Ethnic Hungarians in Serbia, Romania on Hungarian referendum

APTN Subotica, Serbia - 29 November 2004 1. Road sign to Subotica in Cyrillic alphabet, Latin alphabet and in Hungarian 2. Wide of Subotica town centre 3. People in streets 4. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Jozef Kasa, President of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians "Even though we speak Hungarian quite well, the motherland still does not seem to want us. So we are in a difficult situation. Here (in Serbia) they beat us, we are considered second-class citizens. We also face discrimination when it comes to employment and other things, while our brothers in Hungary are unsure whether to help us or not." 5. Various of signs outside Nepker, the Hungarian cultural centre in Subotica 6. Hungarian cultural centre building 7. Street sign in both Serbian and Hungarian 8. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Vox Pop "I am a pure-blooded Hungarian and if I were given the opportunity to leave (Serbia), I would go." 9. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Vox Pop "I think the Hungarians fear that we will take their jobs or something like that. But they have nothing to fear because I could go and work in for example France or Sweden where the conditions are much better." 10. Street sign in Serbian and Hungarian 11. City theatre Sfintu Gheorghe, Romania - 30 November 2004 12. Entrance to the city 13. People in streets 14. Hungarian newspapers 15. Shop with signs in both Romanian and Hungarian 16. Various of memorial for Hungarian poet 17. Walter Willman, chief editor of Radio Mix Hungarian radio station, talking into microphone 18. SOUNDBITE (Hungarian) Walter Willman, Radio Mix chief editor "The dual citizenship proposal has more of a sentimental value, to cure 80-year old wounds. There are no economic advantages, especially because we would have to pay (higher) taxes there." 19. Willman at microphone 20. Various of posters calling for territorial autonomy 21. Night rally in town by supporters of autonomy and dual citizenship 22. SOUNDBITE (Hungarian) Vox Pop "We light candles and torches to stress our wish for territorial autonomy and for dual citizenship." 23. Various of vigil STORYLINE: Hungarians go to the polls on Sunday in a referendum on granting dual citizenship to ethnic Hungarians living abroad. The Hungarian government fears a "yes" result could spark a mass exodus into Hungary and burden social services, wreaking havoc on an already-wobbly state budget. There are about 2.5 (m) million ethnic Hungarians in neighbouring countries, the result of the post-World War I dismantling of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1920, when Hungary lost two-thirds of its territory and 60 percent of its population. The fate of ethnic Hungarians, has long been a politically and emotionally charged issue, particularly during the almost 50 years, until 1990, when the region was under Soviet domination and the rights of ethnic minorities were regularly abused. While supporters say giving ethnic Hungarians citizenship would help cure the trauma of Trianon, the 1920 treaty which carved up Hungary, opponents s