THE COUNTRY, BUT THE ROMANIAN CITIZENS THEY ENCOUNTER

-

-

EVEN ON A CASUAL BASIS -- CAN SUFFER HARASSMENT AND LEGAL ACTION FOR ASSOCIATING WITH FOREIGNERS WITHOUT FIRST OBTAINING OFFICIAL PERMISSION.

RELIGIOUS CONTACTS

THE 14 OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS ARE PERMITTED TO MAINTAIN CONTACTS WITH CO-RELIGIONISTS ABROAD AS ONE OF THE PERQUISITES GIVEN TO RELIGIOUS GROUPS WHO ACCEPT TIGHT GOVERNMENT CONTROL OVER THEIR INSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS. SOME NOTEWORTHY CONTACTS OF THIS KIND ARE DESCRIBED BELOW.

ARCHBISHOP POGGI, THE VATICAN'S ITINERANT PLENIPOTENTIARY FOR EAST EUROPEAN AFFAIRS, TRAVELED TO ROMANIA IN 1977 AND 1978. RECIPROCAL VISITS OF ROMANIAN AND U.S. CLERGYMEN WERE SPONSORED BY THE NEW YORK-BASED APPEAL FOR CONSCIENCE FOUNDATION, AN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO THE PROMOTION OF INTERNATIONAL INTERFAITH CONTACTS AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. IN 1978, THE AMERICAN DELEGATION, LED BY A.C.F. PRESIDENT RABBI ARTHUR SCHNEIER, WENT TO BUCHAREST. THE FOLLOWING YEAR, A ROMANIAN DELEGATION PAID A RETURN CALL TO THE UNITED STATES. THE HIGH-LEVEL DELEGATION FROM ROMANIA WAS COMPRISED OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM SEVEN OF THE 14 RECOGNIZED RELIGIOUS SECTS, INCLUDING THE ROMANIAN ORTHODOX, CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT CHURCHES, AND THE MOSLEM AND JEWISH FAITHS. IT WAS DURING THIS TRIP THAT CHIEF RABBI MOSES ROSEN, PRESIDENT OF THE ROMANIAN FEDERATION OF JEWISH COMMUNITIES, MET WITH U.S. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CONFERENCE OF PRESIDENTS OF MAJOR AMERICAN JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS AND WORKED OUT THE NEW AGREEMENT ABOUT JEWISH EMIGRATION FROM ROMANIA. PATRIARCH OF THE ROMANIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH, JUSTIN MOISESCU, VISITED THE UNITED STATES IN 1979 AND MET WITH PRESIDENT CARTER. HIS TRIP MARKED THE FIRST TIME A REIGNING ROMANIAN PATRIARCH HAS COME TO THE UNITED STATES.

CONCLUSION

THE HUMAN CONTACTS PROVISIONS OF THE HELSINKI FINAL ACT HAVE HAD A LIMITED IMPACT ON THE SOVIET UNION AND ITS EAST EUROPEAN ALLIES. THOSE COUNTRIES HAVE BECOME AWARE OF THE CONTINUING WESTERN INTEREST IN THIS AREA AND, IN SOME SMALL AND OFTEN COSMETIC GESTURES, HAVE BECOME RESPONSIVE TO THAT INTEREST. MANY DIVIDED FAMILIES HAVE BEEN REUNITED. MORE EAST EUROPEANS ARE TRAVELING OUTSIDE THEIR COUNTRIES THAN EVER BEFORE. CONTACTS BETWEEN RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS IN THE EAST

AND WEST HAVE INCREASED. YET, FIVE YEARS AFTER THE FINAL ACT WAS SIGNED, THE HUMAN CONTACTS PROVISIONS OF THAT DOCUMENT ARE NOT BEING IMPLEMENTED FULLY IN ANY EAST EUROPEAN COUNTRY.

EMIGRATION IS STILL NOT. RECOGNIZED AS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT IN ANY OF THE EASTERN NATIONS, DESPITE EACH COUNTRY'S LEGAL OBLIGATIONS TO COMPLY WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS. IN MANY COUNTRIES, APPLICANTS ARE STILL SUBJECTED TO HARASSMENT AND RECRIMINATION FOR THEIR ATTEMPTS TO LIVE WITH THEIR SPOUSES OR REJOIN FAMILY MEMBERS ABROAD. THE FEES CHARGED FOR PASSPORTS, VISAS AND OTHER TRAVEL DOCUMENTS ARE OFTEN EXHORBITANT. IN SEVERAL NATIONS, THE PROCEDURE REMAINS LENGTHY, CUMBERSOME AND FRAUGHT WITH BUREAUCRATIC OBSTACLES. FOR THOUSANDS, PERHAPS MILLIONS, OF EAST EUROPEANS, THE POSSIBILITY OF TRAVELING TO THE WEST OR LIVING ABROAD -- FOR WHATEVER REASON -- SIMPLY DOES NOT EXIST. THE PROMISE TO "FACILITATE THE FREER MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE ACROSS NATIONAL BORDERS," WHILE SHOWING MINOR IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN AREAS, REMAINS LARGELY UNKEPT.

FOOTNOTES - CHAPTER V

1. INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, ADOPTED BY THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON DECEMBER 16, 1966, AND RATIFIED BY THE SOVIET UNION IN 1973.

2. FINAL ACT OF THE CONFERENCE ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE, BASKET III, P. 17 IN DEPARTMENT OF STATE'S BULLETIN REPRINT.

3. TIME MAGAZINE, JUNE 23, 1980.

4. ELIE VALK, JEWISH EMIGRATION FROM THE U.S.S.R. IN 1979, SOVIET JEWRY RESEARCH BUREAU OF THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SOVIET JEWRY, MARCH 1980, PG. 1.

5. FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG, APRIL 10, 1980, AS REPORTED IN CSCE WEEKLY REVIEW, PUBLISHED BY CENTRUM EUROPESE VEILIGHEID EN SAMENWERKING, APRIL 4-10, 1980.

6. FINAL ACT OF THE CONFERENCE ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE, BASKET II, PG. 2 IN DEPARTMENT OF STATE'S BULLETIN REPRINT.

7. THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, "RUSS OLYMPIC CURBS BARED," MARCH 4, 1980.

8. LE MONDE, APRIL 1, 1980 AS REPORTED IN CSCE WEEKLY REVIEW, MARCH 28-APRIL 3, 1980 AND CRONID LUBARSKY, USSR NEWS BRIEF, APRIL 30, 1980.

9. KOMMUNIST TADSCHIKISTANA, JULY 13, 1979, AS CITED IN FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG, SEPTEMBER 1, 1979, AS REPORTED IN CSCE WEEKLY REVIEW, AUGUST 31-SEPTEMBER 6, 1979.

10. LUBARSKY, USSR NEWS BRIEF, MARCH 31, 1980.

11. TESTIMONY OF JURI LINA BEFORE THE COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE, APRIL 29, 1980.

12. LUBARSKY, USSR NEWS BRIEF, DECEMBER 15, 1979 AND MAY 15, 1980.

13. KONSTATIN ZOTOV, HEAD OF OVIR, AS QUOTED BY AVTANDIL RUKHADZE OF NOVOSTI PRESS AGENCY ON APRIL 10, 1980.

14. ELIE VALK, JEWISH EMIGRATION FROM THE USSR IN 1979, SOVIET JEWRY RESEARCH BUREAU OF THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SOVIET JEWRY, MARCH, 1980, PG. 3.

15. IBID.

16. DAN FISHER, "SOVIET ARMENIAN EMIGRES POURING INTO L.A. AREA," LOS ANGELES TIMES, MARCH 30, 1980.

17. IBID.

18. IBID.

19. DPA, APRIL 21, 1980, AS REPORTED IN RADIO LIBERTY RESEARCH BULLETIN, 145/80, APRIL 23, 1980.

20. DPA, MAY 5, 1980, AS REPORTED IN RADIO LIBERTY RESEARCH BULLETIN 169/80, MAY 5, 1980.

21. THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR, APRIL 9, 1980.

22. ARKHIV SAMIZDATA, 3664, JUNE 5, 1979.

23. NEUE ZURCHER ZEITUNG, MAY 9, 1979.

24. ARKHIV SAMIZDATA, 3660, MAY, 1979.

25. ARKHIV SAMIZDATA, 3662, MAY 27-28, 1979.

26. ZOTOV, OP CIT.

27. LINA, OP CIT.

28. UPI, MAY 11, 1980.

29. THE NEW YORK TIMES, APRIL 18, 1980.

30. AP, REUTERS, APRIL 18, 1980.

31. THE FINANCIAL TIMES, APRIL 16, 1980.

32. VLADIMIR MELESHKO, RADIO MINSK, 2230 CET, AUGUST 25, 1978 AS CITED BY ANDREAS TENSON, "SOME INS AND OUTS OF TRAVEL ABROAD FOR SOVIET CITIZENS", RADIO LIBERTY RESEARCH 381/79, DECEMBER 21, 1979.

33. THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, APRIL 12, 1980.

34. THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, APRIL 20, 1980.

35.

CSCE COMMISSION, IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FINAL ACT OF THE CONFERENCE ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TWO YEARS AFTER HELSINKI, 1977, PG. 93-95.

36. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, EIGHTH SEMIANNUAL REPORT BY THE PRESIDENT TO THE COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE, JUNE 1980.

37.

GESETZBLATT DER DEUTSCHEN DEMOKRATISCHEN REPUBLIK, BERLIN, JULY 2, 1979: GESETZ ZUR AENDERUNG UND ERGAENZUNG STRAF-UND STRAFVERFAHRENSRECHTLICHER BESTIMMUNGEN UND DES GESETGESETZES ZUR BEKAEMPFUNG VON ORDUNGSWIDRIGKEITEN (3. STRAFRECHTSAENDERUNGSGESETZ) VON JUNE 28, 1979.

38. DIE GESELLSCHAFT FUER MENSCHENRECHTE, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL.

ISSUED BY THE

39. FIGURES SUPPLIED BY REPORTS BUNDESAUSGLEICHSAMT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY.

40. THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

41.

PG. 9.

RFE-RL HUNGARIAN SITUATION REPORT/5, MARCH 11, 1980,

42. RFE-RL HUNGARIAN SITUATION REPORT/5, MARCH 11, 1980.

43.

FIGURES RELEASED BY THE FRG MINISTER OF INTERIOR AVAILABLE TO THE COMMISSION BY THE FRG EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

AND MADE

44. THE ECONOMIST, AUGUST 25, 1979.

45. ZYCIE WARSZAWY, FEBRUARY 23, 1980.