Recent Romnews postings
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Date: Sat, 27 Nov 1999 18:02:35 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: Recent Romnews postings
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
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Recent Romnews postings
Albright response to Commission/Roma Refugees
In July, the Chairman, Co-Chairman, and Ranking Members of the
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe wrote to Secretary of
State Madeleine Albright about the situation of the Roma from Kosovo.
The text of the July letter is printed below, followed by Secretary
Albright's response (received last week).
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(From the moderator: for the full text of the CSCE letter see MINELRES
archive at
http://racoon.riga.lv/minelres/archive//07161999-18:06:36-9707.html)
Boris
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United States
Department of State
Washington, D. C
20520
NOV-3 1999
Dear Mr. Chairman:
Thank you for your letter of July 14, regarding the Roma minority of
Kosovo and measures the Department is taking to ensure their safety.
We regret the delay in responding to your inquiry.
We share your concern for the safety and security of all the residents
of Kosovo. Through contributions to the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees, (UNHCR) and the Red Cross, the United
States provides substantial funds throughout the former Yugoslavia to
support refugee assistance and protection.
Pursuant to the 1951 United Nations Convention on the Status of
Refugees, the United States strongly supports the work of the UNHCR in
providing protection for millions of refugees worldwide, including
Roma. The United States contributes approximately 25% of the budget
for UNHCR activities worldwide. The United States also actively
encourages other nations to sign the treaty and support the protection
of refugees.
While no special refugee admission programs have been established for
Roma, the United States has processed over 50 Roma for refugee
admissions in the past six months. The United States remains ready to
process for refugee admission, regardless of ethnicity, any refugee
from the Kosovo conflict whom the UNHCR determines is in need of
resettlement.
As you may recall, special provisions were established to accept
Kosovar refugees in Macedonia under the Humanitarian Evacuation
Program. This program was established both for humanitarian reasons
and to relieve Macedonia of the burden of sheltering hundreds of
thousands of refugees, thereby encouraging Macedonia to maintain its
policy of accepting refugees for first asylum. The Humanitarian
Evacuation Program was not open to those who remained in Kosovo or
fled to Serbia or Montenegro.
A key aspect of the usual definition of refugee is the crossing of an
international border. To be eligible for refugee processing, Kosovar
Roma must have fled from their country of origin. Those who have fled
to other countries, including Hungary, should contact the UNHCR
regarding protection, assistance and, if needed, the possibility of
resettlement in a third country. The UNHCR will then work within
long-established -international guidelines in assisting them. Those
who have gone to Serbia, though ineligible for U.S. resettlement
programs, receive significant aid from the international community,
including U.S. aid via our above-mentioned contributions to the UNHCR
and the Red Cross. Those who remain in Kosovo benefit from aid
programs funded directly and indirectly by the United States and the
international community. They also have the right to seek protection
by NATO forces currently in Kosovo.
We hope this information is useful to you. Please do not hesitate to
contact the Department of State if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
Barbara Larkin
Assistant Secretary
Legislative Affairs
---------------------------------
OSCE Summit Language on Roma
[Circulated by the U.S. Delegation to the OSCE Summit]
November 18, 1999 / 0845
Fact Sheet: Roma and Sinti
Background. Roma are one the most vulnerable minorities in the OSCE
region. They migrated from India to Europe in the early part of this
millennium and brought with them their own language (Romani, related
to Hindi) and distinct cultural traditions. Roma in German-speaking
countries are known as Sinti. The name "Gypsy," which Roma are more
commonly called in English-speaking countries, is a corruption of the
word "Egyptian," reflecting a mistaken belief that Roma had come from
Egypt. Many Roma reject "Gypsy" as pejorative and prefer, instead,
"Roma" (a term of self-ascription from the Romani language). There
are Romani minorities in virtually every OSCE participating State,
including an estimated one million in the United States, but they are
concentrated in Central and Southern Europe. Romani history in Europe
has been characterized by severe repression, including enslavement in
Romania and Moldova and efforts to assimilate them forcibly. During
the Holocaust, Roma were targeted by the Nazis for extermination.
Since 1990, Roma have become the targets of racially motivated
violence in some post-Communist countries. The absence of legislation
to protect Roma from discrimination in the workplace, public places,
education, housing, and the military often leaves Roma without legal
recourse in many countries. This year, they have been the targets of
violence by ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. In the Czech Republic
recently, the city of Usti nad Labem constructed a wall to divide Roma
from non-Romani residents. The United States has commended the Czech
government and parliament for opposing the wall, which is incompatible
with a democratic society. The Romani civil rights movement is
increasingly organized. The OSCE has a Contact Point for Roma and
Sinti Issues, appointed in May. He has been active in advising the
OSCE mission to Kosovo on issues relating to the Romani minority
there.
The OSCE, with comprehensive scope and membership, is well suited to
provide further assistance and guidance to countries seeking to
improve respect for their Romani minority. The High Commissioner on
National Minorities will soon release a detailed report on Romani
issues. A summary of his recommendations is available at:
www.osce.org/inst/hcnm/index. The High Commissioner, in his capacity
as Chair of the Southeast European Stability Pact's Working Table on
Democracy and Human Rights, has established a Human Rights and Ethnic
Minorities Task Force to investigate measures to safeguard the rights
of Roma.
Key Developments. With strong U.S. support and urging, Summit leaders
in Istanbul have given increased priority to Roma issues. In the
Charter for European Security, the leaders have recognized the
particular difficulties faced by the Roma and the need to undertake
effective measures in order to achieve full equality of opportunity
consistent with OSCE commitments, and said they would reinforce their
efforts to ensure that Roma are able to play a full and equal part in
our societies and to eradicate discrimination against them. In the
Summit Declaration, the leaders committed to ensure that laws and
policies fully respect the rights of Roma and, where necessary, to
promote anti-discrimination legislation to this effect. The leaders
recognized that these issues are primarily a responsibility of the
OSCE states concerned. The United States will work actively in the
OSCE Permanent Council to be sure the new Summit priority for Roma
issues leads to stronger support and concrete actions.
________________
Excerpt from the OSCE Charter for European Security, adopted by the
OSCE
Heads of State and Government in Istanbul, Turkey, Nov. 19, 1999
20. We recognize the particular difficulties faced by Roma and Sinti
and the need to undertake effective measures in order to achieve full
equality of opportunity, consistent with OSCE commitments, for persons
belonging to Roma and Sinti. We will reinforce our efforts to ensure
that Roma and Sinti are able to play a full and equal part in our
societies, and to eradicate discrimination against them.
________________
Excerpt from the OSCE Summit Declaration, Nov. 19, 1999
31. We deplore violence and other manifestations of racism and
discrimination against minorities, including the Roma and Sinti. We
commit ourselves to ensure that laws and policies fully respect the
rights of Roma and Sinti and, where necessary, to promote
anti-discrimination legislation to this effect. We underline the
importance of careful attention to the problems of the social
exclusion of Roma and Sinti. These issues are primarily a
responsibility of the participating States concerned. We emphasize the
important role that the ODIHR Contact Point for Roma and Sinti issues
can play in providing support. A further helpful step might be the
elaboration by the Contact Point of an action plan of targeted
activities, drawn up in co-operation with the High Commissioner on
National Minorities and others active in this field, notably the
Council of Europe.
---------------------------------
Latest information from Kosovo
In the last few days, visits by the foreign missions in Kosovo became
more frequent. Also big interest was shown for the visit of the
American diplomat William Walker, the man who criticised regime
politics before the war in Kosovo and whose contribution in Racak,
finding the remains of the victims in the village Racak was
considerable. For the media, he said: Now the Albanians must stop
their repression toward non-Albanian population in Kosovo or they face
the risk to lose the world support. These were the risk to lose the
world support. These were the words said by Mr. Walker to the
non-Albanian population in the theatre in Pristina.
After their visit in Kosovo, independent journalists and
representatives of the foreign associations, as well as the government
in Belgrade, they all inform about indolent attitude of KFOR und UNMIK
and especially about indolent attitude of Mr. Bernard Kouchner. These
remarks are made for not solving yet the way for protection for the
Serbs and Roma population, because they are still victims of the
ethnical cleansings.
As for the situation of the Roma in Kosovo, after several visits from
Roma representatives to OSCE: Mr. Nicolae Gergihie, Mr. Helge Valama
from Finland and one of the truly American fighters for telling the
truth about Roma in Kosovo and on the Balkans, we can say that
according to the report from UNHCR, the Roma children participate in
education, but also according to the UNHCR the majority of them are
Askalis or Egyptians, and only minor number of them are Rom. For such
claims, the Roma from Kosovo, now dispersed, protest, and say that:
All the Roms in Kosovo are Rom and they can be nothing but Rom,
because they were Roms for centuries.
They say that in Orahovica 400 Rom children take their education in
Albanian language. First, there can�t be such number of Rom children
there. Second, all the Rom in the Kosovo at the present are forced to
say that there is no pression at all toward them. Because of the
current situation in Kosovo, they are simply forced to do it.
Mr. Paul Polanski has visited all Rom settlements in Kosovo and his
report is a real and objective one. The situation of the Roms are real
disastrous. For the moment, even the idea of the refugees returning to
Kosovo is impossible. Many of the Roms' houses are burnt to the ground
and robbed. At this moment, in Kosovo reigns nothing but the criminal
and the violence. On 04.11.1999, Mr. Nicolae Gheorgie, the advisor for
the Roma and Sinti ISSUE Roma in OSCE ODIHR Warsaw, had a meeting in
Pristina with some Roma leaders from several towns and he was informed
about the situation. The camp in Obilic will be closed after
rebuilding of some houses in Prepelica for acceptance of Roma. For
UNHCR it seems that the winter must begin, so they finally start to
rebuild the houses for the Roma from the camp in Obilic. Among the
policemen of the first class of Kosovo police who should protect all
the citizens of Kosovo, there is no single Roma.
In Macedonia and Serbia, the Roma are settled in camps, in tents. They
obtained only a small amount of help. Many of the Roma nongoverment
organisations as well as many other non Roma nongoverment
organisations as well as many other non Roma organisations ask
permission from UNHCR, so they can give their humanitarian help
directly to the Roma children and to the adults in clothings, but they
are refused because, "The refugees have
everything necessary".?!
During his last visit in the camp Stenkovec-2, Mr. Nicolae Gheorgie
noticed that: Many of the refugees don't have suitable clothes, it is
cold in the tents and that all the refugees are considerably worried
for their future. Until today, UNHCR intent to settle the refugees in
some summer places in Macedonia because they are empty during the
winter.
These places are in western Mcedonia where the majority of the
population are Albanians. According to the informations obtained on
04.11.1999 by the refugees in the camp, two Roma went to the nearest
village to provide necessities. One Albanian provoked them driving his
car directly toward them in high speed. After the Albanian stepped out
of the car, they had quarrel and fight. The two Roma were taken in by
the police and since Monday we expect the sentence. It is more than
sure that the sentence will be only against the two Roma and that they
will be sentenced to jail. Similar incidents occurred before this in
large number near the camp Stenkovac 2, especially in Skopje, on "Bit
Pazar". In the last few days nobody of the international institutions
cares for the Roma. The refugees ask themselves: Did Europe want to
ignore the issue of Roma and in the same time to punish them?
Ashmet Elezovski board member of the Roma National Congress
[email protected]
Roma Community Center "DROM" Kumanovo
Lokalitet Serava prizemje 7a
91300 Kumanovo R.Macedonia
---------------------------------
Majority of Slovaks would dislike Roma as neighbors
Bratislava / SLOVAK REP. (RNN Correspondent)
November the 24th, 1999
Nine out of ten Slovaks would not want Roma to be their neighbors.
This is the result of a Public opinion poll of about 1000 people by
the "Focus" Institute. It was published by the Slovak press on
Saturday.
Roughly 5 � 10% of the Slovak population are Roma. Because of the
isolation of minorities, Roma ghettos have been established in many
places in the past years. Due to Vincent Danihel, representative of
the Slovak government for the Roma, the unemployment of Roma amounts
to nearly 100%. They can exist only by government aid.
In the past months thousands of Roma emigrated to countries as Great
Britain, Belgium, and Scandinavia. However, in most cases no political
asylum was granted to them.
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