Dear Mister Minister!

With this document, I wish to recall our very meaningful, and by my opinion, very productive meeting held November 8, 1993, in your Ministry in Belgrade.

The delegation of the DCHV consisting of András Ágoston and dr. Páll Sándor has brought to your attention the problems resulting from the disposition of the military towards the ethnic Hungarians in Voivodina. The bearing of the military on our indigenous ethnic population, as a whole, as well as towards the individual members of the Hungarian population of Voivodina manifests itself by means of widely applied pressure aimed at driving out our indigenous population from Voivodina, and expediting the ongoing ethnic cleansing against Hungarians of Voivodina. In our opinion, the increased pressure by the military is creating a very negative political climate against the ethnic Hungarians before the upcoming elections. Without attributing a particular order, or prioritizing our concerns, we wish to bring to our attention the detrimental treatment of young Hungarian conscripts and the grave psychological pressure applied against them as Hungarians, in their respective units. Another disturbing fact is the rejection of requests for delaying the military service of ethnic Hungarians of Voivodina, who have received scholarships to study in Hungary.

We are very much aware that these are difficult times. The military is undergoing a process of reorganization, but in the Serb military, there exists a widespread practice of insulting conscripts on the bases of their nationality. This is occurring not only among the rank of file, but it is also being practised by officers, inclusive majors. The degrading treatment of the young Hungarian soldiers is widespread and is obvious in the specific ways chores get distributed and assigned to them, and in the other areas of service as well (this includes the refusal of issuing munition, and at times even weapon to Hungarian conscripts). The treatment of ethnic Hungarian conscripts by the military exerts an unbearable strain on the soldiers, and their families. The mistreatment of young me is perceived throughout the Hungarian ethnic community in Voivodina as form of collective intimidation. The mere fact that the young soldiers who have been subjected to these mistreatment do not wish to talk about their experiences, points to the seriousness of the situation. An immense fear of serving in the military has developed amongst ethnic Hungarians, prompting them to leave Voivodina and become refugees abroad. The total lack of consideration and lack of tolerance by the military, in refusing to delay the military service of the Hungarian students who have received scholarships to study in Hungary, creates deserters out of young men, who have never contemplated leaving their country, or refusing military service. It is natural that their parents, and frequently their relatives will decide to follow them as refugees as well.

The Hungarians of Voivodina have to endure ongoing and ominous verbal insults, provocations, and intimidation. They are subjected to stress by public display of force by heavily armed groups. The free reign of armed groups in the towns and villages of western Bácska, and in Subotica, in reality can not be separated from the acts of military, or the activities of the Interior Department. Although up to this date there were no physical atrocities against the ethnic Hungarians in Western Bácska, or in Subotica, the public display of force and the impending reality of the atrocities, create constant fear and apprehension, not only in these immediate localities, but also throughout the Hungarian population of Voivodina as a whole. The Hungarians of Voivodina are unarmed, therefore the excessive exhibition of armed force, as a form of implanting fear against a whole population, is unacceptable by the democratic standards of any country based on law and order.

The forceful arrests and dragging away individuals into the national reserve, often without previous written notices, are becoming more frequent recently. These acts against ethnic Hungarians are carried out to set "examples" for the rest. The Court martial-type trials of those ethnic Hungarians who have refused to respond to the conscription notices, are also conducted as "example" for the rest. These measures generate an overwhelming fear amidst the Hungarians of the region. Many Hungarians, who feel that based on their age and qualifications will be accepted as refugees, are en-mass contemplating leaving Voivodina. The DCHV, as the legitimate political representative of ethnic Hungarians in Voivodina views these acts, as a form of political pressure. Many of the individuals who were arrested and dragged away by force, as an "example", and those who were taken to "court" and tried in the same manner, are leading members of the DCHV, elected officials of municipal governments in Hungarian populated areas, or candidates for the upcoming elections. Just recently, the military police have engaged in publicly chasing Mr. Zoltán Siflis, throughout the streets of Subotica. Mr. Siflis is a founding member of DCHV, and a member of the executive body of the DCHV.

Please allow me to clarify one point: The Hungarians of Voivodina are not apprehensive because the officials of the state are performing their duty entrusted to them by the laws of the country. The problem is that the state authorities do not adhere to the principle of applying the law equally, and do not pursue and punish all those who have refused to respond to conscription notices. The state instead opts to persecute by setting "examples", thus apprehending and punishing, some and absolving others. Of all the cases, at hand, the state has decided to persecute and punish mainly the ethnic Hungarians. We feel that this form of discrimination is carried out for distinct political purposes, namely to infuse collective fear in the Hungarian population of Voivodina.

It creates a particularly appalling impression when conscripts who have earlier refused to respond to the notices are arrested and brutally dragged away in full view of their neighbours, and in the presence of their family, without first being served with conscription notices.

Based on the reports on many former military servicemen, we are about to form a conclusion, which for obvious reasons, we are unable to prove, that the conscripts who are induced in the army by force are placed into refractory units, or penal colonies. Ethnic Hungarians, and other minorities make up 70% of these penal colonies.

I am convinced that these elements affect the relationships between ethnic Hungarians and Serbs in Voivodina. The ethnic Hungarians of Voivodina, as citizens, proportionately to their numbers, have demonstrated complete loyalty to the state in responding to conscription notices.

I do not ask you more than make sure that the most important authority and forces of the state, do not become instruments of political forces, whose main objective is driving out of ethnic Hungarians from Voivodina. We are counting on your efficient help, and the betterment of the present situation. With respect, András Ágoston, President of the DCHV