As I said before, H. Res. 56 is still on the books, it is still open for
cosponsors, and it is my intention to continue accepting cosponsors
and to make this House aware of the problems whichthis resolu
tion addresses.
At the appropriate and effective time, unless I can see substan
tial improvement in the Romanian human rights problem , I intend
to bring this resolution forward once more.
I remember being told by some of our embassy people when I vis
ited Romania in 1970, that there was a complexof prison cells that
literally went underground under the central square from the
 86

main prison , and that at the very moment when our President,
then Richard Nixon , was driving in a limousine caravan across
that central square, according to some survivors, people were being
beaten and tortured in the manner we have heard described here
today. Under the cobblestones of that city center at the very
moment that the President of the United States was driving across
the square .
Wehave been charmed in this country and throughout the West
ern World by some of the international moves of Romania. I stood
and gave the nation of Romania willingly a standing ovation at the
opening day of the Olympics in Los Angeles last summer, and I
was happy to do so . I think that they showed some independence in
foreign affairs, but they still conduct police state terrorism at
home. They cannot coast on some of the independent things they
have done in foreign policy.
So I express my appreciation again , Mr. Chairman , that you and
Mr. Hamilton brought this before our subcommittee and the Con
gress of the United States.
Mr. YATRON . Thank you , Mr. Dornan .
At this time, we willbegin the questioning.
Ms. Laber , in your testimony you indicate your support of con
tinuing MFN, and yet the human rights violations you cite do not
show a regard for basic freedoms in Romania. Do you think that
the human rights situation would get even worse if MFN were not
extended ?
Ms. LABER. Well, I guess it probably would, but I do not th we
should contemplate that. I think MFN is a very important tool,
that Congress and the State Department can use. It gives us lever
age, and that leverage is very important. I think it has been used
to some extent.
What worries me is that it seems the hearings become more per
functory every year; the notion is that MFN is in the bag one way
or another, and I think the interest in using it has become sort of
routinized. I would like to see MFN used, and I think the MFN
hearings should be more frequent, not less frequent, that there
should be periodic reviews, that it should be a once a year thing
where the Romanian Government can clean up its act for a few
months before and then go right back to its previous policies.
I think it would be very good to have it at least twice a year;
people have suggested more frequently, but I suppose that is unre
alistic, but certainly every 6 months if there was some kind of con
tinuing MFN review , it would indicate that we care very much
about this and we are not just going through the kind of routine
exercise every year when this comes around .
I also wanted to say something which I neglected to mention in
my testimony, that listening today to all thetalk especially about
the Hungarian minority in Romania , I just want to call attention
to this subcommittee to the fact that there is going to be a cultural
forum in Budapest in October of this year. It is a part of the CSCE
followup procedures, and it seems to me that this is the first time
there will be a cultural forum anywhere under the CSCE heading;
it is the first time there will be a meeting of the CSCE in a
Warsaw Pact country.
 87

And for both of these reasons, I think is an ideal place to raise

the issue of a cultural minority , a Hungarian cultural minority in
Hungary, and what is happening to it both in Romania and also in
Czechoslovakia .
Mr. YATRON . Thank you , Ms. Laber, and thank you for your sug
gestions.
Ms. Shea, you have indicated in your testimony that Romania is
one of the most repressive countries in the Eastern bloc. Now in
your estimation , are there any signs that U.S. negotiations and
agreements with Romania have had any positive effects ?
Ms. SHEA . Well, Mr. Chairman , as I mentioned previously there
have been some relenting on the part of the Romanian Govern
ment in modifying someof its practices around thetime of the
MFN hearings, either before or shortly afterwards. We saw that
clearly with the education tax that was imposed in 1982 by the Ro
manian Government, and was abandoned ; it was not enforced be
cause of the protest, the American protest, particularly congres
sional protest.
In the International League for Human Rights, we are very en
couraged by that, and think that perhaps we will not see major
changes in the system , but we will see some alleviation of the
human rights abuse as long as American pressure continues, and
as long as Congress continues to hold at least annual hearings on
emigration problems and other human rights problems in Roma
nia .
Mr. YATRON . Thank you , Ms. Shea.
Mr. Sharlet, the picture of the human rights situation in Roma
nia, given in your testimony, is an extremely dismal one. What rec
ommendations does Amnesty International make, both for our gov
ernment and for other nongovernmental organizations for improv
ing these conditions ?
Mr. SHARLET. Mr. Chairman , indeed the record is dismal, but I
am afraid that I cannot convey to you an Amnesty recommenda
tion , because Amnesty's mandate does not permit it to make rec
ommendations to national governments or other organizations. We
essentially take a case-by -case approach , and work very hard for
the release of individual prisoners. I can only notethat these have
been continuing concerns, certainlyfrom the late 1970's on .
Let me defer the remainder of this answer to Mr. Goering, my
associate from the Washington office.
Mr. GOERING . Well, I think for one, a hearing like we are having
today is a very useful and important action onthe part of this gov
ernment, which does not go unnoticed in Bucharest. I think that,
for example, the letter mentioned earlier thatis being circulated
apparently at the moment by Congressman Siljander as well as
Congressman Hall is also an important procedure that likewise
does not go unnoticed .
The forum in Canada, the review meeting, is an occasion when
these issues should be brought forcefully and publicly and in an ef
fective way. These are three measures that the government can
take to at least draw attention to the continuing and very serious
problems in that country.
Mr. YATRON . Thank you .
 88

Mr. Hamos? What is the answer to the occasionally heard Roma

nian contention that the economic difficulties the country experi
ences make it difficult or impossible to maintain a network of sepa
rate cultural and educational institutions for minorities ?
Mr. HAMOS . The answer to that question is that the maintenance
of these cultural facilities does not cost any money for the Roma
nian Government in the majority of instances.
If a schoolteacher is appointed to teach , it does not cost extra
money for him to speak in his native Hungarian language to native
Hungarian speakers in his class. If a dance hall - a folk dance or
community center, which is very popular in Romania among the
minorities — is maintained by the members of the communitythem
selves, without government financing — which is the case , then it
does not cost any money for the government.
Similar is the case with a wide variety of opportunities for mi
nority cultural expression. I would add that what does cost money
for the Romanian regime is to, for example, carry outthe measures
of relocating populations from outside Transylvania into the Hun
garian ethnic communities and, vice versa, Hungarians from out of
compact ethnic communities into the Romanian inhabited regions.
There are numerous other oppressivemeasures which are expen
sive to implement. The maintenance of a vast and dreaded secret
police force — the securitate — is what costs money . It does not cost
money to maintain cultural facilities of the kind that we are talk
ing about and that have been restricted.
Mr. YATRON . Thank you , Mr. Hamos.
I would like to ask one question of the entire panel before I ask
my colleagues to follow up with their line ofquestioning.
During the past 5 years, the Romanian Government has not co
operated with human rights organizations to investigate claims of
violations. How have your organizations been able to secure infor
mation about human rights conditions in Romania ?
Mr. Sharlet, would you like to begin ?
Mr. SHARLET. Yes, Mr. Chairman . Amnesty International, very
assiduously, as you know , gathers information through its secretar
iat in London, and then very carefully sorts and vets the informa
tion. A great deal of the information on cases which are on the
Amnesty books currently comes from family members, especially in
cases involving religious believers and ethnic Hungarian activists.
This is usually via international phone, by letter, and often by cor
respondence with other members of the family in Western Europe,
England, or the United States.
Some information that Amnesty obtains, for instance on the
death penalty, which, as I said, is a universal concern, comes di
rectly from of the Romanian press. Whilethey do not publicize po
litical cases very often in their press, the Romanians do sometimes
publicize death sentences in nonpolitical matters, and hence Am
nesty's information on the death penalty is derived from open
sources .
There are other sources as well, but I think this gives you an
idea.
Mr. YATRON . Thank you. Would anyone else care to comment?
Ms. Shea ?
 89

Ms. SHEA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We, as I mentioned, have a

family reunification program and the relatives of those family
members living in Romania who wish to leave write to us directly.
In those letters, some of which are extremely moving, they describe
the conditions their relatives are forced to face; some of the rela
tives are very old, very sick, and desperately want to leave, and
there doesn't seem to be any good reason why the Romanian Gov
ernment will not let them leave.
All of the conditions that these people face are described first
hand.
We also get some of our information from the Radio Free Europe
broadcasts which are very comprehensive and I think that they
merit the attention of thissubcommittee.
Incidentally, the Radio Free Europe personnel and facilities have
been directly threatened in the past year by agents of the Roma
nian Government. Some Romanian diplomats, were expelled from
West Germany_this year because of a reported bomb plot. A
member of the Radio Free Europe staff was also the alleged target
of an assassination plot.
Mr. YATRON . Thank you .
Ms. Laber, I think you wanted to make a comment?
Ms. LABER. Yes, sir. Literally thousands and thousands of very
desperate people in the West are separated from their families in
Romania. We do not have a family reunification project, as the
League does. We refer those cases to them . But from the
moment the Helsinki committee did its first report on Romania the
letters started streaming into our office, not just from the United
States but from Germany as well. And they are heartbreaking let
ters, many of them many pages long, painfully handwritten in Eng
lish, telling personal stories that make you feel extremely helpless
when you read them . And from those letters you get a good picture
of what is going on .
I also did, asI mentioned earlier in my testimony,make a small
attempt when I had the occasion to be invited officially to go to Ro
mania to visit some of these people that I had heard about through
their relatives in New York - the number of people I got to see was
pitifully small and in no way could this be consideredafact finding
mission or anything scientific. I visited literally a handful of people
in a few days.
But my confrontation with the police at the airport when I left
the country, who obviously knew every move I had made, every
person I had seen , and what we discussed, and had no compunction
about saying to me, "Don't talk about it or those people are going
to be in trouble,” told me more about the situation in Romania
than anything those people themselves were able to tell me.
Mr. YATRON . Thank you, Ms. Laber.
Mr. Hamos, do you have any comment?
Mr. HAMOS. I would like to point out in response to that question
that it is extremely difficult to get reliable information out of Ro
mania . Underground publications are very severely restricted; in
fact, they are virtually nonexistent.
In contrast, Poland, for example, has been reported to have some
500 regulary published underground periodicals. Romania , today,
to my knowledge, does not have a single one. The one that did exist
 90

for a period of about a year and a half - a Hungarian -language pe

riodical called Ellenpontok (counterpoints )—wasforcibly disbanded,
and the people associated with it were kicked out of the country.
As I mentioned, there is an organized reporting service called the
Hungarian Press of Transylvania. It operates underground, in total
anonymity. Its regular news releases serve as a reliable source of
information for observers from outside the country.
Mr. YATRON . Thank you.
Mr. Lantos ?
Mr. LANTOS. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman .
First I want to commend all members ofthe panel for singularly
valuable testimony. I would like to publicly expressmy apprecia
tion to Mr. Hamos for his work withthe Hungarian Human Rights
Foundation and the Committee for Human Rights in Rumaniaand
for their invaluable publications that I have found enormously
useful in my work on this issue.
I have an observation , Mr. Chairman , and I would be very happy
to have any member of the panel respond. It seems to me that the
Romanian pictureis uniquein some very striking ways . On the one
hand , at the broad international scene we have a very high degree
of independence from the SovietUnion compared to all of the other
countries within the Warsaw Pact and the Communist economic
bloc. This manifests itself in countless ways.
It manifests itself in terms of Romania taking a different inter
national line, political line on issues of disarmament, on issues
with respect to the Middle East, on issues with respect to the
United States, from many of the other nations in the bloc.
Yet internally we are dealing with clearly the most repressive
regime which on the other hand is highly amenable to outside pres
sure .
Ms. Shea, you mentioned the education pacts. Former Under Sec
retary of State Larry Eagleburger accompanied by Congressman
Frenzel of Minnesota and Congressman Bonker of Washington ,
went there at that time to express the strong views of the adminis
tration . And I led a congressional delegation , and we had a long
meeting with Mr. Ceausescu on that issue, telling him basically the
same message that Mr. Eagleburger was delivering on behalf of the
administration and the education pact was not implemented.
In terms of emigration you have vast numbersof people coming
out compared to the Soviet Union , for instance.
Now , I think it is clear that when Members of Congress make
individual requests on behalf of individuals that it is a far more re
ceptive attitude on the part of Romania than for instance is the
case with the Soviet Union.
As a matter of fact, those of us who were in Ottawa this past
weekend meeting with the Soviet delegation found a new level of
cynicism on the part of the Soviet delegation which was profoundly
disturbing.
The Romanians on the other hand, claim and occasionally do in
fact accommodate congressional intervention.
My basic question isgiven these complex and conflicting realities
for a foreign policy which is less subservient to the Soviet Union
than is foreign policy of the other Eastern European countries, an
economy which is in very serious trouble and the almost desparate
 91

determination on the part of the Romanians to retain most-fa

vored -nation treatment by the United States, what are the kinds of
things that any of you feel the Congress of the United States could
or should do to improve the humanrights condition which is so ap
palling and particularly so penalizing with respect to national and
ethnicminorities and some religious groups .
Mr. Hamos, would you like to begin ?
Mr. HAMOS. In response to that question , which is a very, very
important one, I want to express support for what Jeri Laber has
already outlined here. There is an absence of a consistent and on
going review mechanism on the part of our Government, and the
Congress, which might alert us to the situation in Romania. News
of human rights violations reaches the ears of Congressvery late, if
at all. Certainly, most often , not in time to influence the decisions
we make that provide, in many instances tremendous benefits to
the Romanian Government. These may not be significant conces
sions on our part, but they do mean a great deal to the Romanian
Government.
So I emphasize the need for continuing hearings of this nature
and for instituting some other form of constant review of the
human rights situation to indicate to that Government that we
remain interested in the situation on an ongoing basis.
This would avoid the fluctuation of token gestures and conces
sions that the Romanians make around the time of congressional
review of most- favored -nation status.
Mr. LANTOS. Is there any other member of the panel who would
like to react ?
Mr. SHARLET. I would just add, Congressman Lantos, that the key
to solving many of these human rights problems which you have
referred to in Romania — and I would add probably in many other
countries as well — from Amnesty International's point of view is
publicity, but notmerely episodic publicity; consistent publicity.
The searchlight of publicity does tend to affect the behavior of
most states, especially when they are interrelated through econom
ic and other ties to the states from which the publicity emanates.
Or, as has been referred to by other members of the panel, it is
very clear and I think it is very clear to the Members of Congress
as well from what I have read in the record over the years in con
nection with the MFN hearings that there is a cycle of repression
in Romania. It is almost a seasonal cycle.
The human rights situation lightens up in thelate spring and
the early summer as MFN hearings approach. Usually because
MFN , of course , has been renewed over the years, the Romanian
Governments annual August amnesty results in the release of
some prisoners on whose behalf various international human rights
organizations and Members of Congress have spoken . The situation
then remains quiet for the next month or so into the early fall,
then comes the winter with , new arrests, and new prisoners of con
science, as the prison cells are refilled and, new cases are adopted
by Amnesty International and other organizations. Throughout the
winter this situation prevails as the Congress, of necessity, has to
turn to issues other than Romania.
Once again in the spring the entire cycle tends to begin anew .
 94

it would be very logical to talk about the full picture of why so $

many people want to leave Romania.
Mr. SHARLET. Congressman Siljander, in reply to your question I
think I might say this on behalfof Amnesty International. This ex
cellent hearing, so comprehensive in scope, the activities of the
U.S. Helsinki Commission (CSCE ), the annual MFN hearings, par
liamentary hearings in Europe all provide outstanding opportuni
ties for this Government andother governments, through witnesses
and members themselves, to bring pressure to bear on human
rights offenders. In this particular instance we are talking about
Romania. I think any and all opportunities like this should be
taken advantage of.
Amnesty's work in national and international forums is to mobi
lize opinion, elite opinion, as well as the opinion of ordinary citi
zens, and to bring this opinionto bear on the offending govern
ments . In the particular case of Romania before us, I think you are
all aware of a number of instances where the Government of Ro
mania appears to be more responsive than usual because of certain
international ties that it finds very essential to maintain . +

So any and all information that can be incorporated in these re

views that will affect the positive outcome of the release of prison
ers is desirable.
Mr. HAMOS. Congressman Siljander, in my earlier statement I
had already expressed our wholehearted and very warm support
and endorsement for your initiative to in some way tie the exten
sion of N to the situation of Romania's ethnic and religious mi
norities. I would like to say, with the experience of havingtestified
at hearings on MFN ever since they have existed for the past 9
years - a total of 17 times — that it would be most gratifying not to
have to come in through the back door . At the moment, the Roma
nians — those who are present at such hearings - can look at those
hearings as not being serious. Well, your initiative would put teeth
into those hearings.
Mr. SILJANDER .Thank you . Ms. Laber, if I might make one com
ment, you, in your testimony, mentioned religious meetings being
held in ruins. I was in Bistrita at the Baptist Church that was de
stroyed . The building I think is one extra meter wide by the entire
length long, so the government tore down the one meter wide by
the entire length long. But, needless to say, the whole building
comes down along with it.
It is quite a moving experience to speak to a group of such com
mitted people who would meet literally amongst a rubble of con
crete and metal piercing through the snow , late at night with the
snow falling very heavily. It was one of the most moving experi
ences that all of us, including two members of the British Parlia
ment and two State Senators from Kentucky have experienced in
our lifetime.
It is hard to describe something that moving to those who were
not there. May I invite you to come by my office to see some photo
graphs of that session to see young children, and the elderlyweep
ing in the snowstorm , was quite something. They are committed.
The faith of the people there is extraordinary.
I think if we could even receive just a small ounce of their
faith - they believe the country can and will change. If we could
 95

take on that faith and move forward with boldness and speak out
as we ought, I believe that there could be change and I am optimis
tic and I hope those from Romania's Embassy are listening.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman .
Mr. YATRON. Thank you, Mr. Siljander.
I would like to make a suggestion, if it is at all possible. We still
have the Assistant Secretary of State who will be testifying, and
the hour is running late. I was going to suggest that each member
ask one question. If, for any compelling reasons you want to ask
more than that, I certainly will not cut you off,but we can submit
other questions in writing. In the interest of time, if you can
adhere to that policy it would be appreciated .
The gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Smith .
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Thank you , Mr. Chairman . I will try to
adhere to one question .
I think all of my colleagues on the subcommittee will join me in
commending all five of you for your outstanding work on behalf of
oppressed people both in Romania and elsewhere in the world.
It is very clear that without your interventions not only would
those people who are suffering today be forgotten, there would be
many more who would have joined their ranks.
I really believe and ascribe to the view that your interventions,
and those that the Congress can do have a chilling effect, to some
extent, upon oppressivegovernments and at leaststops those gov
ernments from going even further than they might have gone with
out your work .
I do have several questions, but in lieu of the chairman's com
ment, I will ask only one, and that will be addressed to Ms. Laber.
One of the major complaints that is lodged against the Romanian
Government by Members of Congress and the human rights com
munity is the lack of human rights monitoring groups in Romania
and the unwillingness of the government to permit any interna
tional human rights organizations to gain access to relevant infor
mation . I know that you have said earlier that a 6 month monitor
ing of the most-favorable-nation status may help. What else can
the administration do and what can Congress do to further Helsin
ki monitors within Romania ?
Ms. LABER. Well, as you may know , there was an attempt to
form a Helsinki monitoring group in Romania. It was almost im
mediately squashed . The man who led that attempt is the writer
Paul Goma who now lives in Paris in exile. He once described to
me how he was literally hit in the face by the police officer with
whom he discussed thatpossibility. That was the response,
There is a forum where this should be being discussed right at
this moment, and I hope it is. There is the meeting in Canada in
Ottawa, the human rights experts meeting. There are the Helsinki
accords. There should be an understanding legitimizing rights
within those accords for citizens to meet to monitor their govern
ment's compliance with the Helsinki accords. Principal 7 of the
Helsinki accords guarantees the rights of citizens to know and act
upon their rights. And one of the things we have been urging on
the delegations in Ottawa is that they work language into the con
cluding agreement of this meeting that all citizens have a legal
right to monitor their government's compliance.
 96

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Thank you .

Mr. YATRON . Thank you very much.
Thank you , Mr. Smith .
The gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Burton . Yes, sir.
Mr. BURTON . Thank you , Mr. Chairman .
I just have one question. Wherever there have been repressive
communist governments there has been a mass migration of people
leaving those countries. Do you have any idea what percentage of
the Romanian population has fled or attempted to flee from that
repressive society ?
Ms. SHEA. I don't have the overall figures. I don't know if anyone
in fact has those figures. I know that there are figures kept on
visas granted for certain countries such as the United States ,
Israel,and West Germany and the State Department has, I think,
a submission for the record on that.
There are around maybe 20,000 people leaving in 1984 according
tothose records.I am not sure, again ,of the overall.
Mr. BURTON. But you say the the State Department might have
those figures?
Ms. SHEA. I think the State Department keeps figures for visas
granted for three countries, and that does not include Hungary and
some other West European countries such as France where I know
some emigres do go. So I don't know if anyone has those complete
figures.
Mr. BURTON. But it is a substantial figure.
Ms. SHEA. Yes.
Mr. BURTON . Thank you.
Mr. YATRON . Thank you, Mr. Burton .
The gentleman fromCalifornia , Mr. Dornan ? If you could limit it
to one question, it would be appreciated. Mr. Gilman is next.
Mr. DORNAN . I will.
Ms. Laber, maybe you are the one who can help me. There have
been some reports - I understand they are substantiated — that
some Christian religions such as Baptist, Pentecostals and Seventh
Day Adventists have been especially targeted for religious harass
ment. What are the reasons behind the increased intimidation of
these branches of Christian faith ?
Ms. LABER. Well, I am not sure I really do have the answer to
that. I think that religion, obviously, is a threat to communist gov
ernments, whether it be in Poland, Romania - the churches are sin
gled out. I guess I don't know enough really about thevarious reli
gious groups in Romania to answer that in an informed way.
My guess would be that those are the most active groups, the
most vocal groups, the groups that have taken the most confronta
tional policies, because that is usually the ones that are singled
out.
Mr. DORNAN . Have you done any research on anti -Semitism ?
Ms. LABER . Not extensively, no.
Mr. DORNAN . There is anti-Semitism in most Communist coun
tries, East bloc, correct ?
Ms. LABER. Well, there was a little flurry of anti -Semitism in Ro
mania which President Ceausescu himself disavowed . This was last
year. There were some publications that were really quite anti-Se
mitic and some protests were raised about that and hehimself said
 97

that he had nothing to do with them . The government disassoci

ated itself from that.
Of course there is substantial Jewish emigration from Romania
and I believe that there has been some cooperation there with the
Jewish agencies.
Mr. DORNAN. Thank you .
Thank you , Mr. Chairman .
Mr. YATRON . Thank you, Mr. Dornan .
Mr. Gilman the gentleman from New York .
Mr. GILMAN . Thank you, Mr. Chairman .
With regard to these annual Romanian emigration figures to the
United States, there is some problem in trying to interpret these. It
is indicated they vary from the actual number of emigration cases
approved. Can you tell us whether there is much of a variation ?
Ms. SHEA . Well, Congressman , I did not compile these figures.
These are official State Department figures. I know that we re
ceived many, many more requests from people for help in emigrat
ing than actually are able to leave. So these figures are only the
numbers that the government permits to leave. There are many
more who want to leave, have applied to leave, and they can't get
out.
Mr. GILMAN . Do you have any idea of how extensive that backlog
is ?
Ms. SHEA. Are you referring to those people with Romanian exit
visas who cannot get U.S. visas ?
Mr. GILMAN . Well, how many for exit visas have been approved
by the American Embassy ?
Ms. SHEA. I don't know . We have an ongoing caseload of 1,000
families. But that is not a comprehensive figure. They represent
the people who have contacted us directly.
Mr. GILMAN . How many people are backlogged who would like to
get out; do you have any idea; who haven't been approved, who
have applied to the Hungarian
Ms. SHEA. No. I don't think anyone is permitted to operate freely
to collect those numbers.
Mr. GILMAN . Is there anyone here from the Department who
could tell us that ? Mr. Chairman , is there any
Mr. YATRON . Yes, there is. Mr. Matthews is here.
Mr. GILMAN . Mr. Matthews, do you have any idea of how many
people have applied to the Romanian authorities and have not
been issued—
Mr. MATTHEWS. It would be approximately 775, as I understand
it.
It might be good if I could, Mr. Chairman , and also for you , Con
gressman , to submit that for the record .
Mr. GILMAN . Mr. Chairman , I ask permission to have that sub
mitted .
Mr. YATRON . Without objection .
Mr. GILMAN . Any further explanation of these figures would be
helpful to us. 1

1 See app . 3.
 98

Ms. SHEA . I would just like to clarify something. Are you asking
about the number of people who have applied to the Romanian
Government to leave ?
Mr. GILMAN . Yes .
Ms. SHEA. And cannot get Romanian exit visas ?
Mr. GILMAN . Yes.
Ms. SHEA . I believe that figure to be much higher than 700 since
we have 1,000 families in our caseload alone who
Mr. GILMAN . Who have applied and not been granted ?
Ms. SHEA. That's right. That's correct. And these are unsolicited
cases. People who have heard about us and write to us for assist
ance .
Mr. GILMAN.Do you know how long some of those — what is the
length of period of time?
Ms. SHEA. We have a number of cases mentioned in our appen
dixes who have applied and have been reapplying for over two dec
ades, over 20 years, trying to leave .
Mr. GILMAN . What is the reason for the denial for such a long
period ?
Ms. SHEA. Sometimes they are not given any reason ; other times
they are told there are bureaucratic delays; other times they are
told they simply can't go until they pay a fine or - what is amount
ing to bribes that government agents are now requesting. And
there are other reasons .
Mr. GILMAN . Ms. Laber, you wanted to add something ?
Ms. LABER . I just wanted to add a little anecdote which I think is
relevant. When I was in Bucharest one of the people I visited
there — there was an elderly couple who had applied to emigrate
and they had received two letters from the U.S. Embassy there
asking them to come in and discuss their case . Each time they at
tempted to go to the Embassy they were stopped a block away and
arrested by the Romanian Secret Police, taken into police head
quarters and told they might as well forget it, they were never
going to get to the Embassy , "We are watching you; we have a man
with a
Mr. GILMAN . How recent was this case ?
Ms. LABER . I was there in the fall of 1982. It was to me such a
graphic example because I had just been at the Embassy talking to
thepeople who were writing letters to these people and when I left
the Embassy they said they would look into it . They lived a few
blocks away. And they said please tell the people at the Embassy
that we can't get there.
Mr. GILMAN. Just one other question . Does anyone have any in
formation on Father Calciu , what his status is, where he is at the
present time?
Ms. LABER. Well, he is under virtual house arrest in Bucharest.
My understanding is that neither Romanians nor foreigners have
been allowed to see him .
Mr. GILMAN . Do you know anything about his state of health ?
Ms. LABER. I don't, personally , no.
Mr. GILMAN . Thank you , Mr. Chairman .
Mr. YATRON . Thank you , Mr. Gilman .
I would like to thank all the witnesses for being here today and
giving us the benefit of their views.
 99

There is a vote on the floor of the House, so we are going to have

to take a temporary recess. But first, I would like to say that our
final witness today is Mr. Gary Matthews, the Senior Deputy As
sistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Af
fairs. We will go over , respond, and come back to resume the hear
ing.
( Short recess.]
Mr. YATRON . Mr. Secretary, I want to apologize for the delay, but
I think we may as well proceed because Iunderstand there may be
another roll call again shortly. So, you may go ahead with your
statement, and we will do the best we can . If there is another roll
call we will have to submit questions to you in writing.
STATEMENT OF GARY MATTHEWS, SENIOR DEPUTY ASSISTANT
SECRETARY OF STATE , BUREAU OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND HU .
MANITARIAN AFFAIRS
Mr. MATTHEWS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman . I am very pleased to
be back , and I understand the rollcall situation very well.
I have a comprehensive statement which has been submitted for
the record so I will just touch on some highlights here in my initial
remarks.
Mr. YATRON . Without objection .
Mr. MATTHEWS. I would like, in sort of a reflective sense, to note
that being here today and listening to the excellent remarks by the
panel of nongovernmental organization experts and dedicated
human rights activists, and knowing of your own concerns, the con
cerns of Members of this body, and, of course, your colleagues in
the Senate, it seems to me, again being reflective, and as a simple
Missouri boy I try to shy away from fancy words, that this is an
example of the concerns and expertise and actions of the Congress
of the United States, of dedicated human rights activist organiza
tions, experts, if you will, and our own executive branch, not just
the Human Rights Bureau but others of us in the State Depart
ment and other departments, achieving, to use that awful little
word, a synergy which makes us more effective and really comes to
the guts, as I see it, of what American human rights is all about.
So, as I contemplate an upcoming Foreign Servicetransfer to other
responsibilities I leave feeling on a very good note on just this
score .
Certainly , the scope of today's hearings touches on two perspec
tives of the Department of State itself, the first being factual — that
is a function of the Department's responsibility for factfinding,
analysis, and submission of information to you, the Congress, and
to the public. And, as you know , we do this in the annual Human
Rights Country Reports as well as in the provision of specific infor
mation to you as you request it, or certainly in hearings such as
this .
Our second perspective, which is touched on in these hearings,
works from our responsibility for the implementation of U.S. for
eign policy. In carrying out policy, we maintain private dialogs,
some closer than others, some more productive than others, with
all of the East European governmentson bilateral and multilateral
 100

issues, and human rights concerns are a key element in all of our
agendas in Eastern Europe.
Certainly, the interplay between the factual background of the
Romanian human rights situation and the use of foreign policy
mechanisms to stimulate improvements in that situation hinges on
the nature of our bilateral relationship with Romania .
I was struck, I must say, by listening to the members, I think
Congressman Dornan noted he expects a forthcoming meeting soon
with the Romanian Ambassador to address his concerns directly.
Congressman Lantos spoke to his participation in missions to Bu
charest for high level discussions, and this is exactly the kind of
interplay that I have in mind here.
Certainly Romania's efforts to expand its independence are an
important factor in our perceptions. So, are human rights, and
good working relations are an important vehicle in stimulating Ro
mania's respect for human rights. Good relations have enabled us
to make a difference, we believe, in the Romanian internal scene .
And, as you know , due to our expressions of concern , the Romanian
authorities agreed in 1983 not to apply that education tax which
had been previously decreed. And U.S. interests certainly helped to
secure the release of Father Calciu of whom we have heard a good
deal from our other representatives here today; some official li
censes for some dissident Baptist pastors, and undertakings that a
Baptist congregation in the city of Oradeg would receive a new
church before its current building is demolished, which was spoken
toin very eloquent terms by the Congressman .
We have had some family reunification cases which we believe
have been resolved positively. There are others which we still
await and we hope our effortswill bear fruit.
We do believe that good relations have encouraged Romanian au
thorities to show some tolerance for some unrecognized religious
groups. They have made it possible, those relations, for us to attend
trials of individuals such as Dorel Catarama, a Seventh Day Ad
ventist prosecuted on economic charges. And certainly our Embas
sy officers travel widely throughout Romania , including in those
ethnic Hungarian areas, in order to be apprised as closely as possi
ble on the situation throughout the year and report accordingly as
to what they find.
Mr. Chairman , we welcome the subcommittees' decision to hold
these hearings, obviously because they support our effortsto stimu
late and improve Romanian human rights performance. We share
many ofthe concerns certainly that I heard addressed here previ
ously today, both by Members as well as the nongovernmental or
ganization representatives.
We believe that this year's country report on human rights for
Romania contains a considerable body of information and with
your permission , Mr. Chairman , I would like to have that entered
into the record. 1
Mr. YATRON . Without objection .
Mr. MATTHEWS. Thank you .

1 See app. 2.
 101

And I also have available — it came up earlier - a set of statistics

on Romanian emigration performance which I would also be pre
pared to offer for the record.2
Mr. YATRON . Without objection .
Mr. MATTHEWS. Certainly we must not overlook observing that
the Romanian internal scene is harsh and individual and collective
liberties are severely limited . There is extensive state interference
in religious affairs including examples of official attempts to dis
courage the spread of Fundamentalist Protestant groups.
There are cases of people arrested and jailed for carrying Bibles
and other religious materials and so forth. Even so, repression in
Romania has had its limits, or its ups and downs. The scene is com
plex, with significant shadings of gray in areas of serious concern :
emigration, religious rights, and minority issues.
I suppose it is the case, and as one who spent most of his career
in Soviet and East European affairs, I am struck by this: that Ro
mania is a relatively transparent society in-and I say relatively
in the sense that when arrests and detentions for political and reli
gious reasons do occur they tend to become known rather quickly
as opposed to a number of other countries in the region that I can
think of.
International phone calls to dissidents and officiallysuspect indi
viduals have frequently gone through, which is an impossibility,
certainly, in a certain large country which is a neighbor of Roma
nia .
And Radio Free Europe has an active dialog with Romanian lis
teners.
I have, Mr. Chairman, a lengthy section of my prepared state
ment which focuses on the religious situation, the condition of reli
gion in Romania, and I shan't go into any of that. But obviously we
believe that the scene there is significantly uneven, which I think
would be the best single characterization .
The case of Father Calciu has received mention here today. It is
of continuing concern to us. We continue to hope very much that
the Romanian authorities could see their way clear to letting him
leave Romania, either settle in a Western European country or cer
tainly here in the United States.
Emigration has also been a focus of bilateral discussion for a
decade and performance has improved a great deal.
I am going to provide for the record a complete set of statistics
that I think will be useful, but I would note that some 21,200 plus
Romanian citizens were issued immigration visas last year by the
United States, West Germany and Israel, and we anticipate the
numbers will be substantially that high or higher this year.
I know that you , Mr. Chairman, and others are interested in the
case of Mr. Fodor, and I assure you that we will bend our best ef
forts together with those of you in the Congress, to see what can be
done toget a family reunification in this most compelling case.
Certainly we are very , very interested at all times in the situa
tion of ethnic minorities in Hungary and Romania. We are con
2 See app . 3.
 102

scious of the Hungarian minority in particular, and again I focused

on this in my prepared remarks .
We have ongoing contacts with Romanian officials at all levels
and I would say, againthinking as one who has spent most of his
career in Soviet-East European matters, we have a substantially
greater dialog at all levels with Romania than with respect to the
Soviet Union and other East European countries.
I had the privilege of being with Congressman Lantos in Ottawa
just this past weekend and certainiy confirm in spades what he
said about the dialog, such as it was, that we had up there with the
Soviet side, and we certainly intend to use our Human Rights
Roundtables with the Romanians to convey concerns, to use diplo
matic channels, and certainly a very important part of what we do
are hearings such as these . And let me conclude with this, Mr.
Chairman , and thank you and the other Members for having this
hearing today.
[Mr. Matthews' prepared statement follows:]
 103

PREPARED STATEMENT OF GARY MATTHEWS, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE ,

HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS

Mr. Chairman , I welcome the opportunity to testify for the

Administration concerning the human rights situation in Romania .

The scope of today's hearings touches on two perspectives

of the Department of State . The first perspective is factual :
that is a function of the Department's responsibility for
factfinding , analysis , and submission of information to
Congress and the public . This is done in the annual

publication of the Country Reports on Human Rights as well as

in provision of specific information requested by members and
committees of Congress . Our goal in respect to Romania is to

determine the facts regarding the country's human rights

performance , and also to analyze developments in the overall
context of the Romanian scene as well as human rights
developments in the other countries of Eastern Europe .
The Department's second basic perspective touched on in
these hearings works from our responsibility for the
implementation of U.S. foreign policy . In carrying out policy ,
we maintain private dialogues some closer than others ; some

more productive than others with all the East European

governments about bilateral and multilateral issues . Human

rights concerns are a key element in all of our agendas in

Eastern Europe , and encouragement of all possible improvement
in human rights in the East European countries through dialogue
and effective use of U.S. influence is a basic goal . The
 104

interplay between the factual background of the Romanian human

rights situation and the use of foreign policy mechanisms to
stimulate improvements in that situation hinges on the nature
of our bilateral relationship with Romania .
Our relations with Romania are complex and well -developed .
The two countries differ in size , levels of economic

development , and scope of geopolitical responsibilities . Their

political systems are radically different . However , they share

a significant interest in approaching international security
issues . From the U.S. side , this Administration and the three

preceding it have looked to Romania's relatively independent

foreign policy as a significant factor in the evolution of
Eastern European relations with the Soviets . From the Romanian

side , the facts speak for themselves . Romania has dissented

from the Soviet line on significant Warsaw Pact and COMECON

issues . Its Warsaw Pact military participation is more limited
than that of any other Pact country . Last summer , Romania was

the only Warsaw Pact country to send a team to the Olympics .

Romania has been the only Pact member state to maintain normal
diplomatic relations with Israel since 1967 . In February it
hosted Prime Minister Peres in Bucharest . Postwar emigration
to Israel has reduced the surviving Romanian Jewish community
from 400,000 to under 30,000 , and Romania continues to allow

more Jewish emigration than the Soviet Union which has a

community more than 100 times larger . Last fall in the U.N.

General Assembly , Romania's votes on important issues diverged

pre from Soviet positions than those of other East European
countries .
 105

Bilateral Relations and Human Rights

Romania's efforts to expand its independence are an

important factor in our perceptions . So are human rights , and
good working relations are an important vehicle in stimulating
Romania's respect for human rights . Good relations have

enabled us to make a difference in the Romanian internal

scene . Due to U.S. expressions of concern , the Romanian
authorities agreed in 1983 not to apply the education tax
provisions of Decree 402/82 , which would have required
intending emigrants to repay higher education costs in hard
currency U.S. interest helped to secure the release from

prison last summer of a leading dissident , Father Gheorghe

Calciu , official licenses for some dissident Baptist pastors ,
undertakings that a Baptist congregation in the city of Oradea
would receive a new church before its current building is
demolished , and solution to some controversial

family-reunification cases including that of Mrs. Niculina

Iuga , wife of the U.S. Olympic team's pistol shooting coach .
Good relations encourage the Romanian authorities to show some
nrecognized
tolerance for unr religious groups . They make it

possible for officers of our Embassy to attend trials of

individuals such as Dorel Catarama , a 7th Day Adventist

prosecuted on economic charges . Our Embassy officers also

travel throughout the country including ethnic Hungarian
areas and meet with Romanian citizens including ethnic
Hungarians with relatively few restrictions . Good relations
mean that the Romanian authorities usually suppress their
 106

suspicions that our concern about human rights somehow

represents an attempt to intervene in their internal affairs ,

and that they frequently respond to our requests for

information about the status of individuals and are willing to
discuss an increasing range of human rights issues . Many
abuses remain , and successes often seem modest . From some

other perspectives in Eastern Europe , however , the U.S. impact

on the Romanian scene must appear more striking .
Romania's Human Rights Performance
Mr. Chairman , we welcome the Subcommittee's decision to

hold these hearings , which support our efforts to stimulate

improved Romanian human rights performance . We appreciate the

Subcommittee's concerns in calling the hearings . We share many

of them .

The Department's Country Report on Human Rights for Romania

contains a considerable body of information . May I suggest ,

Mr. Chairman , that it be included in the printed record of

these hearings . I am also providing statistics on Romanian
emigration performance which I suggest be included in the
record . Additional material has been provided to the
subcommittee staff for background . To avoid repetition , I
would like to comment on overall developments and highlight a
few specific issues .
The Romanian internal scene is harsh , and individual and

collective liberties are severely limited . There is extensive

state interference in religious affairs , including examples of

official attempts to discourage the spread of fundamentalist
Protestant groups . There are cases of people arrested and
 107

jailed for carrying Bibles and other religious materials .

Intending emigrants qualified for admission to the U.s. and
other countries sometimes wait years for passports , and must

cope with sanctions and procedures designed to discourage

emigration . Constitutional guarantees regarding the privacy of
correspondence and telephone conversations are routinely
ignored . Tough interrogations and beatings by overzealous
police , security officers , and prison guards are a problem .
Living-standards have declined in recent years , and last winter
imposed considerable hardship on the Romanian people . The

press is rigorously controlled , and there is little or no

public availability of Western newspapers and periodicals .
There are concerns about the degree of cultural freedom enjoyed
by Romania's ethnic minorities .

Even so , repression has its limits . The Romanian scene is

complex , with significant shadings of gray in areas . of serious

concern : emigration , religious rights , and minority issues .
Relations between rulers and ruled in Romania have internal
dynamics which in many cases soften the impact of repressive
measures . For example , measures regarding registration of
typewriters represented an attempt to curb samizdat works and
unauthorized activities of intellectuals , but were impossible
to enforce . There are requirements that Romanian citizens
report conversations with foreigners , but the restrictions have
never precluded candor by Romanian citizens , including
dissenters , in conversations with foreigners . Similarly ,
admissions to seminaries are closely controlled , but
 108

national levels of religious observance are high and rising .

That said , the Romanian scene is repressive , and the interplay
is often rough .

Romania is a relatively transparent society in the sense

that when arrests and detentions for political and religious
reasons do occur , they tend quickly to become common knowledge
within the country and in the West . International phone calls
to dissidents and officially suspect individuals have
frequently gone through . Radio Free Europe has an active
dialogue with Romanian listeners .
Religion
We believe the religious rights scene in Romania is
significantly uneven . The Romanian government remains
relatively tolerant of the 14 major recognized religious groups
and there have been no signs in recent years of a serious
countrywide attempt to suppress religion or any individual
religious group . The Romanian government has not undertaken a
wholesale program of religious persecution , and many people
practice their beliefs with scant hindrance . However , the

authorities are apparently seeking to impede the growth of

Protestant fundamentalism evident in Romania as well as other

East European countries . We cannot condone or excuse the

Romanian authorities ' arrests of people carrying religious

materials and other efforts to discourage the growth of
unrecognized religious groups which the authorities judge to be
objectionable .
 109

Bibles and religious materials remain a source of friction

between religious groups and the Romanian government , which has
severely restricted publication of religious materials in
Romanian or the country's major minority languages ( Hungarian
and German ) , despite donations of paper from abroad . We

believe that greater Romanian tolerance in allowing legal

importation , printing , and distribution of modest quantities of
religious materials would do much to reduce friction between
the government and religious groups , as well as controversial
arrest cases involving Bible-smuggling . There are occasional
cases of American citizens denied entry to Romania on grounds
of carrying religious materials , while a Baptist lay leader ,
Constantin Sfatcu , was apparently detained April 19 following
discovery of Bibles and religious materials in the car he was
driving

A Baptist church in Bistrita was reported demolished last

year over building code violations . In Bucharest , the historic

Vacaresti monastery , which dates from 1724 , and the Mihai Voda
monastery , dating from 1591 , have respectively been demolished
and are undergoing demolition due to construction of a
government administrative complex . We believe the Romanian

authorities should show more restraint in problems involving

church structures .

There have also been some positive developments . Pastors

Paul Negrut and Nicolae Gheorghita of Oradea recently received

licenses to preach from the Department of Religious Affairs
following nearly a year of discussions by the two pastors with
 110

the Romanian Baptist Union and Bucharest's Department of

Religious Affairs over issues including residence permits . We

understand that other unlicensed Baptist pastors including

Ioan Stef and Beniamin Cocar of Medias are likely to receive
licenses in the near future . Last September , the Oradea church

of pastors Negrut and Gheorghita received notice of imminent

demolition due to an urban redevelopment plan for the
neighborhood . Demolition was postponed , however , and the
congregation recently received assurances that it can continue
to use the existing church until a new structure is completed .
The congregation has also accepted a new site offered by the
city and county authorities . This outcome followed extensive

discussions by our Embassy in Bucharest with the pastors , the

Baptist Union , and the Department of Religious Affairs , and
between the Department of State and the Romanian Embassy in
Washington .
There have also been positive developments in relations
between the Roman Catholic Church and the Romanian Government ,

which consented last year to the appointment of a Catholic

archbishop , Romania's first in many years .
The case of Father Gheorghe Calciu deserves special
mention . Father Calciu , a Romanian Orthodox priest , was jailed
in 1979 following his preaching of sermons critical of
Communism in Romania and involvement in an embryonic free trade
union movement which was suppressed by the authorities . After

nearly five years of u.s. and Western European expressions of

concern , including many at high level , Father Calciu was
 111

amnestied in August 1984 . Since then , however , he has been

under house arrest in Bucharest and has made clear that he

wants to emigrate . The U.S. and other governments have

indicated willingness to receive Father Calciu . We

have advised Romanian officials that we believe the best

possible outcome for all concerned , including the Romanian

government , would be to allow Father Calciu's emigration to a
Western European country or the United States .
Emigration
Emigration has been a focus of bilateral discussion for a
decade , and Romanian performance has considerably improved
within the context of the authorities ' continued " principled
opposition " to emigration . The statistics have been

encouraging . Some 21,284 Romanian citizens were issued

immigration visas by the U.S. , West German , and Israeli

Embassies in Bucharest last year , the highest total since MFN
status was accorded to Romania and three times higher than the
figures for 1975 or 1976 . Some difficult family reunification
cases of interest to the U.s. have been resolved this year :
Mrs. Niculina Iuga was reunited with her husband in April .
Also in April , Con cessman Ackerman visited Bucharest and the
authorities cooperated in promptly resolving the case of Mrs.
Mirella Cherciu .

Fodor Case

I would like to highlight one problem case which I know

concerns Chairman Yatron and other members present , and is of
personal interest to a number of senior administration
 112

officials . Georgeta Fodor and her son , Stefan , are the wife

and child of Napoleon Fodor , the former Romanian Commercial

Counselor in New York who defected in 1982 . This is a

sensitive matter for the Romanian government , but we hope that

passport issuance for Mrs. Fodor and her son is a question of

time . We have urged Romanian officials that this family has
suffered enough in nearly three years of separation .
Ethnic minorities

The Department is aware of reports that the rights of the

Hungarian and other minorities in Romania are being denied . We

have frequently discussed these issues with Romanian officials

and are doing so in the ongoing Ottawa Human Rights Experts
Meeting
The relationship between Hungarians and Romanians is
complex and historically troubled . There are similar historic

ethnic conflicts in many other countries of Eastern Europe , and

conflicts of much greater magnitude within the Soviet Union .

Some concerns advanced about the situation of the Hungarian

minority in Romania appear to result from economic and social

conditions affecting the entire Romanian population rather than
from any discrimination . All substantiated information

available to the Department suggests that the issue of limits

on Hungarian cultural , educational , and religious opportunities
in Romania is one of degree and not absolutes , and that an

active ethnic Hungarian cultural life continues to exist in

Romania .

It should be noted that emigration has diminished the

 113

cultural and educational life of Romania's other traditional

minority groups , Germans and Jews : over 95,000 ethnic Germans

have departed for the FRG since 1975 and the remaining

community numbers under 300,000 , while emigration to Israel

since World War II has reduced Romania's Jewish community by
over 90 % .

Contacts with the Romanian Government

Mr. Chairman , we have privately told Romanian officials for

years that we are in earnest about human rights , and that human
rights abuses resulting either from policy or irresponsible
acts by local officials are a serious matter which strain the
capacity of the U.s. to maintain good relations . We press our

human rights concerns with the Romanians on every possible

occasion . Romanian officials have been willing to discuss our
concerns the 1980 and 1984 U.S. - Romanian human rights
roundtables involving Romanian and U.S. officials and

representatives of U.s. non-governmental organizations offered

useful opportunity for discussion of specific issues . The U.S.
and Romanian delegations to the Ottawa CSCE Human Rights
Experts Meeting are consulting closely regarding U.S. concerns
over Romania's human rights performance as well as broader
issues . In terms of form , Romania's approach to human rights
dialogue has been good but not without problems : in April 1983
the Romanian government extended an invitation to the Helsinki
Watch Committee for a fact - finding mission , and withdrew that
invitation in September 1983 , following the annual MFN
 114

hearings . *
Progress on substance has come slowly . The structure of

our bilateral relations is well adapted to furthering our human

rights concerns , we believe we have made a tangible difference
in the Romanian human rights situation , and we will continue to
bend every effort to secure improvements in the situation .

* ( The Department notes that the account of this episode in

the country Report for Romania for 1984 mistakenly names the
organization involved as the Helsinki Commission rather than
the Helsinki Watch Committee . We regret the error . )
 115

Mr. YATRON. Thank you very much, Secretary Matthews. We

only have a few moments, but I want to wishyou well in your new
assignment, whatever your position may be. We appreciate your co
operation with the subcommittee, as well as the full committee,
and we are grateful for all the help that you have given us.
I have one more question, and we maysubmit some others to you
in writing .
There were many congressional inquiries made to Romanian au
thorities on behalf of individuals who were seeking to emigrate
that were ignored. If this government is so unresponsive to the
U.S. Congress, how does it interact with the administration or your
good office? Do you elicit a more positive response than we in our
interactions with the Romanians ?
Mr. MATTHEWS. That is a very good question , Mr. Chairman . I
would say this, first off: that when we address our concern , let's
say in writing, on specific cases to the Romanian Government, we
always keep copies so that if we do not receive a response in an
adequate period of time we can reraise those concerns and those
specific cases. And it does seem to me that as we have done this
over time, that repetition and changing the level of the recipient, if
you will, of those cases and our concerns, has produced results.
Keeping at it, persistence is all important in this. And we would
certainly be pleased to work with you and other Members if we can
facilitate the transmittal, as it were, of cases that were of particu
lar concern to you .
Mr. YATRON. Thank you very much . I want to thank you for
mentioning the case of Mr. Fodor. We appreciate your interest and
work on that.
Do you have a question you would like to ask ?
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I have just a few questions for Mr.
Matthews, and I will ask them quickly.
There are four basic areas that I wanted to touch on, but I will
condense it.
If you could, Mr. Mattews, please touch on the advisability of a 6
month review of most -favored -nation status for Romania which was
discussed at length by the previous panel; and also if you would
please address the idea of expanding the Jackson -Vanik amend
ment to include other human rights concerns in addition to emi
gration; thirdly, please advise us on how we, this country, the ad
ministration as well as the Congress, can promote the existence of
Helsinki monitoring groups within Romania ; and finally if you
could elaborate on how wecan further Father Calciu's case.
Mr. MATTHEWS. Very good questions, all of them , Congressman.
I guess maybe it is just a function of getting older, that I feel
with respect to whether it is every 6 months or every year that
these things come around quite quickly, it seems. So, I would be
one to feel that we are reasonably OK with the present schedule.
As long as we keep in mind that we have hearings like this, we
raise our concerns throughout the year, we have the Human
Rights Country Report andso forth and so on.
I see concerns generally addressed systematically, and so I don't
see it as a function of how frequently we would have a given
matter discussed .
 116

Personally, Congressman , I guess I am one who feels — I am told

that Senator Jackson spoke to this point - that the intent of the
Jackson -Vanik amendment - and in my view it works at its best
vis - a -vis Romania - is to tie it very specifically to emigration, recog
nizing that there is only so much weight that the amendment, this
approach, can hold. So, that I think although our other concerns
definitely should be addressed consistently and systematically I
would not be one myself to tie it, to add, shall we say, specific lan
guage to the current statutory position .
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Has that possibility been under review
in State ?
Mr. MATTHEWS. Not to my knowledge, Congressman. No; I have
heard discussion of this, to be sure, but
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. So, at this point, these are personal
options and-
Mr. MATTHEWS. That's correct, Congressman .
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Thank you.
Mr. MATTHEWS. Certainly, I see - I believe we should do much
more to try to compel the signatories to the Helsinki accords to es
tablish and let function these Helsinki monitoring groups, and I
just think it is scandalous that they have been so repressed in a
number of the countries.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Matthews, are you suggesting that
in Ottawa the United States should take the lead to include, try to
persuade other Helsinki accord nations to pressure Romania to live
up to her commitment.
Mr. MATTHEWS. I would, surely, hope that this would be high on
our agenda. Yes, sir.
And then finally, with respect to Father Calciu, press on, repeat,
raise our concerns at ever higher levels if you will, and hope that
we could expect his release.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Thank you for your concise answers .
Mr. YATRON . Thank you, Mr. Smith .
Thank you, Mr. Matthews, for being here. Again , we appreciate
you giving us the benefit of your views.
The subcommittees standadjourned, subject to call of the Chair.
[Whereupon, at 5 p.m., the hearing of the subcommittees was ad
journed, subject to the call of the Chair.)
 117

APPENDIX 1

LETTER FROM JEFFREY A. COLLINS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CHRISTIAN

RESPONSE INTERNATIONAL, TO THE MEMBERS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE,
TRANSMITTING A COPY OF THE RESOLUTION PASSED BY CHRISTIAN
RESPONSE INTERNATIONAL ON MAY 10, 1985 IN ZURICH , SWITZER
LAND, REGARDING ROMANIA
MAY 10, 1985
Congressmen
Subcommittee on Human Rights and
International Organizations
United States Congress
Washington , D.C. 20515

Dear Honorable Sirs :

The attached resolution regarding religious

persecution and repression in Romania was
passed unanimously at our International
Conference in Zurich , Switzerland on May 10 ,
1985 . We request that you enter this
resolution as a part of your hearing records
in reference to Human Rights violations in
Romania .

Thank you for your kind attention to this

matter .

Sincerely ,

Jeffrey W.wordColl ins

en
(Jeffrey A. Collins
Executive Director

Attachment
JAC : ko
 118

RESOLUTION

May 10 , 1985

CHRISTIAN RESPONSE INTERNATIONAL RESOLUTION. ON ROMANIA

Passed unanimously by : Christian Response International
delegates from Switzerland , Austria , the United Kingdom ,
Kenya , United States of America , India , West Germany ,
Korea , France , and the Netherlands on May 10 , 1985 , at
the Christian Response International ( CRI ) Annual
Meeting in Zurich , Switzerland .

This resolution is addressed to His Excellency Nicolae Gavrilescu ,

President of the Socialist Republic of Romania .

WHEREAS the indescriminate abduction and arrest of Christians of

Romania is going on at a disturbing pace , most recently
on April 19 , 1985 , with the arrest and severe beating of
the Baptist layleader , Constantine Sfatcu and on April 26 ,
1985 , with the kidnapping of Reverend Petru Popou of
Gaujani , Romania ;

WHEREAS more than 16 churches have been destroyed by the Romanian

government during the past four years , including the
Bistrita Baptist Church on November 3 , 1984 ;

WHEREAS Christians are harassed in all possible ways , fined

heavily or have their salaries greatly reduced ;

WHEREAS the mysterious deaths of the Christians , Sabin Teodosiu ,

Peter Clipa , Father Geza Plafy , and ot rs remain unresolved .

THEREFORE , LET İT BE RESOLVED that the international meeting of

Christian Response International expresses grave concern
about the fact that such offensive actions are still being
taken against our Brothers and sisters in Christ in Romania ;
 119

LET IT ALSO BE RESOLVED that we urge the Romanian

authorities to re-build , at government expense ,
equivalent church facilities as were torn down by
them , to end the harassment of Christians and to
allow all preachers , including Father Gheorghi
Calciu , to return to their congregations and
ministries .

Christian Response International (CRI )

Reverend Hans Stuckelberger
International President

( For additional information ,

contact Reverend Jeffrey A. Collins ,
Executive Director of Christian
Response International ;
( 301 ) 984-9707 ) .
 120

APPENDIX 2

COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN Rights PRACTICES FOR 1984, SECTION

ON ROMANIA

ROMANIA

Romania is a highly centralized Communist state in which the

Romanian Communist Party , led since 1965 by the country's
President , Nicolae Ceausescu , directs every significant aspect
of the country's life . As a practical matter , local officials
have varying degrees of latitude in the implementation of
policy at the local level as well as room for abuse of power
in violation of an array of Constitutional rights .
In the area of human rights , major discrepancies persist
between Romania's Constitution , laws , public pronouncements ,
and international commitments on the one hand, and the civil
liberties and human rights actually allowed by the regime on
the other . Almost all aspects of life proceed within narrow
bounds defined by authority without regard to constitutional
and legal guarantees , although practices vary as a result of
individual circumstances and attitudes of local officials .
Political dissent is not tolerated ; any appearance of
deviation from the party's policies is actively repressed .
Psychological and , to a lesser extent , physical intimidation
by the ubiquitous security apparatus and other state organs is
effective in securing conformity , although the costs in terms
of individual liberties , creativity , and overall economic
efficiency are apparent .
Although the Government officially maintains its ' principled
opposition ' to emigration , it has allowed increasing numbers of
departures , mainly under the rubric of ' family reunification . "
Nearly 19,000 Romanians departed for the Federal Republic of
Germany , the United States, and Israel in 1984. While
Romania's numerical performance on emigration has greatly
improved, serious problems remain in respect to procedures .
Departures--whether for purposes of emigration , family
reunification , or binational marriage --are strongly
discouraged by complicated , slow-moving procedures and
coercive tactics . Potential emigrants often wait several
years after applying before receiving exit permits . During
this period , dismissals from job or school , eviction from
housing , denial of access to medical treatment , and other
sanctions are common . Notwithstanding constitutional
guarantees , the regime closely controls religious activities .
Despite having subscribed to international agreements on human
rights , the Romanian Government maintains the view that the
country's human rights situation is a purely internal matter .
With significant exceptions , however , the Government has
facilitated private and semi -official factfinding visits , and
has shown a willingness to discuss an increasing range of
human rights issues .
Romania has made measured economic progress over the past four
decades , evolving from a largely agricultural country to one
with significant industrial resources . However , economic
setbacks contributed toDrastic
difficulties in meeting foreign debt
payments in 1981-82 . austerity measures have since
significantly reduced the country's foreign debt , but at the
cost of hardships for consumers brought about by severe
cutbacks in supplies of electricity , fuel, and gasoline ,
reductions in imports of food supplies , drugs , and medical and
other necessities . Rationing of many basic foodstuffs remains
in force , although supplies appear to have stabilized somewhat
in late 1984 .
 121

ROMANIA

RESPECT POR HUMAN RIGHTS

Section 1 Respect for the Integrity of the Person , Including

Freedom from :

Political Killing
In mid-1984 there were persistent reports that an ethnic
Hungarian Roman Catholic priest , Father Geza Palfi , had died
as a result of injuries suffered during repeated beatings
while he was in the custody of the Romanian secret police ,
allegedly for delivering a sermon critical of the Government .
The reports were officially denied by the Romanian
authorities , which maintain that Father Palfi died of cancer
in April 1984 after having been hospitalized since autumn
1983 . They deny that he had been incarcerated , beaten , or
physically abused .
b. Disappearance
There have been no substantiated reports of politically
motivated disappearances in 1984 , although family and friends
of persons arrested on political charges are frequently long
left unaware of their circumstances and whereabouts .
C. Torture and Cruel , Inhuman , or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment

There have been numerous reports of cruel and degrading

treatment in Romanian prisons in 1984. The most common
complaints concern cells which are badly ventilated and poorly
heated , bad food in extremely small quantities , difficult
working conditions , long periods of isolation , little or no
reading materials , overcrowding , and segregation of persons
deemed ' dangerous to the state because of their religious
beliefs . Furthermore , persons convicted of political crimes
are not allowed to work but are forced to spend their
sentences within the confines of the prison ; thus forgoing the
possibility of reducing their sentences through work outside
the prison . Acts of violence perpetrated by police
authorities attempting to obtain information are commonly
reported . Persons apprehended for illegally trying to cross
the border often complain of cruel treatment , including
beatings , inflicted during police custody . Persons detained
for questioning are often kept for long periods without sleep ,
food , or toilet facilities .

d. Arbitrary Arrest , Detention , or Exile

As a result of the thousands of arbitrary searches of homes ,
cars , and other belongings ( Section 1.f. below ) , numerous
persons are detained every year for varying periods while
investigations are carried out . There is no provision for
habeas corpus , and persons have been kept for upwards of
several days without being allowed to communicate with family
or a lawyer . Most detainees are held for only a few hours and
allowed to return to their homes before being reinterrogated
on succeeding days .
Detention by the security police continues to be reported more
often than arrests , particularly by political and religious
dissidents . Individuals are usually summoned or taken to local
local security offices where they are interrogated --often under
 122

ROMANIA

rigorous conditions -- and warned of penalties for their actions ,

with release after varying periods , frequently 2-4 days .
Although exile is not officially used as punishment , there
have been unconfirmed reports that members of the large Gypsy
minority have been escorted by police to the Romanian-Yugoslav
border and told to leave the country immediately or face a
prison sentence .
A form of ' forced travel ' has been used on occasion against
Romania's religious activists to impede contacts between
foreign religious rights activists and Romanian religious
activists . On several occasions , the security police have
moved Romanian activists from their domiciles for the duration
of visits to the country by foreigners believed to be critical
of the regime's record on religious rights .
e. Denial of Fair Public Trial

There are numerous allegations that trials are fixed and

decisions are reached before the evidence is heard . An
indicted person is considered guilty until proven innocent .
The majority of the trials in routine civil and criminal cases
are open to the public and appear to follow legally prescribed
procedures . By law , trials may also be held behind closed
doors . Diplomats and other foreigners have had difficulty in
attending public trials with high local or international
interest .

The judiciary is not independent of the Communist Party and

the Government , and defense attorneys , especially in political
cases , are often not permitted to provide a full and proper
defense for their clients .

It is impossible accurately to estimate the number of political

prisoners in Romania . Including persons arrested and
convicted on charges such as ' parasitism ' ( i.e. , not having
visible legal means of support ), illegal economic activities ,
trying to cross the borders of the country illegally , and
demonstrating without permission or protesting against the
social order , the number is at least several thousand .
According to unconfirmed reports from one prison in the border
city of Timisoara , more than 1,500 people in that facility are
serving sentences for trying illegally to cross the frontier .
f. Arbitrary Interference with Privacy , Family , Home , or
Correspondence
Romanian laws and regulations governing the security apparatus
sanction an extremely high degree of interference with the
individual . However , the push for total control and
supervision is mitigated in daily life by the uneven
application of regulations , which varies considerably from one
locality to another , and by extensive corruption and bribery
within the system .

Deliberate and arbitrary interference with the privacy of the

family , home , and correspondence is a frequent occurrence .
Searches are made of automobiles , apartments , private homes ,
persons , and personal effects , without search warrants or
justification by the authorities that a crime may have been
committed . Militia checkpoints are located on most roads
leading out of the cities and at all major highway
 *123

ROMANIA

intersections in the countryside . Militiamen arbitrarily stop

and search vehicles . There have been many reports of persons
stopped on tram cars and city buses who have been asked for
identity documents and have had shopping bags and personal
belongings checked by the authorities .
The authorities often , enter homes on the pretext of looking
for building code violations , excessive consumption of
electricity ( 60 watt bulbs maximum) , illegal use of electrical
appliances , etc. These searches also allow the authorities to
look for other items such as forbidden books and publications ,
religious materials , or any evidence of wrongdoing . "
Rent codes in the cities tend to encourage another form of
invasion of privacy : if an apartment tenant cannot afford to
pay the exorbitant premium rental rate for any space in excess
of the official 18 - square meter maximum per person , the city
housing authority may lease part of the dwelling to someone
else without consulting the tenant .
Invasion of family privacy frequently takes place in the
schools , where the children are asked about their parents '
ideas , topics of evening discussions , visitors , etc. This
information has reportedly been used against the parents when
it has served the interest of the authorities . In addition ,
there are reports that the Communist Party has applied
pressure on parents at their workplaces in order to influence
the activities of their children .
Violation of privacy of the person has also become common as a
result of the current anti -abortion campaign . Reports have
been received of female workers forced to undergo monthly or
bimonthly pregnancy tests and physical examinations to insure
that an abortion has not taken place .
Complaints about interference with both domestic and
international correspondence are common . Letters to or from
persons considered ' of interest ' often simply never arrive at
their destination . People have reportedly been questioned by
the security police about topics discussed in letters which
were delivered seemingly unopened . On other occasions , people
have been questioned about statements made in letters sent
abroad but never received by the addressee .

International telephone calls are monitored closely .

Interruptions are common . Telephone conversations of Romanian
religious and political dissidents are particularly
monitored . Their calls are frequently cut off , and they are
often interrogated by security police regarding telephone
conversations . On occasion , the telephones of these persons
are out of order while foreign visitors are in Romania and are
restored to service upon the foreigner's departure .
Section 2 Respect for Civil Rights , Including :
a. Freedom of Speech and Press
Freedom of speech and press is severely restricted in Romania ,
despite a full range of constitutional guarantees . Opposition
to established policies is not permitted , and perceived
challenges to the system are usually dealt with harshly .
The Government and party control all information disseminated
to the public . The government - owned mass media practice
 124

ROMANIA

self -censorship . For live theater , censorship boards approve

all new productions before the opening performance. All
typewriters must be registered with the local police , and
usage of duplicating machines is strictly regulated in an
effort to prevent the establishment of an independent
underground pre88 .
Western publications are not available to the general public ,
and unauthorized import and distribution of such materials is
forbidden . Foreign broadcasts in the Romanian language are
not jammed , however , and serve as the major source of domestic
and foreign news for the Romanian people .

b. Preedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association

The Government attempts to control all group activity in the
country . No organization independent of government or party
influence is allowed to exist . Assembly and association
without permission are usually short -lived and may have severe
repercussions for those involved . Citizens are strongly
discouraged from making contact with foreigners , and the law
requires that all such contacts be reported to the authorities
within 24 hours .
Pree trade unions are not permitted . Membership in
government -controlled unions 18 mandatory for workers in every
economic sector . Union meetings deal with problems such as
work safety , productivity , fulfillment of the production plan
of the enterprise , vacation schedules , procurement of sports
and cultural tickets, approval of loans to members ( union dues
are used to provide low-interest , long -term loans to members
supposedly on a non-partisan basis ) , and other
non-controversial topics . New government laws and regulations
are read to the membership , generally without discussion , and
highlights of recent political happenings are brought up .
Topics such as wages , reduction of the workweek , and
additional holidays are not discussed .
During the 1984 deliberations of the International Labor
Organization's ( ILO ) Committee on the Application of
Conventions and Recommendations , Romanian labor practices were
criticized on two points : First , members of the Committee
recalled that the ILO Committee of Experts , in 1981 , raised the
issue that Romanian trade unions are not free to determine
their constitutions , activities , or programs since they had to
follow the dictates of one central administration . Second , the
unions were used mainly to " mobilize the masses for the
accomplishment of the party program and policy . " No change in
either policy was perceived in the interim. The Committee
recommended that the Government consider the possibility of
receiving a direct contacts mission from the Ilo to help
resolve these issues .

C. Freedom of Religion
The exercise of freedom of religion is greatly limited despite
constitutional guarantees . The Communist Party advocates
atheism , and religious activism by state officials and party
members is strongly discouraged .

The Government , through the Department of Cults , recognizes

and financially supports . 14 officially sanctioned faiths and
denominations including Romanian Orthodox ( the largest ) , Roman
Catholic , Lutheran , Calvinist , Unitarian , Baptist ,
1

1
1
 125

ROMANIA
Pentecostal , Seventh-Day Adventist , Jewish , and Muslim . The
Department is responsible for closely monitoring all religious
groups , licensing clergymen , paying their salaries , and
overseeing retirement benefits , and serves as the official
liaison between the Government and church groups . It must
also approve all requests for new church construction , new
clergymen , religious publications , and foreign travel by
church representatives .
During 1984 , fewer cases of harassment were reported , although
the persecution of members of denominations not recognized by
the State , such as Jehovah's Witnesses , Mormons , Christian
Scientists , and Romanian Uniates continues . Individuals are
still fined and imprisoned for religious practices . Early in
1984 , a Baptist minister was arrested and fined for possession
and distribution of unauthorized materials ( religious
publications brought into the country from abroad without the
necessary official permission ) . In addition , Pentecostals
reported that many persons were fined for worshiping in private
homes and unauthorized places . The Romanian Orthodox priest ,
Father Gheorghe Calciu , imprisoned since 1979 for sermons
critical of the Romanian Government , was released in August
1984. However , there is continuing concern that he is being
confined under house arrest or may be removed from Bucharest
to prevent contact with human rights activists from abroad .
In a potentially positive move , the Department of Cults has
promised additional places in religious seminaries to several
faiths , including the Baptists , the Calvinists , and the
Unitarians , though no results are yet apparent .

The construction and remodeling of churches of certain

denominations remains a problem . A Pentecostal church in the
city of Cluj -Napoca was demolished early in 1984 because of
the unauthorized remodeling of the interior . The country's
largest Baptist church , located in the center of the city of
Oradea , has been ordered demolished , ostensibly due to the
redevelopment of the area where it is located . On the other
hand , the Department of Cults has approved the construction of
more new churches in several cities and villages around the
country than in recent years .
Bibles and other religious texts are still in short supply in
Romania , and their importation is strictly regulated . Promises
have been received from the Department of Cults for a common
edition of the Bible to be printed in the near future for the
Baptists , Pentecostals , Seventh -Day Adventists, and Lutherans .
The number of copies to be printed remains a point of
contention .

A few Catholic clergy recently have been permitted to travel

abroad for training and consultations .

Anti -Semitic literary works which appeared at the end of 1983

were removed from book shops in ril 1984. One 19th century
play of an anti - Semitic nature was republished late in the
year , but President Ceausescu denounced anti -Semitism in his
November 19 report to the Communist Party's 13th Congress .
d. Freedom of Movement within the Country , Foreign
Travel , Emigration , and Repatriation
There are no official restrictions placed on travel within
Romania , with the exceptions of restricted military areas

49-957 0-85-45
 126

ROMANIA

( access prohibited ) and border areas ( access is carefully

limited to residents of the areas and those with economic need
to travel there ) . For fuel conservation reasons , a national
ban on driving on alternate Sundays based on license numbers
reduces the amount of weekend traffic .
1
There have been reports of persons forbidden by the
authorities from traveling to attend certain functions such as
religious gatherings , funerals , and international events ,
because these were not perceived to be in the Government's
interest .

The right of a citizen to change place of residence is

extremely restricted . Admission of new residents to the
larger Romanian cities is legally restricted to persons able
to obtain both housing and employment : since each 18
contingent on assurances of the other , official sponsorship
for any relocation to the larger cities is effectively
required . Residence in smaller Romanian cities is easier to
obtain than in Bucharest and the larger cities .
Travel outside of Romania , especially outside of the Eastern
European countries , 18 a rare privilege . Those who are
allowed to travel abroad are usually individuals who hold
relatively senior positions in the party or Government , or
those who have been able to convince the authorities of their
intent to return , usually by leaving close family members
behind . Another group to receive passports are older parents
traveling to visit children resident abroad .
The Government does not accept as a right the permanent
departure of citizens from Romania . In October 1984 ,
President Ceausescu said it is the duty of all citizens to
stay and build a better society for themselves and for their
children . Those who do express a desire to emigrate continue
to face a wide variety of punitive discouragements . Some
prospective emigrants continue to wait years before they are
issued emigration passports . Once a passport is issued, the
intended emigrant is no longer allowed to work , own property,
send children to school , receive public medical benefits ,
pensions , or rationed items , or benefit from any other
state-subsidized service .

Many persons leaving Romania for reasons other than family

reunification are forced to renounce their citizenship . This
action precludes individuals from repatriation in the future .
There have been cases reported during the past year of persons
who have returned to take up residence in Romania without
incident . Others , who have been turned over to the Romanian
authorities after leaving the country illegally , have faced
immediate trials and prison sentences for the offense .

Though official policy discourages emigration , 1984 saw an

upturn in the total numbers of persons allowed to leave Romania
for Israel , the Federal Republic of Germany , and the United
States . Nearly 19,000 left in 1984 . In addition , the waiting
time for passports was generally shorter than in the past .
Section 3 Respect for Political Rights : The Right of citizens
to Change Their Government
The individual citizen has almost no voice in shaping public
policy or choosing public officials , since government at all
 127

ROMANIA

levels is dominated by the Communist Party , control of which

is concentrated in the hands of the President , his wife , and
key figures around them . The views of the rank - and - file party
membership or the citizenry at large have little apparent
impact on the autocratic , centralized decisionmaking process .
Representatives to national and local legislative bodies are
selected through periodic general elections . Candidates for
public office are chosen by a mass organization , the front for
Socialist Democracy and Unity , which is controlled by the
Communist Party : the public has no voice in the nominating
process . Voting is mandatory and enforced by fines .
The Communist Party is Eastern Europe's largest in per capita
terms , comprising more than 13.5 percent of the total
population . At least for much of the rank and file , there is
little ideological commitment to the principles of
Marxism- Leninism . Party membership is typically accepted out
of fear of economic and other sanctions in case of refusal or ,
conversely , the conviction that joining the party will broaden
professional or educational opportunities , insure tenure , or
lead to salary increases and other benefits such as better
housing . The comparatively small group of professional party
activists undergoes an intensive , progressive indoctrination
process as its members rise through the ranks . However , even
in this elite group , evidence of corrupt practices suggests
that many of those who direct the party are motivated less by
ideology than by the desire for power , prestige , and
perquisites . While women and minorities are represented
proportionally in the Romanian Communist Party , their
influence --especially of the minority representatives -- seems
to have diminished .

Section 4 Governmental Attitude Regarding International and

Non -governmental Investigation of Alleged Violations
of Human Rights
Although Romania professes support for the human rights
provisions of the Helsinki Accords , the United Nations
Charter , and other documents dealing with human rights , it
continues to insist that the lot of its own citizens is an
internal matter not subject to international discussion or
examination , and to charge critics with seeking to tarnish
Romania's image for self - serving ends .
In February 1984 , however , the United States and Romania held
the latest in a series of government - to- government Human
Rights Roundtable discussions, a forum for exchange of views
on religious freedom , civil and political rights , educational
and cultural possibilities for minority groups , the role of
trade unions , and economic and social rights, among other
subjects . Romania has been the only Eastern European country
to hold such talks with the United States .
A recent report by the Council of Europe on the situation of
Romania's large ethnic Hungarian minority was highly critical .
Also early in 1984 , in response to criticism from the U.S.
Commission on Security and cooperation in Europe , the Romanian
Government issued invitations to the Commission to visit
Romania and ' see for themselves . " The Commission was unable
to accept prior to the annual U.S. Government review of
Romania's most - favored - nation trading status . Following the
conclusion of this review , which resulted in renewed
 128

ROMANIA
most -favored-nation status for Romania , the Commission has
sought several times without success to take up the Romanian
invitation , according to its report .
Amnesty International's 1984 report ( covering 1983) expressed
concern about the imprisonment of prisoners of conscience ,
allegations of mistreatment following arrest on political
charges , and instances in which defendants on political
charges were not accorded fair trials . Amnesty also noted
harsh prison conditions and the increasing use of the death
penalty . Freedom House rates Romania ' not free . '

BCONOMIC , SOCIAL , AND CULTURAL SITUATION

The World Bank designates Romania as a developing country .

Based on a population of 22.7 million and the current official
rate of exchange , per capita gross national product was $ 2,558
in 1982 , according to the World Bank . Prom a largely agrarian
economy -- at one time a major supplier of grain to Central
Europe --Romania reached its present semi - industrialized state
by maintaining extremely high rates of industrial investment
financed by earnings of agriculture and the petroleum industry
and also by foreign borrowing and restricting consumption . In
1984 , the national economy continued to confront rising costs ,
energy shortages , and stringent efforts by the Government to
reduce the country's foreign debt as quickly as possible .
Both agriculture and industry have suffered noticeably during
1984 from lack of needed imports .
According to Romanian law , all land belongs to the state . In
1980 , 60.6 percent of agricultural land were used by
cooperatives, 30 percent by state-owned farm enterprises , and
9.4 percent by private citizens . Other property , including
personal property and housing , may be privately owned , although
there are a number of restrictions on the right to property .
In early 1984 , the Government placed controls over production
on private plots as well . Businesses are state- owned , except
for small service or handicraft shops .

The Constitution guarantees employment to all citizens and

equal pay for equal work . Onemployment is a crime ( ' social
parasitism " ) . Official statistics show full employment , though
in reality chronic underemployment exists , especially in
agriculture and depressed industrial sectors , and
" featherbedding ' is common . A new wage scheme adopted in 1984
sets pay as a function of plan fulfillment , a practice which
has led in several instances to thinner pay envelopes as
factories , short of needed inputs , failed to meet their
targets .

Romania provides free medical care for all its citizens .

According to 1984 statistics , average Romanian life expectancy
is 71.6 years . In 1984 , infant mortality was 27 per 1,000
live births . Romanian statistics claimed 9.3 hospital beds
per 1,000 inhabitants , and one physician per 507 inhabitants
in 1984 . Ten years of education is compulsory and provided
without charge by the state . Beginning with the third year of
secondary school , examinations are required for placement in
the limited openings at both the secondary and university
levels . Evening courses and work-study programs are available
to students at technical institutes .
An official Romanian government estimate in July 1982 reported
an average per capita intake of 3,300 calories . The
 129

ROMANIA

Government's report called for a reduction to 2,800-3,000

calories per day by 1985. This program has not been officially
enacted , despite the adoption in summer 1984 by the national
legislature of the proposed ' scientific diet . ' Foreign sales
of foodstuffs to earn hard currency and the new scientific
diet have led some to predict the likelihood of dietary
deficiencies for the elderly , the housebound , and workers in
rural factories dependent on badly-supplied local foodstores .
Rationing of basic foodstuffs continues , varying in
application from county to county , with bread rationing
reportedly having been introduced in some counties earlier in
1984. As of the third quarter of 1984 , the consumer's
situation in Romania was relatively better than in 1983 .
Over the past two decades , the Government has made a
determined effort and invested large sums to provide adequate
housing for its urban population . As a result , new apartment
block developments abound throughout the country , and the
practice of several families sharing apartments, kitchens , and
toilets -- common only a few years ago-- is disappearing .

In Romania , women are constitutionally guaranteed the same

rights and privileges as men . The Government has been seeking
to upgrade the role of women in the society with specific
policies in the areas of education , access to employment , and
comparable wages . As a result , women are employed in
virtually all sectors of the economy , and there is equal
opportunity in education , but at the senior levels of
responsibility and authority they appear in far smaller .
numbers . Many women are still found in the most menial jobs ,
such as agricultural stoop labor , street cleaning , and snow
removal . Because of the anti -abortion campaign , many women
must undergo periodic pregnancy tests to insure that an
abortion has not occurred

According to official Romanian figures , the country's

population includes about 2.7 million members of ethnic
minorities , of whom 1.7 million are ethnic Hungarians or
Magyars . Hungarian emigre sources , however , generally
estimate the Magyar population at 2-2.5 million . Hungarians ,
Germans , Gypsies , and members of many smaller groups
constitute about 12 percent of the total population . The
Constitution forbids any discrimination on the basis of ethnic
background . Although the Government claims it does not
discriminate against the minorities , there nonetheless are
limitations on minority groups ' free expression of their
cultural heritage . Government efforts to centralize and to
economize by combining educational , social , and cultural
activities frequently affect minority groups
disproportionately and are often interpreted as the
" Romanianization ' of these groups . For example , the mergers
of schools , theaters , or other such institutions often result
in the loss of the minority ethnic groups ' characteristics as
the institutions become predominantly Romanian . This movement
is viewed , particularly by ethnic Hungarians , as part of a
policy of cultural extinction . Moreover , strict government
control of private organizations which might be dedicated to
the preservation of ethnic cultural practices , as well as
government limitations on minority language newspapers and
radio and television broadcasts , are also seen by members of
the minorities as discriminatory .
 130

U.S.OVERSEAS - LOANS AND GRANTS- OBLIGATIONS AND LOAN AUTHORIZATIONS

( U.S.FISCAL YEARS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS )
O

COUNTRY : ROMANIA
1982 1983 1984

1. ECON . ASSIST . -TOTAL ..

LOANS .
GRANTS .
A.AID

оооооооооо
LOANS .
GRANTS .
( SEC . SUPP . ASSIST . ) .
B. FOOD FOR PEACE ....
LOANS .....
GRANTS .
TITLE I - TOTAL .. .0 0.0 0.0
REPAY . IN S - LOANS .
PAY . IN FOR . CURR .
TITLE II - TOTAL .
E.RELIEF . EC.DEV & WFP .

‫ܘܘܘܘܘܘܘܘܘ‬

‫ܘܘܘܘܘ‬
VOL .RELIEF AGENCY ...
C.OTHER ECON . ASSIST . OO

00000000
LOANS .
GRANTS ..
PEACE CORPS .
NARCOTICS .
OTHER ... 0.0
.

II .MIL . ASSIST . - TOTAL ...

LOANS .
‫ܘܘܘܘܘܘܘܘ‬
‫ܘܘܘܘܘܘܘܘ‬

GRANTS .
A.MAP GRANTS ..
B.CREDIT FINANCING ...
c. Tu L.BD.TRANG..
D. TRAN - EXCESS STOCK ...
E.OTHER GRANTS .....

III . TOTAL ECON . & MIL ... 0.0 0.0 0.0

LOANS . 0.0 0.0 0.0
GRANTS . 0.0 0.0 0.0

OTHER US LOANS .. 0.0 28.4 0.0

EX - IM BANK LOANS . .O 0.0 0.0
ALL OTHER . .O 28.4 0.0

ASSISTANCE FROM INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES

1982 1983 1984 1946-84

TOTAL . 322.9 2.0 0.0 1809.9

IBRO 321.5 0.0 0.0 1788.0
IFC
IDA
IDB 0.0
ADB 0.0 0.0
AFDB 0.0 0.0 0.0
UNDP 2.0 21.9
OTHER - UN 0.0 0.0
EEC
 131

APPENDIX 3

ANNUAL ROMANIAN EMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES, ISRAEL, AND

THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, 1971-1984, PREPARED BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Annual Romanian Emigration to the

United States , Israel and the Federal Republic of Germany
1971-1984

All figures represent immigrant visas or similar

documentation issued by the respective Embassies in Bucharest
in the calendar year indicated . The figures have been supplied
by the Embassies of the three countries from their consular
records . These figures vary somewhat from the number of
emigration cases approved by the Romanian Government , actual
departures from Romania , and actual arrivals in the countries
of destination .

YEAR USA ISRAEL FRG

1971 362 1,900 ( approx . )

1972 348 3,000 ( approx . )
1973 469 4,000 ( approx . )
1974 407 3,700 ( approx . )

MOST - FAVORED - NATION TRADING STATUS GRANTED 1975

1975 890 2,000 ( approx . ) 4,085

1976 1,021 1,989 2,720
1977 1,240 1,334 9,237
1978 1,666 1,140 9,827
1979 1,552 976 7,957
1980 2,886 1,061 12,946
1981 2,352 1,012 8,619
1982 2,381 1,474 11,546
1983 3,499 1,331 13 , 957
1984 4,545 1,908 14,831

( 1971-84 )
TOTAL 23 , 618 26,825 ( approx . ) 95 , 815 ( 1975-84 )
( Jan -March 954 260 2,201
1985 )

( Jan -March 1,234 566 3,909

1984 )
 132

Total Romanian Emigration to the U.S. , FRG , and Israel

U.S. , FRG , and
Israeli Visas Issued

1975 . .
6,975

1976 . . .
5 , 730
1977 . .
11,811

1978 .
12,633

1979 10,485

1980 . .
16,393

1981 11,983

1982 .
15 , 401

1983 .
18 , 787
1984 21 , 284
 133

Romanian Emigration to the United States

( Visa Issuance Figures from American Embassy , Bucharest )
1984

Number of Emigrants

January 296

February 461

March 497

April 501

May 194 *

June 485

July 159 *

August 178 *

September 434

October 705

November 547

December 88 *

)
TOTAL FOR JANUARY - DECEMBER 1984 : 4,545 )
TOTAL FOR JANUARY - DECEMBER 1983 : 3,499

( * ) Denotes low figures caused by lack of U.S. refugee numbers

for Third Country Processing ( TCP ) program .
 134

Romanian Emigration to the United States

1985

Number of Emigrants
January 313

February 528

March 138 *

TOTAL FOR JANUARY -

MARCH 1985 : 954 )
TOTAL FOR JANUARY MARCH 1984 : 1,234 )

( * ) Denotes low figures caused by lack of refugee numbers for

Third Country Processing ( TCP ) program .
 135

Ethnic German Emigration from Romania to the FRG

(Figures Supplied by the FRG Embassy , Bucharest )
1984

Number of Emigrants
January 1,348

February 1,265

March 1,296

April 1,493

May 1,224
June 1,088

July 1,184

August 1,209

September 1,094

October 1,250

November 880

December 1,500

TOTAL FOR JANUARY DECEMBER 1984 : 14,831 )

TOTAL FOR JANUARY DECEMBER 1983 : 13,947 )
)
 136

Ethnic German Emigration from Romania to the FRG

(Figures Supplied by the FRG Embassy, Bucharest )
1985
Number of Emigrants
January 758

February 579

March 864

)
TOTAL FOR JANUARY MARCH 1985 : 2,201 )
TOTAL FOR JANUARY MARCH 1984 : 3,909 )
 137

Romanian Jewish Emigration to Israel

( Visa Issuance Figures from Israeli Embassy , Bucharest )
1984

January 198

February 182

March 186

April 145

May 125

June 164

July 207

August 119

September 179

October 138

November 127

December 138

)
TOTAL FOR JANUARY - DECEMBER 1984 : 1,908 )
TOTAL FOR JANUARY - DECEMBER 1983 : 1,331 )

Romanian Jewish Emigration to Israel

( Visa Issuance Figures from Israeli Embassy , Bucharest )
1985

January 70

February 96

March 94

).
TOTAL FOR JANUARY MARCH 1985 : 260 )
TOTAL FOR JANUARY -
MARCH 1984 : 566 )
 138

APPENDIX 4

STATEMENT BY HON. ROBERT H. MICHEL, REPUBLICAN LEADER, U.S.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, FROM THE STATE OF ILLINOIS
May 15 , 1985

The Honorable Gus Yatron

Chairman
Subcommittee on Human Rights
and International Organizations
2267 Rayburn HOB
Washington , D.C. 20015
Dear Gus :

I thank you for this opportunity to offer my views on the

subject of human rights in Romania .

My interest in this subject is direct and personal . Last

month I received a letter from a dear friend , Andrew L. Hunyady .
He told me of difficulties faced in Romania by members of the
Nazarene or , as it is called in the United States , Apostolic
Christian Church , of which I am a member .
I cannot say that I am intimately acquainted with the
specific hardships and problems of members of this church in
Romania . But those better informed have told me humanitarian aid
sent from the United States to members of that community is at
the heart of the matter . The various difficulties involved in
getting such aid to the Nazarene brethren in Romania have caused
great distress there and we want to do all we can to help them .
It is my further understanding that problems have arisen
because the church is not officially recognized by the government
of Romania and therefore suffers various forms of harassment and
persecution .

I am informed the only meeting house in Romania of the

Nazarene church , in the city of Timisoara , was ordered closed by
the authorities in mid - 1983 and meetings were banned .
Let me conclude by saying that the members of this But
church
make up a very tiny percentage of Romanian citizens . the
very fact of their minority status should make us take into
account their plight . Recently we were reminded , at the
anniversary of the end of World War Two , of the necessity to
protect the rights of minorities , especially religious
minorities . We should keep this duty in mind today .

I thank you for the opportunity to convey to you my concern

for the members of the Apostolic Church in Romania and I would
appreciate it if you would include this letter as testimony at
the hearings .
Sincerely ,

Rab.
Robert H. Michel
Republican Leader
 139

APPENDIX 5

STATEMENT BY Ion VARDALA, VICE PRESIDENT, TRUTH ABOUT

ROMANIA COMMITTEE

Nerv York , ley 9th , 1985

iss HESSE
Int national League for
the Rights of l'an
432 Park Avenue South , Poom 1103
Per York , ew York , 10016

Dear lise Hes : e :

I send you herecith the report of our organiza tion

concerning the observance oi basic l'uran Rights by the present
Romanian Communist regini , for the period 1984-1985 . Flerse be
so kind to forward the resort to the richt channels .
With our best thanks , I remain ,

Yours sincerely ,

Encl . in Calara
Ion Virdila

Vici- " riciiint

 140

TRUTH ABOUT ROMANIA COMMITTEE

325 EAST 57TH STREET
NEW YORK , NY. 10022

OBSERVANCE OF HUHAN RIGHTS IN POLIARIA 1984-1985 .

For the above-mentionec pfiod, 1984-85 , the observence of basic human rights
by Romania has been highly inadequate .
It is well know that although human rights and fundamental freedom are
cua ranteed by the Romanian constitution and lure , they are in fact severely limi
ted by the regime, which tolera tes no opposition . In general , freedom of speech
is restricted , all forms of mass media čre state ovmed and strictly controlled .
Citizens must obtain official permission to organize or as emble , and permission
is in fact ranted only when the activity is deternined to be in the interest of
the covernmen " . The richt of its citizens to emirate is not reco nized and meny
of thee who ash: to leave the country fece oficial herosi crent, lors of employ
ment , confisca tory forced cale of property , eviction from their homes and many
other abuses .

As for the last winter , 1984-85 , the Romanian situation can be sumned up
in three words : queues , cold and dorknees . Indeed, on January 13th , 1985 , the
Central Committee of the Ron ien Commuri: t Party , Cathered at Fircieel, utopter
decreà a whole range of horen E lcruentations ciearly uncaliring the disastrove
ECC ! 0ic situation of the untry . ( in to permanent Ived end porer crisis,
tie De ci'e Koer sus es , trane ind troley - buses : i'l circulate or c very

reduced schedule ( The results deneeres uly overlo ded ) . Tor threr monthe ,
private cars ill not have the rict to circulate . Only one subdueci licht a time
vill be allowed to be on ir any one room and the use of ice -hozer', replinc na : hines ,
electric fires and other electric appliances vill be strictly forbidden . Flats ,
offices , public places will be barely heated and onl; on ce tain hours . As for
the suppl; oſ provisions , strict rationing was decreed for the basic food, bread ,
milk , oil , flour and of course meat , practically in vir tent . During the whole
winter , at four ir. the morning, house ifes joined the long queues for bread and
milk . And they had to be at vork at seven or eight o'clock . Usually they arrange
with friends to alternate days on vhich to collect each other8s rations .
As concernina the cultural field , the spiritual and historic heritage of
Romania is in danger . The regime has started a delibera te policy of systeme tic
des truction , on a large scale , of all trace of the spiritu: 1 and historic past
of the country . Definning ir. 1977 , an unprecedented demolition cannaign has been
 141

carried out . Since 1984 , more than one quarter of historic Bucharest has been
demolished : houses (several classified ) , churches , social and cultural institutions ,
etc. This operation is continuing . It has affected, until the present time , more
than 40,000 persons , forcefully displaced at a moment's notice . Churches , monasteries
from the XVI , XVII and XVIII con'uries , moru ? nt: iron the site rioc lovs bern
demolished or are currently being cer troyed. And noboc , pots toi , co the Comi:: ion

or Rom nian l'ir to ic ron ints has been bolish ei ir 1977. Rorsnia doce not respect
the ICO:'OS ( International Council on the Conservation and the Restauration of ronu
a
mints and Sites ) Charter , of which she is ai, na tery .
The Com'uni: t resine discourages the practice of relirion , tlocr who practice
: res to church oit n face represione reçine closely cort ole . the 70 niin
Orthocoy Church is rell • ? l other sono ir : tiina . ter Gheorglie Calcin - muoi tre:
80 , 07: t, odos prier t and human rights advocate , opent in all 27 yrirr i Comuni: t
j : ils ne vies freel last Au! ust , is not under strict securitatea surveillance , on
the verge of stervation ind preventic fr.or exercising his ministry . Or Felinary 17th
1985 , in front of the Anlio : n Church in Tucharest, he les attacked by Comunist
hooligans and berten . Dorel Ci tarama , 34 y . , a Seventh - Day frventist, sentenced
in 1982 to 10 y . imprisonment , sav hic fentence increased , on apperl to 1 ! yers .
Ile was inprironed because of hiɛ relixious activities and of his relatives refusal
to return to Romania .

There is a complete interdiction to introduce Bibler into Romania . Por can

anyone posses : a bible at home . Distribution of bibles is prohibited . Priests ,
protestants pas tors , Baptist pas tors are haras : ed . Relicious belief is discouraged
and closely monitored .
The regime maintains tight control over the nations labor force , the trade
unions beine merely an extension of the Party and the State . Since 1979 , when the
attempt to organize a free trade uni 'n was brutally suppressed , and despite reports
of labor unrest, the security para tus hes succeeded in stifling furter attempts
in this direction .

With regard to information , mass media , atrict censorship ic enforced .

Sale and distribution of foreign printed publications are restricted . In the
Romanian newpapers , foreign and even local news items which appear are carefully
selected and censored . even the sale of techival publications is restricted .
Romanian citizens are not allowed , by law , to contact foreixners , tourists .
Parcels sent from abroad to Romanian citizens are heavily taxed . Custom
fees are hich , prohibitive. Lately , parcels containing food , powder milk , hem , sugar ,
were returned to the sender , under the pretext that they contained food that is
prohibi ted in Romania !
 142

Opportunities to travel abroad by Romanians remain limited . Passport issuance

procedures are arbitrary , unpredicatble , most of the time refused without epplana
tion . Only those approved by the Party are assured of receiving tourist passports .
Others may receive passports only after months and years of waiting . One member
at least of the family must stay home in order to insure that the traveler vill
return . If the traveler choses fr edom , years could pass before the remainine
members of the family are permitted to leave the country .
Concerning family reunification , the situation is the same . Many unresolved

Cases remain . Romania respects more or less the condi tions attached to the granting
of the most favored nation clause by the United States - a most vital advantage .
Still , for would - be emigrants , the application process remains an ordeal which
entails hardships and lengthy delays . Applicants face public denunciations , reduction
of job status and wages , dismissal loss of public services , sometimes arrest .
Other Human rights infringements :
Gheorghe Petrescu , of Str.Caimatei16 , Bucharest, running a small "photo
atelier " , because he displayed banned photos in the shop window Richard Hixon ,
Gerald Ford was interned in the Psychiatric Hospi tɛl 10.7 . Once released, he
applied for a passport to emigrate . his application being turned down .
Iuliana Gage , nee Avram , USA resident , invited her parents to pay her a visit ,
Nicolae and Laria Avram , of Str . Spitalului , 0151 , Saliste . They applied at the
Pac port Office , Sibiu , were refused a year later . I'rs . Gage applied then to the
Romanian Embassy in Washinton , was refused .
Gavril Tarlescu , Ctr.Scanteii ,41, Caransebes , los t his teaching job in 1982 ,
after serving 6 months detention for frontirt crossing . In Nov. 1983 he applied
for a passport to emigrate , was refused and thrown out of his present menial job
and left without any earnings whatsoever .
Radu Filipescu , 28 , electronice engineer , 10 year sentence imrrisonement
imposed in 1983 for distributing leaflets dennanding the replacement of beauseſcu .
Dre ros Oloieru , 62 y . , former teacher , se vinę a 8 yerr sentence i :ipos ec in
1982 ior " propa canda aceinst the cocialist & ta te " writing a letter subsequently
broadcast by a foreien radio station .
Dr. licolre Cheorghita , fined 500 lei . on January 17 th and sent home from
Oradea to Deva , because he was staying overnicht in Orader while his official
residence is still supposed to be in Deva . Iver since he accented the Oradea
pas torate in 1982 , Dr. Gheorghita has been seeking permission to change his place of
rer idence , so far without success . Fis vife ves dismisses from her job in a museum .
Ir . Co : tel Calalaie is still in pri : on , the Domician regime not respecting
his comuni tinent to permit the reunifica tion o families .
 143

Di nu Tudoran , a vriter , precently on hunger strike .

Dr. Aurelia Ristor , uho refused to "brainverh" people in the Psychiatric Fos
pital where she practiced, heε purely and simpl. disappeared in the last months .
Profóz . Stoia , from Timisoara , has also diseprcared since 9 months . In
a leaflet itled " the Truth " , he criticized the Ceauses cu femily and the practice
of the Security apara tus .
Ilie Savu and Ioan Campeanu are in the same situa tion . Also Con: tantin Luce .
Portial "elmien , Adventist , Felicia Rusu , Pentecostal , Ionel Vinchici , orthodox
priest and Aurel l'usca , a Baptist , for religious persecution .

om Tanza .
llev: York , lley 8th , 1985 .
Jon
Ion Vardala

Vice-preria nt , "ruth about Romania Committee

Ker York .
 APPENDIX 6
ARTICLE BY PETER K. KERESZTES ENTITLED " THE BIBLE AS ROMA
NIAN TOILET PAPER,” PUBLISHED IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL,
JUNE 14, 1985
[From the Wall Street Journal, June 14, 1985 )

THE BIBLE AS ROMANIAN TOILET PAPER

( By Peter K. Keresztes)
" In all of the diabolical manifestations of Adolf Hitler's hatred for God and all
religions - keeping in mind that he burned Torahs — I don't think even he conceived
of anything so ugly .” .
So fumed California Rep. Bob Dornan at a GOP-organized press conference last
week on rights abuses inRomania .He wasdescribingsamplesoftoiletpaper with
Biblical words such as " Esau,” “ Israel,” “ Jeremias," " Satan ” and “ Isten ” (Hungari
an for God ) imbedded in the tissue . The sample panels are “ incontrovertible evi
dence ,” Rep. Dornan said, that 20,000 Bibles donated in the 1970s by the World Re
formed Alliance to the Transylvanian Magyar Reformed Church with the permis
sion of Bucharest were diverted to a mill in Braila, as labels on the rolls indicate,
for recycling into toilet paper. The high -quality Western paper and ink, however,
resisted thesmashing, and the Biblical words are clearly legible in the creases.
In lobbying for renewal of their Most Favored Nation trading status with the
U.S., the Romanians in the past often cited the agreement to distribute the Bibles
as an example of their magnanimity.
This barbaricprofanity is but one example cited of charges over the past 20 years
from Romania (Bucharest has flatly denied them ) over minority- and religious-rights
violations. Laszlo Hamos, chairman of the New York -based Committee for Human
Rights in Rumania, which has monitored the situation there over the past nine
years, says that "over the past two years physicial brutalities, imprisonments, house
searches and beatings against minority -rights advocates have markedly increased .”
Although the 2.5 million (officially 1.8 million) Hungarians – Europe's largest na
tional minority - in that country of 23 million have been hit the hardest, Mr. Hamos
says, ethnic Germans and Jews have also complained of abuses. Here are some ex
amples:
The death last year of theRev. Geza Palfi, who during his 1983 Christmas homily
bemoaned an edict by President Nicolae Ceausescu making Christmas a “ day of
labor."
The Roman Catholic priest was arrested the following day by Securitate agents,
according to the underground Hungarian Press of Transylvania, and died three
months later from internal injuries, at the age of 43. This sort of brutality parallels
the Popieluszko case in Poland, but no one expects a trial in Romania.
Six other known deaths in recent years of Roman Catholic, Pentacostal and Bap
tistThe
clergymen thatoccurredduring orfollowinginterrogation.
" correction ” by authorities of a construction error of one meter on a
church - by leveling it with a bulldozer.
So where are the indignant headlines and commentaries inthe mainstream press ?
Nowhere. To the contrary, Flora Lewis, filing to the New York Times op-ed page
last week from Bucharest, warned agains the verbal fist” that she saw in the call
for a tougher U.S. stand by Ambassador David Funderburk as he resigned last
month after 342 frustrating years in Bucharest. " Life is very difficult ” in Romania,
Ms. Lewis counseled , and " Policy requires nuance.
Why doesn't the State Department act more resolutely? It quietly protested the
death of Father Palfi, but, Mr. Hamos says, the U.S. delegation to the current
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Ottawa human rights conference in its statement, “ Discrimination Against National

Minorities, ” overlooked the plight of Europe's largest national minority. The Roma
nians, he adds, have been known to agree to bilateral talks at such conferences in
exchange for suppression of criticism .
Mr. Funderburk's advocacy while ambassador of a harder U.S. line against Bucha
rest was easy for the State Department to ignore because of President Ceausescu's
image as a “maverick ” who dares to stand up to the Soviets and who therefore
could be beneficial to U.S. interests.
But in fact, the price for Mr. Ceausescu's “ independent line” is exacted from the
hides of minorities and the devout in Romania , as part of a transparent deal with
the Soviets whereby they tolerate Mr. Ceausescu's unorthodoxy as long as he keeps
Romania from drifting in the direction of a Poland.
Last week's news conference, nevertheless, signaled a maturing U.S.attitude
toward Romania . Michigan Rep. Mark Siljander has proposed legislation (HR 2596)
to change the Jackson -Vanik amendment to the 1975Trade Act. The change would
link Most Favored Nation trading status to a country's progress in correcting
ethnic, religious and cultural persecution, in addition to the current requirement re
lating purely to emigration. The new law would be a powerful economic weapon in
itsownright that could be leveled on dictatorships, left and right.
The Republican effort (Democrats are also launching one) seems, at least as far as
Romania is concerned , tobuck the position of the Reagan administration, which last
week proposed extension of the country's MFN status another year. Curiously, Rep.
Sam Gibbons (D., Fla.) has yet to schedule the usual annual hearing to review Ro
mania's trade status.
While the ability to emigrate is a fundamental human right, the prerogative to
stay put and still live in dignity is equally one. The Siljander measure would pro
vide leverage should the U.S. decide to exert pressure against what has been aptly
described as Romania's cultural genocide of minorities — the dispersal or exile of
their intelligentsia; official curtailment of their educational, language and religious
opportunities, and a campaign of intimidation against their cultural and religious
leaders.
Romania has variously ignored, arbitrarily applied,and misused the emigration
stipulations of Jackson -Vanik to embarrass the U.S. For example, even Ms. Lewis
concedes that the recent dumpingof a thousand or more would -be emigres in West
Berlin constituted a "mini-Mariel.”
If the U.S. is to formulate an honest and humane foreign policy toward Romania,
it needs to peel away the myths enshrouding the Ceausescu phenomenon and recog
nize it for what it truly is.
 APPENDIX 7

ARTICLE BY NINA SHEA ENTITLED “ PRESS RUMANIA ON RIGHTS ,"

PUBLISHED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, JUNE 12, 1985
[From the New York Times, June 12, 1985)

PRESS RUMANIA ON RIGHTS 1

(By Nina Shea)

President Reagan has recommended renewal of Rumania's most favored-nation
status — that is, nondiscriminatory treatment on imports — for another year. Con
gressought to hinge approval ofhis request on human rightsimprovements.
In Rumania, human rights take a beating: no dissent is allowed; no independent
labor unions, citizens' groups, scientific and legal or other professional associations
can function . Not even underground presses survive. Ruling by decree , the regime
controls virtually all aspects of life, intruding deeply into personal family andreli
gious matters.
Yet Washington is soft on this Stalinism . It rarely questions Rumania's human
rights abuses; instead, it grants Rumania trade privileges and loudly praises its rela
tively independent foreign policy. This prompted a public protest byDavid Funder
burk, who recently resigned as Ambassador to Bucharest and accused senior Admin
istration officials of overrating Bucharest's independence from Moscow while down
piaying the harshness of its internal practices.
Rumania does not hesitate to use brutal tactics to suppress dissent. More fre
quently, it uses more subtle but no less efficient administrative sanctions. It pun
ishes without the pretext of a trial, and coerces and coopts citizens simply by admin
istrative order . Such measures include exile, forced labor, dismissal from jobs, evic
tion , and denial of wages as well as food and medicine.
Rumania suppresses religion. It bans religious education for the young, regulates
distribution of Bibles, requires licenses forplaces of worship and presses believers to
work on Christmas and other religious holidays. It is demolishing historic churches
and monasteries. Dissident Roman Catholic ,Protestant and Rumanian Orthodox
leaders have been imprisoned, even killed. While Rumania maintains diplomatic
ties with Israel and permits steady emigration of Jews, a recent decline in that emi
gration and the appearance of anti-Semitic publications have evoked concern .
Many thousands ofRumanians have been denied the right to emigrate, including
those seeking medical treatment abroad or family reunification. Merely requesting
exist permission triggers such reprisals as employment demotion or dismissal, evic
tion and denial of essential goods and services. Éthnic Hungarians, the largest mi
nority , are persecuted.
Conditions have been deteriorating, alarmingly. With the media under direct Gov
ernment control, a new decree requiring police registration of private typewriters
further restricts information . In 1984, West Germany uncovered a Rumanian bomb
ing plot against Radio Free Europe, the only independent source of broadcast news
about Rumania in Rumania.
Most- favored -nation status provides important leverage that should be used to
obtain significant concessions in human rights performance. The Jackson -Vanik
Amendment linkstrade status with rights guarantees, particularly the right to emi
grate. Since 1975, Rumania has gotten most-favored -nation treatment without
having to conform to Jackson-Vanik standards. Presidents annually waive the provi
sion and Congress acquiesces after holding perfunctory hearings — in 1984, the
House did not even bother with this gesture .
Negotiations on enhancing the rights of Rumanians who choose not to emigrate
ought to precede renewal ofmost-favored-nation status. The Administration should
1 Copyright 1985 by the New York Times Co. Reprinted by permission.
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request specific reforms in diverse areas and establish a definite timetable, and
should temporarily suspend favored status untilthe talks are satisfactorily complet
ed. Congressional trade committees would do well to review Rumania's rights record
in hearings, and press for reforms.
Few Americans advocate severing an important link with Eastern Europe. But
Bucharest is unlikely to let that happen. President Nicolae Ceausescu personally
sought trade benefits in 1975, and no doubt during his nation's current economic
crisis still prizes them. Faced with past threats to most -favored -nation status, he
agreed to demands to rescind an education tax on emigrants, to increase emigration
and to free political prisoners. It serves American interests to press for improve
ments that will strengthen Rumanian pluralism and institutions.
 APPENDIX 8

ARTICLE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES ENTITLED " RUMANIANS ACCUSED ,'
JUNE 10, 1985
[From the New York Times, June 10, 1985)

RUMANIANS ACCUSED 1
An unusual accusation of sacrilege has been directed against the Government of
Romania by critics who charge thata gift shipment of Bibles was pulped. “ This is a
sign of the total contempt for religion that the regime practices,” said Alexander
Havadtoy, who identified himself as pastor of the Calvin United Church of Christ in
Fairfield, Conn., adding that he was born in Rumania. He and other critics contend
that Bucharest has demonstrated that it does not deserve the good trade status ex
tended by the Administration .
Representative Mark D. Siljander, Republican of Michigan, and David Funder
burk, who just resigned as Ambassador to Rumania , joined in the criticism , charg
ing that human rights abuses abounded under the Communists. Mr. Havadtoy
charged that thousands of Bibles printed in Hungarian and donated to Rumania's
Hungarian Reformed Church were destroyed at a pulp factory in Braila, Rumania,
and turned into toilet tissue. “ They did such a bad job at this, as with everything
else, that words from the Bible are still visible,” he said, reporting these were frag
ments of Hungarian words for "God,” “ Esau," " Israel " and other Biblical refer
ences .

The Rumanian Embassy had no comment. Privately, one official rejected it,
saying that " some letters were visible” on the paper proved nothing because various
sorts of paper, including newspapers printed for Rumania's Hungarian minority,
were pulped and reused. " Israel is a common word in the newspapers, too, you
know ," said this official, who would comment only unofficially and anonymously.

· Copyright 1985 by the New York Times Co. Reprinted by permission .

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APPENDIX 9

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON . CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH , A

REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY
Mr. Chairman , I would like to commend you for holding this hearing to review
the status of human rights in Romania .
Mr. Chairman , Romania is, undoubtedly, unique. While it is part of the Soviet
bloc, a Warsaw Pact country , it has demonstratedits willingness and ability to di
gress from many hard-line international policies ofthe Soviet Union . For example,
Romania's votes on important issues in the United Nations General Assembly di
verged from Soviet positions more than thoseof any other Eastern European coun
try .Romania has also been the only Warsaw Pact member state to maintain normal
diplomatic relations with Israel and allows more Jewish emigration than the USSR
despite the great contrast in the numbers of those seeking to leave the country . In
addition , Romania has condemned the USSR forits invasion of Afghanistan , has
served as an intermediary between the US and China, and was the only Warsaw
Pact country to participate in the 1984 Olympics.
Mr. Chairman, while these manifestationsof independence from the Soviet model
of repression are encouraging, there remain serious human rights violations within
Romania which we mustaddress. The 1984 State Department Country Reports on
Human Rights document the continuation of severe government limitations and
fundamental freedoms, which , by the way, are explicitly guaranteed by the Roma
nian constitution and their concurrence with the Helsinki accords.
Mr. Chairman , it is sad but true that the Romanian government tolerates no criti
cism , dissent, or opposition to its policies from its own people.
I think all of my colleagues on the Committee will agree with me and join me in
commending all of the witnesses at the hearing today for their work on behalf of
oppressed people in Romania and elsewhere inthe world.Clearly we are truly in
debted to the great humanitarian service they provide for tens of thousands of
people who might otherwise be forgotten — and tens ofthousands of others who are
not today incarcerated or victims in some other way because of the chilling effect
interventions by our witnesses have had on oppressive behavior by these govern
ments .

o
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