I am writing to you, your Excellency, in the name of the legitimate political organization of the Hungarians in Voivodina, asking you to do all within your power, in order that the representatives of the indigenous Hungarian population of Voivodina may be represented as participants on the upcoming international conference about the former Yugoslavia to be held in the near future in London.

In support of my appeal, I offer the following explanation.

1. The situation of the 375.000 indigenous Hungarian population of Voivodina is completely unresolved and open. During the past socialist era we have suffered a severe tide of assimilation during the so called Milosevic era, our rights have been systematically downgraded by unfavourable regulations and through the events of every day politics.

Mr. Milosevic's rule had, but one advantage for us, he had tolerated the processes leading to the forming of the political organization of the Hungarians of Voivodina. At the present time the DCHV is a full fledged political organisation with representatives in all levels of government. Taking into account the number of the Hungarians in certain areas, the DCHV claims an 80% to 95% support on all levels of representation.

Based on the Charta of Paris, the DCHV, and the Hungarians in Voivodina, oppose the civil war from its very beginning.

We have made our views in this matter known in the Serbian political arena, and because of this, we are being exposed to aware repressions by the Serb political leadership up to this very day. The Hungarians of Voivodina have to endure forcible conscriptions into the army, with disproportionate number of ethnic Hungarians being called up to fight in a war that they deem senseless. The Serbian government and the whole political leadership has embarked on a psychological warfare against us, and consequently, some 25,000 ethnic Hungarians were forced to flee the country in order to avoid the forcible conscriptions into the army. This constitutes the beginning of the changing of the ethnic structure of the territory of Voivodina.

Despite of these tribulations, the Hungarians do not go on arming themselves, they do not offer armed resistance. They are determined to achieve their democratic rights by legitimate and open political means. We are striving t initiate a dialogue with the Serb leadership, but although some political contacts exist between as, an actual dialogue has not yet been materialized.

The Hungarians of Voivodina, as an European ethnic group is the indigenous population of Voivodina, therefore it can not be deemed as the property of the state of Serbia. In the absence of a dialogue with the Serb leadership, a viable settlement of the situation of the Hungarians of Voivodina can be achieved solely through an international conference.

2. For us, the peace plan presented by Lord Carrington is acceptable, and the same document is in itself a formidable achievement of international stature in its domain. It offers a model in regulating the relationships between a majority and a minority, by safeguarding the latter from the disadvantages of being in a minority position by introducing such concepts as the collective minority rights and the status of the ethnic minority, as a political entity. Instead of the idea of changing the borders, it offers a system of autonomies to the ethnic minorities within the existing framework of the international borders. This is the first time that these notions have been formulated in an international document.

The concept of self government of the DCHV, that has been also presented to the Serbian government, is based on the above peace proposal of Lord Carrington. In our opinion this document provides an acceptable starting point for a dialogue, since it does not insist on changing of the international borders, nor does it urge secession. On the contrary, our concept of self government on all three levels, is in full accord with the sovereignty rights, and we wish to achieve our aim in compliance with the constitutional and legal norms of the state.

The concept of self government of DCHV stems from the need of preservation of the identity of our ethnic group, and it aims at dislodging the intermediary role of mostly Hungarian functionaries, a remnant from the past socialist era. These functionaries, due to their positions, were accountable to the Serbian leadership, while they acted towards, and in the name of the ethnic Hungarians. Our concept of self government aims at developing a leadership elected by Hungarians, that can genuinely communicate the interests of Hungarians towards the Serb leadership. This is in fact, how the Hungarians of Voivodina would achieve their aim of becoming a distinct political subject, or entity. Naturally, this process has to rest on mutual respect and cooperation.

In the past weeks, in Serbia, a Government Committee has been formed to deal with the matters concerning the minorities, and in the Third Yugoslavia, a Ministry for the Minorities is established for implementing the policy toward the minorities. We appreciate these steps, not only as indications of keeping up with the notions of the international community, but also as the plain recognition of the fact that Serbia, as well as the Third Yugoslavia, is a multinational country. However, there are already indications that the Serbian government, in fact, has acted for the reason to avoid the dialogue with the minorities. It had to deal with the question of minorities, but truly never intended to provide an acceptable solution, instead it continues to administer the minorities. The government is determined to maintain the same indirect means of dealing with the minorities, as it has done in the past, and mainly through Hungarian appointed intermediaries, who will be accountable to the Serbian leadership, while acting towards and on behalf of Hungarians. If, this system of control prevails, the preservation of our national identity, as an European ethnic group, will become impossible. It will also exclude us from any independent decision making and participating in relevant legislative and other self-regulating political activities within a constitutional framework.

The importance of the question of minority being a political entity, as it is relates to the Hungarians of Voivodina, is reflected in a recent interview of President Cosic given to Sovjetskaja Pravda. In this interview, Mr Cosic, claims that self government, as it is perceived by us, is one of those negative tendencies, that will, according to Mr. Cosic, give way to the domineering tendencies of the great powers over Yugoslavia, and on the Balkans, and reduce the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to a weak and an insignificant country.

Based on the above, we don't think that a dialogue in the forceable future between the DCHV and the Serbian leadership will be possible. We are certain that our participation on the upcoming Peace Conference in London would be an appropriate setting for our ethnic group, to present its claim, to be recognized as a political entity, and to hear the arguments for, and against its validity, in an objective setting.

3. There is one more reason that would justifies our participation on the above Conference. The horrifying experience of the civil war that has erupted on the territory of former Yugoslavia has demonstrated the danger of any policy based on ethnocentric ambitions. For the very same reason, lasting peace in the region could be achieved only, if a common denominator is found and, only if all the claims are treated in an equitable manner. An international conference is the most suitable place for this task, but naturally, only if every legitimate interest receives a just and a fair hearing, including the interests of the indigenous population of a region.

Your Excellency !

The Hungarians of Voivodina, as an European ethnic group are not an active factor in this bloody civil war that is raging in former Yugoslavia, but its victims. Our future could be envisaged only within the context of the processes relating to the formation of a new order in Europe. For the very same reason we are convinced that our participation on this International Conference might provide us the international support needed for resolving our predicament.

The Hungarians of Voivodina are not asking for the changing of the international borders, instead they strives to achieve the rights that would recognize them as a political entity. Within the framework self governing system, that has been proposed by our Organization, we wish to continue to live in cooperation with the Serbs and other nationalities. We also wish to make a meaningful contribution towards the democratic changes.

I hope, that based on the above, Your Excellency will also deem the presence of the legitimate representatives of Hungarians of Voivodina beneficial on the upcoming International Conference in London. Most sincerely yours, Andras Agoston, President of DCHV