SENATE HEARINGS ON ROMANIAN MFN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01390R000700920068-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 15, 2010
• Sequence Number: 68
• Publication Date: March 1, 1986
• Content Type: CABLE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/24: CIA-RDP90BO139OR000700920068-8
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FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUFHBC/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST PRIORITY 0000
INFO RUDKDA/AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST PRIORITY 0000
BT
ATE 063183
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PREL, PHUM PREF, ETRD, RO
SUBJECT: SENATE HEARINGS ON ROMANIAN MFN
2. SUMMARY: SENATE COMMITTEE HEARINGS ON ROMANIA
FEBRUARY 26 PROVIDED A FORUM FOR SENATOR TRIBLE TO PUSH
HIS BILL ON TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF MFN FOR ROMANIA.
ALTHOUGH TESTIMONY DEALT ALSO WITH EMIGRATION,
STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS, TRIBLE
CONCENTRATED UPON RELIGIOUS RIGHTS FOR CHRISTIAN
GROUPS. THREE OF THE SENATORS ATTENDING THE HEARING
VOICED THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE BILL, AS DID THREE
REPRESENTATIVES WHO TESTIFIED. TRIBLE'S PRINCIPAL
MESSAGE WAS THAT MFN RENEWAL WILL NO LONGER BE
AUTOMATIC ABSENT SOME GOOD FAITH IMPROVEMENT IN HUMAN
RIGHTS FROM THE GOR. END SUMMARY.
3. SETTING: THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON EUROPE OF THE SENATE
FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE, CHAIRED BY SENATOR
PRESSLER, HELD HEARINGS FEBRUARY 26 ON U.S. RELATIONS
WITH ROMANIA. SENATORS DODD, HELMS, PELL, AND CRANSTON
MADE BRIEF APPEARANCES, BUT THE BULK OF THE QUESTIONING
WAS CARRIED BY TRIBLE, WHO IS THE AUTHOR OF A BILL TO
TEMPORARILY SUSPEND MFN STATUS FOR ROMANIA FOR SIX
MONTHS. THE COMMITTEE HEARD TESTIMONY FROM
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, DEPARTMENT'
OF COMMERCE, U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE, HELSINKI WATCH,
A HUNGARIAN-AMERICAN ORGANIZATION, TWO CHRISTIAN GROUPS
ACTIVE IN ROMANIA, AND CONGRESSMEN SMITH, HALL, AND
WOLF. BESIDES TWO ROMANIAN EMBOFFS, OBSERVERS INCLUDED
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CZECH, BULGARIAN AND SOVIET
EMBASSIES.
4. ALTHOUGH THE AMJOUNCED TOPIC OF THE HEARING WAS
BROADER, TRIBLE MADE IT CLEAR IMMEDIATELY THAT HE
INTENDED TO PROMOTE HIS BILL. HIS OPENING STATEMENT
STRESSED THAT OUR CURRENT POLICY TOWARD ROMANIA IS A
FAILURE, OVERLY INFLUENCED BY THE "MYTHICAL
OCA
INCOMING
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INDEPENDENCE" OF ROMANIA. HE PUT THE DEPARTMENT AND
THE GOR ON NOTICE THAT EXTENSION OF MFN WAS NO LONGER
"AUTOMATIC", MAINTAINING THAT WE CAN NOT CONDUCT
BUSINESS AS USUAL WITH A REGIME WITH SUCH AN ABYSMAL
RECORD IN HUMAN RIGHTS. HE SPECIFICALLY CITED THE
GOR'S ACTIVE ANTI-RELIGIOUS POLICY AND ITS DENIAL OF
BASIC FREEDOMS OF SPEECH AND PRESS. HE ALSO CLAIMED
THAT THE GOR COOPERATED WITH THE KGB TO STEAL WESTERN
TECHNOLOGY AND TRAINED AND SUPPORTED THE PLO AND "OTHER
TERRORISTS."
5. STATE TESTIMONY: COUNSELLOR DERWINSKI AND DAS PALMER
TESTIFIED FOR THE DEPARTMENT: DERWINSKI LED OFF WITH A
BRIEF STATEMENT DESCRIBING U.S.-ROMANIAN DISCUSSIONS OF
EMIGRATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES, FOCUSSING UPON
ISSUES STRESSED BY THE SECRETARY IN BUCHAREST ON
DECEMBER 15, AND SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE ISSUES
BY DERWINSKI AND AMBASSADOR KIRK. PALMER'S SUMMARY OF
THE STATEMENT PREPARED BY AMBASSADOR RIDGWAY (REFTEL)
FOCUSED ON ROMANIA'S RELATIVELY DIVERGENT FOREIGN
POLICY, THE DEPLORABLE CONDITION OF ROMANIA'S HUMAN
RIGHTS SITUATION, AND THE LIMITED, BUT POSITIVE,
ACHIEVEMENTS IN HUMAN RIGHTS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE MFN
LEVER. UNDER QUESTIONING FROM PRESSLER, PALMER
DESCRIBED OUR EXTENSION OF MFN AS A DECISION BASED UPON
THE COMBINED CONSIDERATIONS OF ROMANIA'S FOREIGN POLICY
AND SECURITY POSITIONS AND ITS PERFORMANCE ON
EMIGRATION. PALMER REFUTED MANY OF TRIBLE'S SPECIFIC
CONTENTIONS ON ROMANIAN COLLUSION WITH THE USSR
(PARTICIPATION IN WARSAW PACT MANEUVERS, DIVERSION OF
TECHNOLOGY, ETC). WITHOUT ACCEPTING PALMER'S
REBUTTALS, TRIBLE ARGUED THAT ROMANIA IS SUCH A
MARGINAL PLAYER THAT ITS INDEPENDENCE, EVEN IF GENUINE.
WAS INSIGNIFICANT TO U.S. SECURITY INTERESTS. IN THE
ABSENCE OF A STRATEGIC ARGUMENT, THE MFN DECISION
SHOULD BE BASED ON MORAL GROUNDS, A TEST WHICH ROMANIA
CLEARLY FAILS. HE COMPARED HIS BILL TO THE SANCTIONS
BILL AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA, A COUNTRY WHICH, HE SAID
DOES NOT ENJOY MFN. PALMER COUNTERED THATEMIGRATION IS
ALSO AN ISSUE OF MORALITY. HE AGREED THAT SOUTH AFRICA
WAS A USEFUL ANALOGY, SINCE IN FACT IT HAS MFN, AND
BECAUSE WE SEE ECONOMIC ENGAGEMENT AS A POSITIVE FORCE
FOR CHANGE IN SOUTH AFRICA. TRIBLE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT
HE HAD BEEN IN ERROR ON SOUTH AFRICAN MFN.
6. SENATOR HELMS APPEARED BRIEFLY TO CASTIGATE
ROMANIA'S U.N. VOTING RECORD, WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS
WORSE THAN CUBA'S. BESIDES MENTIONING
BIBLES-TO-TOILET-PAPER AND THE SOVIET PRESENCE IN
ROMANIA, HELMS CALLED AMBASSADOR GAVRILESCU AN
"ARROGANT MAN", AND OFFERED TO SUPPORT TRIBLE'S BILL,
WHICH HE THOUGHT SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO SIX YEARS.
7. TRIBLE ON EMIGRATION: RETURNING TO THE QUESTIONING,
TRIBLE ACKNOWLEDGED THE SUBSTANTIAL NUMBERS OF
ROMANIANS WHO HAVE EMIGRATED, BUT SAID HE IS CONCERNED
NOT JUST WITH THE NUMBER, BUT WITH THE PROCESS. HE
QUOTED EXTENSIVELY FROM THE PREPARED HELSINKI WATCH
TESTIMONY ON BRIBES, FORCED PAYMENTS, LOSS OF JOBS,
LOSS OF RIGHTS, ETC. HE NOTED THAT ONE OF HIS
CONSTITUENTS HAD PAID A BRIBE TO FREE A RELATIVE
(COMMENT: HE MIGHT BE REFERRING TO THE VIDRASCU CASE
WHICH INVOLVED EMIGRATION TO THE FRG. END COMMENT).
DERWINSKI NOTED THAT OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE GOR IS
WORKING SATISFACTORILY AND THAT WE SEE NO PATTERN OF
CONTINUING HARRASSMENT; IN FACT, THERE HAS BEEN A
"SUBSTANTIAL ALLEVIATION OF THE PATTERN OF ABUSE". HE
SAID THAT WE ARE SATISFIED WITH THE IMPROVED PROCEDURE,
AND THAT WE HAVE NO CURRENT REPORTS OF BRIBERY OR
CONFIDENTIAL
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EXTORTION. IN THE FACE OF TRIBLE'S CONTINUED
SKEPTICISM, DERWINSKI SAID HE WOULD ASK EMBASSY
BUCHAREST FOR AN UPDATE ON THE FUNCTIONING OF THE
AGREEMENT.
8. MFN-ECONOMIC ASPECTS: THE NEXT WITNESSES WERE JOSEPH
DENNIN, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC POLICY, AND JAMES MURPHY,
ASSISTANT U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE FOR EUROPE. THEY
ARGUED FOR MFN ON ECONOMIC AND EMIGRATION GROUNDS.
DENNIN ESTIMATED THE REDUCTION IN ROMANIA'S EXPORTS TO-
THE U.S. CAUSED BY LOSS OF MFN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF
200 TO 300 MILLION USD. THEY STRESSED THAT TEMPORARY
SUSPENSION WOULD HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AS PERMANENT
SUSPENSION, SINCE THE GOR WOULD RETALIATE, AND THE
CERTAINTY OF ENVIRONMENT VALUED BY BUSINESSMEN IN BOTH
COUNTRIES WOULD EVAPORATE. THEY AGREED WITH PRESSLER'S
STATEMENT THAT ROMANIA, FROM A STRICTLY ECONOMIC
VIEWPOINT, HAS BEEN A RELIABLE AND VALUED TRADING
PARTNER. TRIBLE HAD NO SUBSTANTIAL ARGUMENT WITH
DENNIN AND MURPHY, BUT SIMPLY NOTED THAT HIS
INTERESTSWENT FAR BEYOND ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS.
9. EMIGRATION RECORD: DAS FOR REFUGEE ADMISSIONS
RICHARD ENGLISH LED OFF THE AFTERNOON SESSION WITH AN
EXPLANATION OF THE TCP AND SPECIAL TCP PROGRAMS FOR
ROMANIA, AND STATISTICS ON THE EMIGRATION OF 150,000
ROMANIANS TO THE U.S., FRG, AND ISRAEL FROM 1975 TO
1985. HE NOTED THAT THIS IS THE LARGEST MOST REGULAR
FLOW OF EMIGRATION FROM ANY COMMUNIST COUNTRY WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF THE GDR.
10. HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES: ON THE SAME PANEL WITH ENGLISH
WERE GERI LABER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HELSINKI WATCH,
AND LASZLO HAMOS, OF THE COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN
ROMANIA. LABER NOTED THAT HELSINKI WATCH HAD ONCE
SUPPORTED MFN, BUT IN THE FACE OF WORSENING ABUSES, HAD
SWITCHED ITS POSITION LAST YEAR, AND NOW SUPPORTED
TRIBLE'S BILL. SHE ADDED A SPECIFIC LIST OF DEMANDS
THAT ROMANIA WOULD THEN NEED TO MEET BEFORE HAVING MFN
RESTORED:
-- REMOVE LEGAL BARRIERS TO CONTACTS WITH FOREIGNERS;
-- REMOVE RESTRICTIONS ON RELIGIOUS WORSHIP,
INSTRUCTION AND LITERATURE;
-- EASE EMIGRATION RULES AND PERSECUTION OF EMIGRANTS;
-- STOP SUPPRESSING HUNGARIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS;
ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE ELDERLY IN
MEDICAL AND OTHER SERVICES, AND
-- PERMIT INDEPENDENT HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS TO VISIT
ROMANIA TO VERIFY IMPROVEMENT.
HER WRITTEN STATEMENT GAVE AN EXHAUSTIVE BREAKDOWN OF
ROMANIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES. HER ORAL TESTIMONY
STRESSED THE CASES OF TELEMAN, URSU, BIBLES INTO TOILET
PAPER, DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE ELDERLY, REGISTRATION
OF TYPEWRITERS, AND INVASION OF PRIVACY THROUGH FORCED
GYNECOLOGICAL INSPECTIONS. SHE SAID THAT EMIGRATION
FROM ROMANIA IS HIGHER THAN FROM OTHER COUNTRIES ONLY
BECAUSE THE PRESSURE TO ESCAPE AN INTOLERABLE SITUATION
CAUSED AN INCREASED DEMAND FOR EMIGRATION. WHEN
PRESSED BY PRESSLER TO DOCUMENT THIS, SHE REFERRED ONLY
TO HER PERSONAL IMPRESSIONS FROM HER TRAVELS IN
ROMANIA. PRESSLER SHOWED A PARTICULAR INTEREST IN THE
PROBLEMS OF THE ELDERLY AND ASKED THE DEPARTMENT AND
EMBASSY TO FOLLOW UP WITH FURTHER INFORMATION.
10. HUNGARIAN MINORITY: HAMOS FOCUSSED ON THE "FORCIBLE
DENATIONALIZATION" OF THE HUNGARIANS IN TRANSYLVANIA.
HE BLASTED THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S POLICY WHICH, HE
SAID, IS BASED ON FALSE PREMISES: ROMANIA REMAINS IN
FACT A STALINIST, NEPOTIST REGIME. BESIDES THE CLOSURE
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OF CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, HAMOS REFERRED SPECIFICALLY
TO THE CASES OF FATHER GEZA PALFEY AND THE ACTOR ARPAD
VISKY. HAMOS FOUND A SYMPATHETIC QUESTIONER IN SENATOR
DODD, WHO EXPRESSED HIS INCLINATION TO SUPPORT THE
TRIBLE BILL. DODD NOTED THAT ON PREVIOUS VISITS TO
HUNGARY, SEVERAL GOH OFFICIALS HAD THANKED HIM
PRIVATELY FOR HIS EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF THE HUNGARIANS
IN TRANSYLVANIA. DODO AND HAMOS AGREED THAT THE
PROBLEM WAS NOT EMIGRATION FOR HUNGARIANS, BUT CREATING
BEARABLE CONDITIONS FOR THEM IN ROMANIA. THEY BOTH
CRITICIZED THE DEPARTMENT FOR NOT DOING MORE ON THIS
PARTICULAR ISSUE.
11. CONGRESSIONAL CO-SPONSORS: REPRESENTATIVES SMITH,
HALL AND WOLF APPEARED TO MAKE A BRIEF STATEMENT AS
CO-SPONSORS IN THE HOUSE OF TRIBLE'S LEGISLATION. THEY
NOTED THAT 75 TO 80 OF THEIR COLLEAGUES HAD JOINED AS
SPONSORS. THEY CITED THEIR TRIP LAST YEAR TO ROMANIA,
AND SAID THAT ALL ROMANIANS THEY HAD SPOKEN WITH
FAVORED A CUT-OFF OF MFN, SINCE IT COULDN'T POSSIBLY
MAKE THE SITUATION WORSE. THEY CHARACTERIZED THEIR
INITIATIVE AS A MODERATE APPROACH, TAKEN AS AN
ALTERNATIVE TO THE STILL HARSHER MEASURES WARRANTED BY
THE ROMANIAN SITUATION.
12. CRI AND CREED: AN UNSCHEDULED WITNESS WAS JEFFREY
COLLINS OF CHRISTIAN RESPONSE INTERNATIONAL. AT THE
LAST MOMENT, THE SUBCOMMITTEE AGREED TO ADD ANOTHER
WITNESS, JOHN CROSSLEY OF CREED. BOTH CITED THEIR LONG
EXPERIENCE WITH ROMANIA AND THEIR HIGH REGARD FOR THE
OTHER'S WORK BEFORE PROCEEDING TO DISAGREE ON THE ISSUE
OF MFN. COLLINS PAID LIP SERVICE TO EMIGRATION, BUT
STRESSED THAT OUR POLICY SHOULD BE GEARED TO IMPROVING
THE RELIGIOUS AND HUMAN SITUATION SO THAT PEOPLE WOULD
NOT FEEL COMPELLED TO EMIGRATE. BACKED BY TRIBLE, HE
SAID THAT FATHER CALCIU AGREES WITH THE NEED TO CUT OFF
MFN. CROSSLEY EXPLAINED THE RELIGIOUS SITUATION IN
ROMANIA IN TERMS OF THE DOMINANCE OF THE ORTHODOX
CHURCH, WITHIN WHICH THE VAST MAJORITY OF ROMANIANS
PRACTICE THEIR FAITH FREELY. HE NOTED THAT MFN CUT-OFF
WOULD NOT ONLY REMOVE OUR ABILITY TO RESOLVE CASES SUCH
AS FATHER CALCIU'S, BUT WOULD REMOVE THE "MINIMUM
RIGHT" OF THE OPPRESSED, THE RIGHT TO EMIGRATE.
ALTHOUGH HE STRESSED HIS LONGER PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
WITH CALCIU, HE DID NOT DISPUTE COLLINS' STATEMENT THAT
CALCIU OPPOSES MFN.
13. CONCLUSION: TRIBLE SAVED HIS STRONGEST LANGUAGE FOR
THE SUMMATION: THE U.S., WHICH PRIDES ITSELF ON ITS
MORAL POSTURE, OUGHT NOT TO DO BUSINESS WITH A REGIME
THAT DENIES BASIC HUMAN FREEDOMS. THE ADMINISTRATION
SIMPLY HAD NOT MADE ITS CASE CONVINCINGLY, HE SAID.
THE ILLUSION OF ROMANIAN INDEPENDENCE IS AT BEST
STRATEGICALLY INSIGNIFICANT AND MUST GIVE WAY TO THE
PARAMOUNT MORAL CONSIDERATIONS. BY ANY DEFINITION,
ROMANIA IS A MORALLY CORRUPT REGIME. EVEN IF MFN
SUSPENSION DOES NOT HAVE THE DESIRED EFFECT, SAID
TRIBLE, AT LEAST WE HAVE SHOWN THAT MFN WILL NO LONGER
BE ROUTINELY APPROVED ABSENT REAL EVIDENCE OF GOOD
FAITH PROGRESS.
14. ACTION REQUESTED: (A) EMBASSY IS REQUESTED TO
REPORT IN DETAIL ON THE FUNCTIONING OF THE AGREEMENT TO
REDUCE HARDSHIPS FOR EMIGRATION APPLICANTS. (B)
DEPARTMENT DOUBTS THAT THE TENOR OF THE HEARING WILL BE
REPORTED FULLY BY THE ROMANIAN EMBASSY TO BUCHAREST.
EMBASSY SHOULD SEEK APPOINTMENTS AT APPROPRIATELY HIGH
LEVELS TO CONVEY THE SERIOUS NATURE OF THE CURRENT
THREAT TO ROMANIA'S MFN STATUS. SHULTZ
CONFIDENTIAL
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CONF I DENT I AL
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