Letters to the editor

In Controversy over US editorial still raging (issue 13, March 28 - April 3) one can read an outrageous and provocative allegation stated by Hungarian-born US pianist and journalist Bálint Vázsonyi.


?Mistreatment? claim not true


In Controversy over US editorial still raging (issue 13, March 28 - April 3) one can read an outrageous and provocative allegation stated by Hungarian-born US pianist and journalist Bálint Vázsonyi:


"The mistreatment of Hungarians by Slovak and Romanian authorities is probably the sole daily atrocity consistently ignored by the great powers."


What kind of daily atrocities is he talking about? Are the Romanian and Slovak governments secretly torturing Hungarians on a daily basis? Are they forced to work for free in concentration camps? Is there ethnic cleansing involved?


"Mistreatment"? Well, the "poor" Hungarian minority in Romania, and their party (Democratic Union of Magyars in Romania) is currently in the ruling coalition. They have been given special rights by the Hungarian State and this law (the Status Law) has been endorsed by the Romanian government.


I am always saddened when I see politicians making use of extreme statements. This of course has the benefit on keeping them on a payroll.


As for the "mistreated" Hungarian minority, I can assure the whole world that Hungarians and Romanians live well and in peace together and have done so for many years.


I am so tempted to tell the Hungarians living in Romania not to listen to what they are forcefully told by their "friends" in America.


But they know better: Mr Vázsonyi, my mom was recently in Harghita, Romania and all Hungarians spoke Hungarian, some did not speak Romanian at all, nobody seemed to bother about politics...good for them!


PS: No wonder the American administration is not quick to respond to such demential allegations as the one by Bálint Vázsonyi.


Florin Rapan


Canada





Old scam


This note is to draw attention to a scam being operated in the City Center of Budapest.


A pair of friendly people (claiming to be visitors to Budapest themselves) approach a single tourist and strike up a conversation, soon suggesting enjoying a drink together.


They lead the mark to a restaurant in cahoots with the con artists and quickly order a round of drinks. When the exorbitant bill arrives (eg Ft26,000 [about $94] for a bottle of wine, two soft drinks, and two shots), naturally a dispute about payment begins.


Even if the scammers agree to share the bill, their "contribution" is made by credit card out of sight. They rely on the sucker not connecting that the restaurant (or at least waitress) is cooperating.


I never thought I could be the victim of such a scam. My hope in writing is two-pronged: to expose the shady business and perhaps to save a few others from being duped.


Mark Kayll


Ljubljana, Slovenia





Red memorials


Editor?s note: Sadly, this is a variation of a well know and long standing scam. The US Embassy website even "names and shames" restaurants of which it has had a number of complaints. (www.usis.hu/tourist.htm).


RE: Street talk: What should happen to Soviet memorials around Hungary? (issue 12, March 21-27).


I agree with Miklós Paitz?s idea: "Let?s respect the war dead, but get rid of everything else that doesn?t belong in this country."


There isn?t a better way than to negotiate. [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin is a clever diplomat, Hungary could come to an agreement with him.


Part of the answer is in the so called House of Terror museum which divided Hungary into two parts.


Both extreme parts were totally wrong, they were the small aggressive minority, but the whole population had to suffer because of them.


Hitler waged his stupid, terrible war that involved the Holocaust. Germany was bound to lose the war and - bad for them - the sympathy of the world.


Hungary was always on good terms with Jewish people, that?s why we had a bigger population of Jewish people than other countries.


At that time they didn?t have their own country of Israel. They had never been a minority.


They called themselves Hungarian, "Jewish" referred only to religion.


Hitler occupied Hungary but made a friendly pact with our Regent, Miklós Horthy, who even sent 200,000 soldiers - also victims - against the Soviet Union.


Not many of those soldiers came back, and neither did my husband, who was one of them.


World history had, and has, a lot of shameful parts. The fact is - and everybody should know it - many Hungarians helped Jewish people during and against the Holocaust.


Later, after the Soviet Union occupied Hungary, Jewish people helped some of us, myself included.


The family I speak about was the most decent cultured people I have ever met. I remember and miss them every day.


PS: I was a witness to both parts.


Mary Pôry


Budapest





Olympic folly


Speaking at a press conference at the opening of a renovated sports hall in Szolnok recently (March 23), Minister of Youth and Sports Tamás Deutsch commented on a remark made a day earlier at a citizens? forum by Péter Medgyessy, Prime Minister candidate of the the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP).


Medgyessy said that those who think about staging the Olympics in Hungary are not in possession of their full mental faculties. (In Hungarian, the expression used was they do not have their full five rings); that there are more pressing needs in the country at present than staging the Olympic Games.


Deutsch said that Medgyessy ignored the will of more than 652,000 Hungarian citizens who gave their signatures to the movement supporting the staging of the Summer Olympic Games in Hungary in 2012.


That?s about 6% of the population, and those who signed the petitions were primarily young people - yuppies and yuppies-to be.


It might be pointed out that another minority, the Roma, make up approximately 4% of Hungary?s population, and no one has surveyed them to ask what they think the money should be spent for. Goodness no. They might opt for silly things like better housing, education, and improved health care.


"Never before have so many Hungarians given their signatures of agreement to any cause," Deutsch said.


And never before have so many Hungarians been hustled by survey takers financed by taxpayers? money just before the elections.


Károly Kovács


Budapest





Rudas worry


I would like to thank Lucy Mallows and The Budapest Sun team for the beautiful job done on the Rudas (Steamed up, Style cover story, issue 12, March 21-27). Lucy is brilliant.


Unfortunately it was very discouraging to learn the following day that the Hungarian Government intends to ignore the international treaty it signed in 1972 to protect cultural heritage.


In 1987, the Rudas was classified by ICOMOS as Category 1 - a site being of the highest cultural importance. This is the same status as Mátyás Templom, but there?s no one trying to sell that monument.


Closing the Király to the public, while using public funds to repair it, is even more disappointing. This is very similar to an earlier plan to use the Ethnographic Museum for the PM?s offices. The difference now is that selling the Rudas is breaking an international treaty under UNESCO. Is there anything that can be done?


Vicki Hill


Budapest





Rugby visit


Crieff Rugby Club from Scotland is to tour Budapest in May this year - we will be playing in a tournament at Esztergomi Vitezek on Saturday, May 4. We are sponsored by The Famous Grouse, Scotland?s favorite Scotch Whisky and sponsors of the Scottish national side. We look forward to meeting as many people as possible to show off our kilts!


You can visit our website at :


www.sru.org.uk/rugbyclub/Crieff-RFC/ and that of our sponsors at: www.famousgrouse.com.


Malcolm Cannon, Captain


Crieff Rugby Club


Scotland

04.04.2002