After 20 years from the brutal raid of the miners in Bucharest, conspiracy theories and rumors still circulate, without any clarifying answers. It seems like the truth about the mineriad (the name given to these violent events) must be extracted like the coal, during a long and complicated process.

On the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th of June 1990, thousands of miners from Valea Jiului, led by Miron Cozma, came to Bucharest to sustain security forces’ fight against those who were protesting in Piaţa Universităţii. After the general elections day on the 20^th of May, many Romanians participated at demonstrations, which aimed to achieving official recognition of the 8^th demand of the Proclamation of Timişoara, regarding the avoidance from holding official functions to communists and former communists, as they were dissatisfied with the governance.

Re-establishing the order process wasn’t successful. Various state institutions were attacked: groups of protestants set fire to the Minister of Interior and Romanian Information Services (SRI) buildings, devastated the National Archive and assaulted the National Television edifice. The miners’ violently intervention ended up tragically: four people were shut dead, one stabbed, 756 seriously injured and other 1,300 hit or abusively detained. Unofficial numbers show that more than 100 persons died. It was also black period for journalism, as some independent newspapers were prohibited. Furthermore, the new Government's already doubtful international reputation was compromised for some time.

Romanian Presidency and Secret Services are thought to be involved in organizing the mineriad, but the persons accused, such as the former President Ion Iliescu, the past Prime Minister Petre Roman, the ex-director of SRI Virgil Măgureanu or generals Mihai Chiţac, Cico Dumitrescu, Corneliu Diamandescu and Victor Athanase Stănculescu, haven’t been put under formal criminal investigation. Serious debates and complaints have hovered over their files.

The miners’ leader Miron Cozma was the only one to be imprisoned for the violent events he led in the’90s. Ion Iliescu, President of Romania at that time, pardoned him on the 15^th of December 2004, only a few days before his final term as President ended, but this pardon was revoked on the 16^th of December. Ion Iliescu still sustains without any regrets that we should all thank the miners because we still have a democracy, as they are a model of civic consciousness. He also admits that FSN (National Salvation Front) encouraged and helped the miners to come in the capital of Romania.

Petre Roman, former Prime Minister, made as well some interesting declarations during an interview at Radio România Actualităţi, one of the few regarding these events. He stated that the miners didn’t come spontaneously to Bucharest. Besides, Petre Roman believes that on the 13^th of June we were witnesses at a revenge attempt of the ex-Security system. Moreover, he admits that the fire set at the state institutions were planned, as the documents destroyed concerned facts before 1989 and from December 1989 that could have incriminated many politics leaders.

The controversy still surrounds the events from June 1990. The only thing that brings a good light over the mineriad is that some of those involved remove it from the ‘no comment’ category and start breaking the silence. But until the whole truth we have to walk a long way.

Diana-Adela Ionita/LaSpecula.com