Dear Secretary General,

I turn to you for assistance in the name of the 345,000 ethnic Hungarians living in the province of Voivodina in the Republic of Serbia. I respectfully request that the peace plan being prepared under the aegis of the United Nations also deal with the approximately 25,000 ethnic Hungarian refugees who have fled from Serbia to avoid the atrocities of war and forced mobilization. In most cases, these people fled with their family members, leaving behind their jobs, possessions and real estate. Due to the Serbian authorities explicit threats to bring these people before military courts, they do not dare to return home and instead seek asylum, primarily in western countries.

Since approximately 7-8 percent of ethnic Hungarians in Voivodina have fled their homeland, we justifiably speak about the forced alteration of the ethnic composition of our region, which is also prohibited by UN documents.

Therefore, we could consider it fair that the UN peace plan constrain the Republic of Serbia to call for the return of its citizens who have taken refuge abroad and assure them of impunity. At least 25,000 of these citizens would be ethnic Hungarian refugees.

It should be stated in defense of the refugees that their actions are not indicative of disloyalty to their country: They have not opposed defending the country's borders, only participation in the civil war. The Democratic Association of Hungarians in Voivodina, <has emphasized from the beginning of the conflict that this minority does not wish to take part in the historical dispute between Serbians and Croatians which has resulted in a civil war.

From the outset, all that Hungarians in Voivodina have desired is to live as free citizens in a free-market based, democratic, constitutional state.

Considering the fact that the Republic of Serbia is a multi-national state, the Hungarians of Voivodina also demand those minority rights which are rightfully due them according to the relevant documents of the Hague Conference.

We hope that Your Excellency will personally support our request.

Very truly yours, András Ágoston, President of the DCHV

Dear Secretary General,

The political organization of which I am president is the interest group of those Hungarians exclusively who live in the province of Voivodina in the Republic of Serbia. However, I consider it my moral duty to inform you at this time about the tragic situation of Hungarians in the Croatian regions of Baranja and Slavonia. Croatian authorities had drafted these ethnic Hungarians, who later fled with the rest of the population when the Baranja area was occupied by Serbian forces. The new Serbian authorities have, for all intents and purposes, prohibited their return. I respectfully request that when the UN peace plan is being finalized, this fact also be taken into consideration.