-Caveat Lector- from alt.conspiracy ----- As always, Caveat Lector. Om K ----- <A HREF="aol://5863:126/alt.conspiracy:522908">The Eastern Problem - part of the Balkan time-bomb </A> ----- Subject: The Eastern Problem - part of the Balkan time-bomb From: AK&G <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Fri, May 14, 1999 7:32 AM Message-id: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Path: tor-nn1.netcom.ca!tor-nx1.netcom.ca!scrappy.visi.com!chippy.visi.com!news-out. visi.com!hub1.ispnews.com!news-master.service.talkway.com!c01read02-admin.serv ice.talkway.com.POSTED!not-for-mail From: "w.c.tudor" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: ???????????? Newsgroups: soc.culture.romanian X-Client-NNTP-Posting-Host: 216.214.175.151/216.214.175.151 Followup-To: soc.culture.romanian X-TWRN-Tag: 926629611182 Message-ID: <Z9H_2.3181$[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Thu, 13 May 1999 21:07:05 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 216.200.3.203 X-Trace: c01read02-admin.service.talkway.com 926629625 216.200.3.203 (Thu, 13 May 1999 14:07:05 PDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 13 May 1999 14:07:05 PDT Organization: Talkway, Inc. Xref: tor-nx1.netcom.ca soc.culture.romanian:111923 " Every nation's homeland is sacred. If you destroy one, you mutilate the entire human race." These words were spoken on the pulpit of the Notre Dame Cathedral, some 80 years ago, by Father Gratry. He was talking about the Trianon Treaty, which dismembered the 1000 years old kingdom of Hungary. During the last 80 years, the Hungarians did not forget the loss of their homeland, and never will, just as the Jews did not forget the loss of theirs for some 2000 years. Just as Nazism was not born in Germany but in Versailles, so the tragedy of the Balkans can all be traced back to Trianon, where from the fragments of Hungary, the successor states of Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and greater Romania were created. These artificial formations forced Albanian Muslims to live with Serbs and compelled Czechs to live with Slovaks. It takes time for historic events to reveal their consequences. It took nearly 80 years for these creations of Trianon, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, to self-destruct and as a result, to de-stabilize Central Europe. That process is not nearing it's end, it is only beginning! Trianon cut mercilessly into the flesh of compact Hungarian populations. Hundreds of towns were separated from their suburbs; villages were split in two; communities were deprived of their parish churches or cemeteries; townships were cut off from their railroad stations and their water supplies. A 1000-year-old European country was made into an invalid. In the process, 35% of all Hungarians were turned into foreigners within the towns, which were built by their fathers. Hungarians became Europe's largest minority and in the "free for all" even Austria obtained some parts of the old kingdom. The new borders were not drawn on the basis of plebiscites. By ignoring the ethnographic borders, the dismemberment of the 48 million Austro-Hungarian empire resulted in the creation of 16 million ethnic minorities. These minorities were not emigrants who voluntarily left their old country, but people who never moved from their home towns and became foreigners, because the borders were redrawn around them. President Wilson asked for a Danubian Confederation to replace the Monarchy and wanted to draw the internal borders within it, on the basis of self-determination through plebiscites, but his views were disregarded. On March 31, 1919, he called the proposed dismemberment of Hungary absurd, but was overruled by the French. As a result, the United States Congress refused to approve the Treaty of Trianon, but the treaty was implemented (mostly by the French) anyway. When the Wends and Slovenes of the Muraköz protested their separation from Hungary, when the Ruthenians expressed their desire to remain part of the kingdom which they shared for a thousand years, when the Swabians of the Banat protested their annexation into Romania, their requests been all denied. There was only a single instance where self-determination prevailed: The city of Sopron was allowed to hold a plebiscite and voted to remain part of Hungary. In any society, the acid test of civilization is the respect for minority rights. The successor states, which were created, validated the words of Tacitus: "We hate whom we hurt." They attempted to solve their minority problems, through denationalization, ethnic cleansing, deportations, expulsions, transfers, dispersions and many other forms of uprooting. Hungarians had to choose between their nationality and their property. Because of intimidation and coercion, 350,000 Hungarians decided to leave all their possessions behind and flee to rump Hungary. (This number exceeds the number of Serb refugees who have been driven out of Kraina by the Croatian army.) The possessions of Hungarian communities were also targeted. In Romania alone, Hungarians lost 1,665 schools and universities, including the world famous János Bolyay University. After 1956, when the heroic children of Budapest mortally wounded Communism, the rulers of the successor states used the uprising as a pretext to speed up the forced assimilation of their Hungarian minorities and things got even worst for Europe's largest minority. It was after the Hungarian Revolution, when the remaining autonomous Hungarian regions of Transylvania in Romania and Vojvodina in Yugoslavia been abolished. Today, the over 3 million Hungarians have no autonomy at all, although it has been guaranteed by the Great Powers in 1920, again in 1945, and once more by the European Parliament, in 1993, in Article 11 of Decision 1201. After 1989, there was a short period of hope, when the Hungarian bishop, László Tokés, was temporarily heralded as an all-Romanian national hero, for leading the successful revolution against Ceaucescu, or when Miklós Duray, the Hungarian leader of Charter 77, was released from jail in Slovakia. Unfortunately, this did not last. By 1991, the formerly Communist leader, Milosevits of Yugoslavia, once again turned to anti-Albanian and anti- Hungarian propaganda to distract attention from economic problems and things got even worst as Serbia settled the Serb refugees from the Kraina into the Hungarian towns of Vojvodina. One wonders, if there is a limit to the patience, of this largest group of European minorities, the Hungarians and what will happen, when that limit is reached? Problems do not solve themselves accidentally. Those who want a better future must first have a plan, a concept of that future. For the stability and prosperity of Central Europe, that plan should start with autonomy for all the minorities of the region and could eventually aim for a large and therefore stable, voluntary federation. History teaches us, that the Balkans became unstable whenever a power vacuum evolved in the Danubian Basin. It also teaches us, that peace and prosperity resulted, when LOCAL power existed there. The wise learn from the mistakes of history, instead of repeating them. Only mindless bureaucrats worship the status quo. The rest of us know, that if something is broken, it should be fixed. What is needed in Central Europe is NOT the permanent stationing of NATO troops, but local power, based on some form of a strong Danubian Federation. But before that can even be be contemplated, it is essential to guarantee the cultural autonomy of all ethnic groups in the region. Ten years ago, Mr. Milosevits rescinded the autonomy of TWO provinces: Kosovo and Vojvodina. It is unfair to disregard the plight of the Hungarian and other minorities of Vojvodina, just because their struggle is non-violent. The international press should give equal coverage and the international community should give equal support to the collective human rights and autonomy of both the Albanians in Kosovo and the Hungarians in Vojvodina. It would be fitting, if on the 80th anniversary of the dismemberment of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and after the resulting terrible suffering of three generations of some 20 millions of innocent ethnic minorities, we would start the process of rebuilding. It would be even more fitting, if in this process of rebuilding, we would not be creating hostile and unviable mini-states, but would aim at a stable and powerful Federation of Central Europe. -- Posted via Talkway - http://www.talkway.com Exchange ideas on practically anything (tm). ----- Aloha, He'Ping, Om, Shalom, Salaam. Em Hotep, Peace Be, Omnia Bona Bonis, All My Relations. Adieu, Adios, Aloha. Amen. Roads End Kris DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
