Speech #1050179502

My colleagues and I were deeply moved by the courage of the Romanian believers. Efforts to bring about improvements in human rights conditions in Romania were unsuccessful. so my colleagues and I offered amendments to the trade bill to provide for a 6month suspension of mostfavorednation trade benefits for the Ceausescu government. These amendments. which passed both the House and Senate by substantial margins. put the Romanian Government on notice that as a condition of continued trade benefits Congress expected to see genuine improvements regarding a wide range of human rights abuses. including religious restrictions. labor and emigration problems. and discrimination against ethnic minorities. Reflecting congressional concern. State Department officials stressed the U.S. position on human rights issues in their dealings with the Ceausescu government. However. at the initiative of the Romanians. MFN trade status was completely suspended. effective as of July 3. 1988. In effect. the Ceausescu government has indicated that it would rather not have MFN benefits if this means that it must comply with internationally accepted standards on emigration. overall human rights. religious liberties. and the treatment of ethnic minorities. The suspension of MFN has not ended congressional interest in the plight of the Romanian people under the Ceausescu regime. Indeed. as a result of the controversy over MFN trade status. human rights considerations are now acknowledged as a key element in United StatesRomanian relations. This fact is certainly highlighted by House Resolution 505. which I am pleased to cosponsor with the gentleman from California and with other Members who have shared a deep concern for the wellbeing of the Romanian people. It should be noted that this resolution urges the President not to consider providing any special benefit for Romania "until the implementation of a thorough reform in the human rights practices of the Government of Romania. including substantial actual improvement in the observance of the right of emigration. the rights of national minorities. and freedom of religion." The resolution also strongly protests "the planned program of wholesale destruction of traditional settlements in violation of the human rights. minority cultural rights. and property rights of the inhabitants." This particular provision is most timely in view of the current implementation of the campaign of the Ceausescu government to bulldoze about 7.000 traditional villages to make way for governmentowned agriculturalindustrial complexes. About 7.000 of the countrys 13.000 villages are scheduled to be leveled by 1995. and their inhabitants will be relocated in about 600 agroindustrial centers. First they bulldozed churches and synagogues.