RFE/RL Daily Report
                        No. 129, 11 July 1994



ROMANIAN GOVERNMENT POSTPONES ARCHEOLOGICAL DIG IN CLUJ. In a
communique released on 8 July and broadcast by Radio Bucharest,
the Romanian government announced that it has decided to suspend
the controversial archeological digging in the Cluj square where
the statue of King Matthias Corvinus is placed. One day earlier
the intention to begin with the dig had triggered protests by the
Hungarian minority, and police had been forced to intervene. The
Hungarian government had protested against the intention and the
Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania had appealed to UNESCO
and other international forums. The Government said a commission
of experts from the Ministry of Culture would determine whether
the activity was opportune and that meanwhile excavation equipment
would be removed. The controversial extreme-nationalist mayor of
Cluj, Gheorghe Funar said the governments decision had no
validity, since the digging had not yet began. He called on the
executive to set up a commission to investigate what he called the
anti-Romanian activities of the HDFR. Presidential spokesman
Traian Chebeleu said the HDFR appeal to international
organizations was regrettable and unwarranted. Michael Shafir,
RFE/RL, Inc.

[As of 1200 CET]

Compiled by Ustina Markus and Stan Markotich
Copyright 1994, RFE/RL, Inc. All rights reserved.