ROMANIAN AMERICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS joined with

ROMANIAN ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA and The California Chapter of THE WORLD ASSOCIATION "PRO BESSARABIA AND BUCOVINA"

In Dumineca Floriilor, 1998

Excelentei Sale Emil Constantinescu

Presedinte al Romaniei

Domnule Presedinte,

In ziarul "Lumea Libera" din New York, Nr. 495, din 28 Martie curent, pe prima pagina, în chenar, gasim scris cu litere mari urmatoarele:

"AM FACUT UN SINGUR LUCRU PENTRU EXIL: NU AM FACUT NIMIC ."

Emil Constantinescu

Cum orice autocritica trebue sa fie urmata de cel putin un angajament, respectuos va Intrebam, care este angajamentul pe care D-Voastra l-a luat In legatura cu diaspora, cu romanii uitati din Ungaria, din Ucraina, din Basarabia, din jumatatea de Nord a Bucovinei, din partea din Banat ramasa Instrainata, din Valea Timocului, din Secuime, si mai ales In ce-l priveste pe Ilie Ilascu , a carui fiecare zi zacuta In temnita este o rusinoasa palma aplicata pe obrazul atat al conducatorilor nostri cat si al Intregului popor roman dinauntrul si dinafara granitelor Romaniei actuale.

Consideram ca un angajament al D-Voastra privind soarta acestor romani uitati luat cat mai urgent, eventual chiar Inainte de vizita ce urmeaza s'o faceti la Casa Alba, ar putea avea un efect de balsam asupra sufletului natiei noastre adusa la disperare.

Cu deosebita stima,

-George Duma, Ph. D., Presedinte, Rom. Am. National Congress Rom. (Representative for California of the Research and Documents R.A.N.C.)World Assoc. "Pro Bessarabia and Bucovina"

-Traian Golea, Presedinte, Assoc. of South Florida

To Human Rights Organizations October 1997

During WW II King Michael of Romania made on August 23, 1944 the turning of the hostilities against Germany with the Allied Forces and it is appreciated that this turning resulted in a shortening of the war with at least six months.

While the human capital Romania engaged in the war against German forces was 538,536, and resulted in 21,031 deads, 90,344 wounded, 58,443 missing, total losses 169,822, the same day of the turning of the hostilities, the troops who were along ther battle field on East front were disarmed by USSR (the new Ally), and taken prisoners.

At the City of Balti (pronounce Baltsi), now Moldova Republic, there were around 50,000 troops, among them around 40,000 Romanians, 5,000 Germans, 2,000 Hungarians and also 3,000 Czech and Poles.

A very few of these prisoners managed to escape and they made known their fate only after the dissolution of the USSR, in 1989.

Informations about what happened to these 50,000 prisoners were published by the weekly newspaper "The Northern Courier" from Balti also after the dissolution of USSR.

In this way people learned how all 50,000 prisoners were killed by the KGB (Russian Secret Police) and the Soviet army. They were shot to death and thrown in the Marsh ditches of the river Raut (pronounce Rauts), near the City of Balti.

During the years 1991-1992, after the USSR dissolution, searches took place in these marches, where unaccountable skeletons and bones were found.

Romanian people of the surroundings decided to make a pyramid of these bones and on the top of it to put a triptych (troita).

The Triptych was sanctified on May 7, 1992 by the Romanian Bishop Petru of Balti, in the presence of thousands of people, while the Diacon Nicodim Schiopu proposed to build there a church or a monastery with the name "The Church of the Bones" .

The Bishop Petru nominated as parish priest of this " Church of the Bones " the Priest Valerian Cernei. But all of a sudden things took a bad turn. The Bishop Petru of Balti was attacked and beaten by unknown people just inside the Bishopric Palace, and similar attacks were perpetrated also at two other monasteries in Balti county.

Due to this situation, at the present time the " Church of the Bones" is just an architectural project, and its construction can not be realized because of lack of support by the authorities.

These informations were transmitted from Balti, (Republic of Moldova), via the Romanian monks from Saint Mount of Athos (Greece) and published by the Romanian Newspaper "Curierul Romanesc" from Bucharest in its August 1996 issue.

These monstruous holocaust against the Romanian soldiers, killed as shown above, along with Germans, Hungarians, Czechs and Poles soldiers, cannot be forgotten.

It is possible that some of these unearthed soldiers be identified according to different insignia or other signs, especially if one could find out the military units they belonged to.

If possible, even after 50 years, the families and the descendents of the disappeared soldiers during this terrible Holocaust have the right to learn about the real fate of their beloved.

The above mentioned mass killings constitute a ultra brutal crime against Humanity, a specific case regarding Human Rights violations and also a ultra grave violation against the Geneva Convention from 1864 regarding the RIgime of Prisoners of War, and just like in Katyn case, searches must be done and find out the truth.

We want to remind you that in the last years, 50 years after the conclusion of the war, different countries appologized for their violations of Human Rights during WW II and agreed to pay compensations.

As a consequence, we submit this case to the Human Rights Organizations asking them to take the right steps, to make the needed searches in order to determine the truth about these common graves and why the government of Moldova did not continue the due researches.

On the other hand we think, there is a moral and humanitarian obligation for the United Nations and their international organizations to help the Bishopric of Balti to build the "Church of the Bones"

Sincerely, yours

George Duma, Ph. D.

Traian Golea

ROMANIAN AMERICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS together with

ROMANIAN ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA and The California Chapter of THE WORLD ASSOCIATION "PRO BESSARABIA AND BUCOVINA"

The desperate case of Ilie Ilascu , the Romanian patriot who was sentenced to death for political reasons in the so called Autonomous Dniester Republic , is known all over the world.

Ilie Ilascu is being held in prison since July 1992 and his health condition is getting worse and worse.

In order to be freed, innumerable manifestations took place and innumerable interventions were made on his behalf by Hi gh Institutions and High Personalities.

Among these we would mention:

1. In Romania took place many manifestations on the streets and in front of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest, asking for the liberation of Ilie Ilascu.

2. 1993-1994 - "World Union of Free Romanians", President Mr. Ion Ratiu, made a vehement protest against the sentence to death of Ilie Ilascu .

The same vehement protests were done by the World Association "Pro Bessarabia and Bucovina", President Mr. Nicolas Lupan (France), and by the "Union and League Association" (USA), represented by Mr. Nicolas Dima.

3. June 1994 - Letter sent to President Bill Clinton, demanding to intervene on behalf of Ilie Ilascu.

4. Decembrie 1994 - The World Association "Pro Bessarabia and Bucovina", President Nicolas Lupan, presented in Strassbourg, France, the file of Ilie Ilascu . This file has over 5.000 signatures, asking the European Award of Human Rights to be given to this Romanian patriot.

Mr. Nicolas Lupan is a very old fighter for Bessarabia and Bucovina , these two Romanian territories which were taken by the Russia (USSR), following the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pakt and he started from the very beginning the interventions on behalf of Ilie Ilascu.

5. May 1995. Congressman Martin H. Hocke, Ohio, presented in front of the Congress the Ilie Ilascu Case (Congressional Record May 12, 1995.

6. May 1995. Amnesty International asked to be reopened the File of the Political Detainees from Tiraspol.

7. August 1995. The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe sent an Official Invitation to IIie Ilascu to visit this Commission and thee U.S. Congress.

Copies of this Invitation were sent to the Secretary of State, to the U.S. Embassy in Chisinau, Republic Moldova, and to the Embassy of Moldova in Washington D.C.

8. September 1995. The Romanian Church of Holy Cross in Washingtoin D.C. declared Ilie Ilascu as a Honorary Member of this Church.

9. October 1995. The Romanian Association "Union and League", U.S.A., represented by Mr. Nicolas Dima, professor at James Madison University , Virginia, initiated a new campaign on behalf of Ilie Ilascu. Mr. Nicolas Dima is also a very old fighter for the reunion of the Romanian territories of Bessarabia and Bucovina with Romania.

Following this campaign, the Avram Iancu society of New York and the "Romanian-American Foundation" in New Jersey invited to the U.S.A. several Romanian personalities from Moldova Republic, in order to present Ilie Ilascu case in Washington D.C. and in New York.

10. November 1995. Letter from the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe addressed to Petru Luchinschi, speaker of the Parliament (at the present time President of the Rep. of Moldova) regarding the case of Ilie Ilascu.

11. Februar 1996. New letter sent to President Bill Clinton.

12. January 1997. Letter sent to the Secretary of State, Mrs. Madeleine Albright.

Despite all these interventions, the so called Autonomous Dniester Republic is snubbing the whole civilized world by keeping Ilie Ilascu in prison.

Ilie Ilascu 's imprisonment is not only the case of a man sentenced to death for political reasons, but at the same time is the case of the whole world , and a shame for the Human Rights Principles.

It is also a case of the Helsinki Final Act , which establishes a framework to deal with the basic human rights.

Taking in consideration all above mentioned, we renew our previous interventions on behalkf of Ilie Ilascu, and we believe that you can not let Ilie Ilascu die in prison.

Along with Ilie Ilascu there are three more Romanian patriots in jail because of the same political reasons, and sentenced to different years. Their names are: Alexandru Lesco, Tudor Petrov-Popa , and Andrei Ivantoc.

Sincerely, yours

George Duma, Ph. D.

Traian Golea

ROMANIAN AMERICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS în colaborare cu ROMANIAN ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA si cu THE WORLD ASSOCIATION "PRO BESSARABIA AND BUCOVINA" California Chapter

20 Octombrie 1997

Stimate domnule Ion Dodu Balan.

Am cetit nu numai cu interes, dar si cu multa amaraciune, Intregul adevar scris de Dvs In legatura cu Ilie Ilascu si cei trei Intemnitati Impreuna cu el, articol publicat In ziarul Natiunea din 3-9 Oct. crt si In care va referiti si la interventia noastra trimisa la 28 Iulie crt. Presedintelui Emil Constantinescu pentru a rezolva acest caz.

Alaturat anexam o copie dupa scrisoareea noastra din 23 August 1997 trimisa, cu acelas amar, la o serie de adrese In continuarea scrisorii adresata Presedintelui Romaniei.

Cazul Ilie Ilascu constitue o rusine pentru omenire prin nerespectarea Drepturilor Omului enuntate prin Actul Final de la Helsinki din 1 August 1975 si reInnoite zece ani mai tarziu, la comemorarea a zece ani, prin Actul Final de la Helsinki din 1 August 1985.

Ilie Ilascu este al nostru al tuturor Romanilor si poporul roman are dreptul sa stie ce s'a Intreprins de catre reprezentantii sai pentru a determina eliberarea sa din Iunie 1992, de cand a fost arestat si pana In prezent.

A facut Presedintele Romaniei cunoscuta situatia lui Ilie Ilascu diferitelor guverne, cerand sa fie sprijinit In aceasta problema?

A transmis Ministerul de Externe instructiuni catre Ambasadele romane din diferitele tari ca sa faca cunoscuta situatia deplorabila In care se afla cei In cauza?

Au comunicat Ambasadele noastre presei din tarile respective situatia lui Ilie Ilascu pentru a face cunoscuta astfel In Intreaga lume Incalcarea flagranta a Drepturilor Omului de catre auto-Intitulata Republica Autonoma Transnistria, pentru a se determina astfel formarea unui curent de opinie In favoarea eliberarii lor, mai ales ca se stie cine sta In spatele acestei asa numite Republici Autonome, republica care nu este recunoscuta pana In prezent de nici un alt stat?

Si daca eventual au fost date astfel de instructiuni de catre Ministerul de Externe Atasatilor de Presa, au fost aceste instructiuni comunicate Presei straine?

A facut cunoscut Presedintele tarii si Ministerul de Externe situatia lui Ilie Ilascu la Comisia Europeana a Drepturilor Omului de la Strassbourg sau din alte tari privind nerespectarea Drepturilor Omului In acest caz?

In ce masura presa romana a sustinut In tara lupta pentru eliberarea lui Ilie Ilascu ca sa determine formarea unui curent de opinie care sa impuna eliberarea sa?

Din cate cunoastem, Presa romana a publicat doar sporadic unele articole care au sunat mai de graba ca o vaicareala Intre noi Romanii.

Spre cinstrea lor, Dnii Nicolae Lupan din Franta si Nicolae Dima din SUA, precum si ziarul Romanul Liber , In special In perioada cat a fost editat la Londra, au dus o lupta continua pentru Ilie Ilascu, dar aceasta actiune a lor, fara sprijinul guvernului si a presei din tara, nu poate realiza eliberarea ravnita. Se stie doar foarte bine ca o eliberare a lui Ilie Ilascu nu se poate obtine decat printr'o actiune concertata si sustinuta a Presedintelui Romaniei si a Ministerului de Externe la cel mai Inalt nivel In Intreaga lume.

Premiul de consolare a Romaniei pentru neacceptarea ei In NATO, acordat de Presedintele Clinton prin vizita sa la Bucuresti, la cererea Presedintelui Romaniei ar fi putut fi admirabil Incoronat cu luarea din partea acestuia a unui angajament luat In fata poporului roman de a actiona pentru eliberarea lui ILie Ilascu . S'a profitat de aceasta ocazie?

Sugeram ca Intreaga presa romana, indiferent de nuanta politica, sa dedice o anume zi din an - poate chiar mai multe - In cinstea lui Ilie Ilascu si a celorlalti tovarasi ai sai de Inchisoare, pentru a atrage atentia Intregii lumi civilizate asupra detentiei lor nedrepte prin violarea celor mai elementare principii ale Drepturilor Omului, dreptul la opinie politica.

Domnule Ion Dodu Balan,

Dumneavoastra aveti aceasta calitate de a lua initiativa pentru declararea unei zile Inchinata jertfei lui Ilie Ilascu, pentru a fi mentinut astfel viu In inima tuturor Romanilor sacrificiul enorm facut de el, cat si pentru a spala astfel, macar In parte, rusinea celor care ar fi trebuit sa se ocupe si preocupe mai mult de martirajul sau, si n'au facut-o.

Va rugam raspunsul Dvs.

George Duma, Ph. D.

Traian Golea