Ukraine adopted a discriminatory law against Transcarpathian Hungarians, which is why the Hungarian interest protection organizations in Ukraine continue to protest.
The amendments to the minority law recently submitted by the Ukrainian parliament and accepted in the first reading do not restore the previous rights of Ukrainian national minorities, the Subcarpathian Hungarian Cultural Association (KMKSZ) and the Hungarian Democratic Association of Ukraine (UMDSZ) stated in their joint statement published on Friday. The two most significant Hungarian interest protection organizations in Ukraine "state with regret that the proposals made by Hungarian organizations were not taken into account when amending the law this time either".
According to the text of the amendment to the law adopted in the first reading, one of the important criteria for the definition of national minorities, that "its representatives traditionally live in the territory of Ukraine", will be deleted. Ultimately, this "results in the emptying of the concept of national minority and the exclusion of any collective rights associated with minorities," the statement points out.
According to the joint statement of KMKSZ and UMDSZ sent to MTI, "several clauses of the legislation are discriminatory or merely declarative in nature, which can give way to arbitrary interpretation".
The amendment adopted in the first reading still does not ensure the rights of minorities guaranteed in the constitution or in other international documents, and "does not restore the previously existing minority rights"
says the document.
Hungarian interest protection organizations in Ukraine have previously criticized the new law on Ukraine's national minorities (communities), adopted in December 2022, and its planned amendments on several occasions.
MTI
Featured image: Tamás Vass/A Munkácsi II. Facebook page of Ferenc Rákóczi Secondary School
