We are preparing for the Day of Szekler Freedom, in a year in which we commemorate the centenary of the Szekler National Council. Just as Paál Árpád’s plan for a Szekler Republic becomes a century old, so will the Szekler self-determination movement.
We are preparing for the Day of Szekler Freedom, in a year in which we remember the unlawfully abolished Hungarian Autonomous Region for the fifth decade now. We face the fact that to this very day, the Romanian government and parliament wishes to uphold this current state – the last legacy of the rightfully despised Ceausescu regime.
We are preparing for the Day of Szekler Freedom, in a year in which Szeklerland’s autonomy statue is before the parliament of Romania for the third time – The draft law that expresses the Szekler people’s demand for autonomy faithfully and lawfully, in line with the results of the referendum in 2008, in line with the resolutions adopted by 63 Szekler Municipalities.
We are preparing for the Day of Szekler Freedom in a year, when the Romanian Prime Minister threatened to have us hanged, should we display the Szekler flag, and not one human rights organization protested because of this unacceptable declaration.
Let us gather at the Postarét in Marosvásárhely, on the 10th of March, at 16:00. From there we go to the central square, in front of the prefecture, as in previous years. This year’s challenge is whether we will have enough strength to capture the attention of the Romanian public as well as that of the rest of the world. Can we send them the message, that we will not allow ourselves to be intimidated? We must remain strong, courageous and consistent, and we will let the entire world know: by constitutional means, without violence, but with unwavering determination, we demand the freedom of the Szeklers. We demand Szeklerland’s right to self-determination within the state of Romania.
We call upon the inhabitants of Szeklerland to once again commemorate the Day of Szekler Freedom, and upon sympathetic to our cause, to come to Marosvásárhely, to express our community’s desire for autonomy, peacefully and with dignity. We call upon the Hungarian parties, non-governmental organizations and congregations of historical Hungarian churches, to be a part of the preparations and to encourage the Szeklers and all of Transylvania's Hungarians to participate. As organizers, we ensure that buses will leave from Barót, Csikszereda, Gyergyószentmiklós, Kézdivásárhely, Kovászna, Sepsiszentgyörgy, Székelyudvarhely, Szováta and any from any place where they are needed.
We call upon the organizations of the Hungarians living all over the world to gather before the Romanian embassies with Szekler flags, on 10 March 2018, and express their solidarity with the Szekler autonomy movement. It is important that as many of us gather as necessary. We need to make it clear, that we will not be intimidated by neither threats, nor the unending persistence of unlawful measures. The stake of our struggle is, and will continue to be, the freedom of the Szeklers.
Izsák Balázs
President of the Szekler National Council
5 February 2018, Marosvásárhely