ROMA ISSUES ROUND-UP FOR SLOVAKIA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRATISLAVA 000706

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TAGS: PHUM SOCI PGOV LO
SUBJECT: ROMA ISSUES ROUND-UP FOR SLOVAKIA

REF: A. 03 BRATISLAVA 1178

B. BRATISLAVA 586

C. 05 BRATISLAVA 661

D. 05 BRATISLAVA 888

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PAST STERILIZATION OF ROMANI WOMEN - ISSUE REOPENED
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1. (U) The August 14 release of the U.S. Helsinki
Commission's report on sterilization of Romani women without
informed consent in the Czech Republic and Slovakia has
spurred a reaction in Slovakia. The report received media
coverage on both television and radio. Deputy Prime Minister
for Human Rights and Minorities Dusan Caplovic announced on
August 17 that he will discuss the issue of past
sterilization of Romani without consent with the Minister of
Health. He said that he intends to review the government
investigations (ref A) that took place in 2003.


2. (SBU) Klara Orgovanova, Plenipotentiary for Roma Affairs,
confirmed that the Slovak government has not made a final
decision about possible compensation for victims of
sterilization. In a print interview appearing on August 21,
Orgovanova noted that it is within Caplovic's purview to
follow the issue.


3. (SBU) In a meeting on August 16, the MFA Deputy Director
for Human Rights said the report was "surprising" and that
certain words were "offensive". She noted that
investigations had been conducted and new laws had been
enacted to ensure that informed consent is given, to allow
greater access to one's own medical files, and to expand
access to healthcare for Romani communities. The issue is
not closed, she said, since victims have the right to file
suit to receive compensation. However, to date no victim has
received compensation. Two suits have gone to the European
Court of Human Rights, several suits are in process in the
Slovak courts, and several suits have been terminated for
lack of cause.

ROMA HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL GARNERS HIGH LEVEL ATTENDANCE
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4. (U) On August 4, Prime Minister Robert Fico spoke at the
unveiling of a Roma Holocaust Memorial in Dunajska Streda,
Slovakia to commemorate Porrajmos, the genocide of Roma
during WWII. Labor and Social Affairs Minister Viera
Tomanova, head of the President's office Milan Cic, Hungarian
(and ethnic Romani) MEP Viktoria Mohacs, and others also made
short remarks. While this event unveiled the first
"Memorial" (i.e., free-standing structure) in honor of the
Roma Holocaust, other commemorations and plaque unveilings
have occurred for the past few years.


5. (SBU) While the commemoration included an exhibition of
photographs of a Slovak-Romani artist, Jozef Ravasz, who also
spoke at the event, there was a noticeable lack of Slovak
Roma in attendance. No one from the Roma Plenipotentiary's
Office made the hour-long drive to Dunajska Streda. Ladislav
Richter, the Slovak-Romani organizer, had previously
contested Klara Orgovanova for the position of
Plenipotentiary. Richter and the NGOs that he is affiliated
with are not well-respected by the young Romani activist
crowd. Several Romani NGOs were unaware of, and apparently
uninvited to, the event. Despite these behind-the-scenes
issues, the event received positive attention in the
mainstream Slovak press.

ROMA ACTIVISTS POSITIVE ABOUT MEETING WITH DPM CAPLOVIC
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6. (U) On August 7, the New Roma Generation and the Milan
Simecka Foundation issued a press release expressing their
satisfaction after a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Dusan
Caplovic. According to the statement, Caplovic understood
the issues of the Romani community and promised a higher
level of engagement. The meeting stemmed from a
well-publicized press conference of Romani activists calling
for the new government to keep its campaign promises (ref B).
Shortly after that press conference, Caplovic publicly
announced his intention to meet with the organizers and told
the press that he intended to increase financial resources
for the Romani community and minority cultures in general.
We understand that Caplovic has formally requested all
relevant ministries to come up with ideas for dealing with
the issue of Roma integration.


7. (SBU) The August 7 press release was drafted and issued
solely by the Romani NGOs. One trainer from the National
Democratic Institute described the effort as demonstrating

BRATISLAVA 00000706 002.2 OF 002


good initiative and strategy, but lacking in refinement and
execution. The timing proved a few days too late to ride on
the wave of media attention of the promises in the government
program statement and the language used was overly complex
and thus unlikely to be quoted by media outlets. (COMMENT.
This shows a need for ongoing training in all fields for
these promising young leaders. They are seeking funding for
English language training from the British Embassy to be able
to expand contacts and capture grants from abroad. END
COMMENT.)

ROMA SWIMMING BAN RESCINDED
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8. (U) In eastern Slovakia, the town council of Vysny Kazimir
had issued a ban, later signed by the mayor, to prevent all
Roma from going to a nearby pond used for fishing and
swimming by local residents. The council said that Romani
youths from a neighboring town were hassling others while
there and were polluting the pond by swimming fully-clothed
and riding their bicycles directly into it. Thanks to
immediate pressure from the Roma Plenipotentiary's Office and
local NGOs, the town council adopted a new resolution on
August 15 which did not ban Roma but simply stated that
anyone causing damage to the pond would be fined.

SOLUTION TO ROMA WALL IN SMALLER SETTING?
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9. (U) About 20 residents of the southern Slovak town of
Levice have complained about a neighboring housing complex
which houses people evicted from other places for non-payment
of rent, almost all of whom are Roma. The complaints include
late-night noise and harassment by the children. On August
14, the daily newspaper SME quoted the mayor as saying,
"Maybe we will separate them by a fence with an entrance path
or establish a neighborhood police office in one of the
buildings."


10. (SBU) The mayor's statement hints that he is aware of the
resolution to the proposed Presov - Stara Tehelna wall last
year (refs C and D) and may be trying to seek a similar
result, although it is unknown what type of "fence" he
intends. At this point, the Embassy has not engaged but will
follow the issue. This is a much smaller town with fewer
Romani-related tensions than Presov. We will allow time
first to see if the appropriate domestic entities, including
the Plenipotentiary's Office and local NGOs, can apply the
lessons learned from their previous experiences to ensure
that any proposed solution is acceptable to both Roma and
non-Roma residents.

THREAT AT ROMA CONSTRUCTION SITE BEING INVESTIGATED
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11. (U) On August 18, the Slovak media reported that a bullet
casing inside a partial skull had been left at a construction
site of apartments expected to be occupied by Roma in the
eastern Slovak village of Letanovce. Attached to the skull
was a note directed to the mayor threatening that if he did
not halt the construction, he would end up like the bones.
The note also indicated that two activated grenades had been
left at the site. Special technicians and trained service
dogs found no trace of any explosives. The police have
initiated a criminal investigation on the grounds of
extortion and spreading alarm.
VALLEE