Recent Romnews postings
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Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 10:41:03 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: Recent Romnews postings
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Recent Romnews postings
Roma National Congress - youth section
THE UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION OF THE EUROPEAN ROMA YOUTH MOVEMENT
Kumanovo / Macedonia 15.12.1999
Declaration
on the OSCE "Roma youth of the 21st Century" conference from the 11th
till the 15th of December 1999 in Kumanovo/Macedonia.
In the context of the current situation and how the International
Organizations and Institutions and National Governments are dealing
with the Romani people, we need to point out that we see a dangerous
development in Eastern and Central Europe.
We see around a Million Roma who are expulsed through violence, racism
and discrimination from their Countries or prepare to leave them
because of this reasons.
The Roma from the Kosovo are a sad example, if even a Finnish Roma
from the Office of Security and Cooperation in Europe (O S C E)
contingent in Kosovo get attacked in the Kosovo, how it can be even an
Idea to bring the Roma from the Kosovo back to this place. The Roma
don't want this, they are afraid like the Office of Security and
Cooperation in Europe Mission in Kosovo can't ensure the life of their
own Romani employee.
Regarding to this Refugees, even if the Terminology of "Internal
Displaced People" is used, we demand that they become recognized as
Refugees after the United Nation Convention of Refugees from 1951.
We hope that the countries that were involved in this largest Roma
cleansing, raping, killing and destroying, have the strengths to stay
and face the result. The result are Roma refugees who don't have a
vision or any future, they are humans who are in terrible
psychological situations and who need professional help.
We also see every day that those who are refugees are suffering from
discrimination in their treatment.
The Roma National Congress and his youth section demand from the
responsible ountries to give this people a place were they can live,
to say officially what contingent of Romani refugees they take, that
the can go to school and work, without being afraid of their lives or
of that that their mothers, daughters and sisters are raped.
Especially Germany have a historical responsibility towards the
current Romani "Exodus" from the Kosovo.
Their is no way back to the Kosovo for the Roma!
On the situation of the Rome Refugees from Kosovo in Serbia and
Montenegro. The Roma in Serbia facing a humanitarian cathastrophe,
more than 80.000 Roma are Internally Displaced and are afraid to
register as refugees from the Kosovo because they will be send back to
that region. The Roma refugees don't live in the refugee camps because
their is no place for Roma people, the existing camps are full with
Serbian refuges from Croatia, Bosnia and now from the Kosovo. The
Serbian government is through the NATO campaign just not able to help
also the Roma refugees, the Roma are mainly accommodated in private
Roma families. This enclaves don't have the basic social installations
of Water and Electricity.
Roma from the Slovak and Czech Rep. seeking asylum in the countries of
the European Union, it's not a solution to send this people back. If
the European Union who is the main point of the working agendas of the
Foreign Relations of Czech and the Slovak Rep. ignore the
circumstances why the Roma seeking asylum in the EU, it will happened
that the Roma become a serious security issue in the Home countries.
Understand that when the Roma from the Czech and the Slovak Rep. have
no more possibility to leave and to be accepted, the violence against
them will turn. If someone is pushed to a corner he will bite finally.
And that's what we are warning from. The Kosovo can also happened in
the Czech and the Slovak Rep. and in other countries, it's shown to
different groups who don't like the Roma that the International
Organizations and Institutions are don't so much about Roma than about
others.
One of the European countries with a high level of institutional
discrimination is Romania and the Czech Rep. where the authorities are
continuing do not administrate or investigate the justice cases where
the Roma are victims.
We the Roma see a dark and violent future for our nation, we where the
lambs for the last thousand years in Europe, but in the development of
the Romani Movement we see that the radical between our lines getting
more and more. In this context we enforce the Regional and National
Governments and the International Organizations and Institutions start
a constructive dialogue with the working Regional Romani NGO's and
with the Congress of the Roma Nation the Roma National Congress.
---------------------------------
Dienstbier Reports on Situation in Kosovo
Beograd / SERBIA (RNN Correspondent) December the 10th, 1999
Jiri Dienstbier, U.N. representative, said in a report that the U.N.
is neither capable of establishing a civil government in Kosovo and
Metohija, nor can it guarantee protection for the non-Albanian
minorities. According to KFOR statistics, from June until August
1999, 280 people were killed in Kosovo and Metohija. New statistics
from the OSCE report that in the past four months, 348 murders, 116
kidnappings, 1070 thefts, and 1106 counts of arson were committed
against Roma, Serbians, and Kosovo Albanians loyal to the Serbians.
---------------------------------
Belgian Minister of Internal Affairs receives Opr� Roma delegation
Sint-Niklaas / BELGIUM (RNN Correspondent) December the 17th, 1999
After a new serious incident whereby Opr� Roma proved that the Belgian
Gouvernment again tried to deport Roma to Slovakia and in a week in
which several local actions took place in the city of Gent, a
delegation of Opr� Roma will visit Brussels today.
At 2 pm local time a delegation will be received by the Minister.
The delegation will firmly protest against the previous and new
actions taken to collectively deport Roma to Slovakia. In an Open
Letter we'll demand for a hold on any unvolontarily repatriation, an
investigation team on the previous deportation, a commission to follow
up the situation in Slovakia and of the families deported in October.
We apeal on you to send letters of protest and concern to Mr Duquesne
on 0032 2 5048500, please forward a copy to us as well.
A Group of 12 people will leave to Slovakia and Tsjechi� on the 25th
to visit several smaller comunities of Roma and to visit the deported
families also.
---------------------------------
Roma Demonstrate for Right to Remain in Germany
COLOGNE /GERMANY (Jasar Demirov for RNN) December the 11th, 1999
"I want to establish my future here" explains Fatmir Dervici, a young
Roma who fled from Kosovo to Cologne seven years ago. His many
applications for living permission were refused, and he therefore has
no woking permission - even though he has a prospective employer.
Dervici and other Roma demonstrated yesterday in Cologne for the
instigation of the 'Old Cases Settlement' which would give people, who
have lived for years in Germany, the legal right to remain. They have
also started a fax campaign to Interior Minister Schily. According to
an enactment from 29.3.1996, 'Old Cases' are families with children
(minors), who have lived in Germany without interruption since
1.7.1990. For families with children of age and singles the date is
1.1.1987. Anna Dal Martin from Rom e.V. in Cologne says that many
families fulfill the other obligations (they are employed and have
housing), but they arrived after the qualifying date. She knows of 300
Roma families living in Cologne without permission.
---------------------------------
Bulgarian Roma Leaders Urge Govt to Help Roma
Sofia / BULGARIA (RNN Correspondent) December the 17th, 1999
Leaders of Bulgaria's Romanies on Wednesday urged the government to
increase Roma representation in positions of power to meet European
Union human rights standards.
"We believe that what has been declared as official government policy
towards the country's Roma population should be done, especially after
Bulgaria was invited last week to start European Union membership
talks," the head of Bulgaria's Roma Confederation Petar Georgiev told
reporters.
Bulgaria is among countries invited by the EU last week to start
membership talks next year.
A monitoring team of the Council of Europe, which visited Bulgaria
earlier this month, said more needed to be done on human rights before
Bulgaria reached EU standards of democracy.
Georgiev was speaking after a session of the National Council on
Ethnic and Demographic Problems which unites government officials and
leaders of local Roma organisations.
Largely uneducated and unemployed, many of the country's some 800,000
Roma live in ghettos and have traditionally aroused suspicion among
Bulgarians. The government of Ivan Kostov, which took over in
mid-1997, has announced an ambitious programme to integrate them in
society and appoint their representatives in the local and central
administration.
---------------------------------
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