HC Deb 16 February 1948 vol 447 cc144-5W
Major Beamish

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will circulate in the Official Report the full text of his most recent note of protest sent to the Roumanian Government.

Mr. McNeil

Yes. The following is the text of the note, which was dated 2nd February.I have to remind the Roumanian Government that, by the Declaration on Liberated Europe signed at Yalta in February, 1945, His Majesty's Government assumed an obligation to assist the Roumanian people to solve, by democratic means, its pressing political problems, and through free elections to establish a government responsive to the will of the people. Later, in January, 1946, consequent on the re-organisation of the Roumanian Government by Soviet, American and British representatives, the Roumanian Prime Minister, Dr. Groza, gave certain assurances to Sir A. Clark Kerr, guaranteeing freedom of the Press, of speech, of religion and of the rights of political association to the Roumanian people. Finally, by the Treaty of Peace signed by the Roumanian Government in February, 1947, which came into force on the 15th September, the Roumanian Government assumed the obligations set out in Article 3 of that Treaty to ensure certain human rights and fundamental freedoms to the Roumanian people. The Roumanian Government will recall that His Majesty's Government felt obliged to protest at the time against the fraudulent conduct of the elections of November, 1946. They must now record their view that the rights and freedoms set out in the Assurances of January, 1946, and in Article 3 of the Peace Treaty have been, and continue to be, violated both in the letter and in the spirit. In particular, the National Peasant Party has been suppressed and other Opposition Parties have been constrained by one means or another to suspend their activities. The Opposition Press, including the newspapers Jurnalul de Dimineata, Dreptatea, and Liberalul, have been obliged to cease publication. With the entry into force of the Treaty of Peace, His Majesty's Government had hoped that the Roumanian Government would realise the necessity and importance of remedying this state of affairs in accordance with the obligations imposed by Article 3. However, illegal arrests still continue, on charges of economic sabotage and fascist activities or even without specific charge; and these are rarely followed by trial within a reasonable period. Many prisoners arrested months ago for unspecified reasons, about whose position and illegal arrests His Majesty's Government remonstrated at the tune, are still retained in prison under deplorable conditions or have died under detention. The Opposition Parties and Press remain unable to function. His Majesty's Government accordingly wish to place on record their considered view that so long as these suppressions and arrests are maintained, a situation exists which is in breach of the Treaty obligations of the Roumanian Government and with the assurances given by Dr. Groza in January, 1946.