COCKTAILS FOR THE ROMA - MOLOTOV STYLE

UNCLAS BUDAPEST 000663

SIPDIS

EUR/NCE FOR MARC NORDBERG

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI HU
SUBJECT: COCKTAILS FOR THE ROMA - MOLOTOV STYLE

REF: Budapest 493 and previous


1. Summary: Recent Molotov cocktail attacks on Roma houses in the
village of Patka highlight a growing trend of open confrontation
between Roma and non-Roma Hungarian citizens in various locales.
Village officials and the local "Civil Guard" group face racism
claims in their effort to maintain law and order. The appearance of
Magyar Garda members and Roma Hungarian European Parliament Member
Viktoria Mohacsi did little to diffuse the situation in a search for
common understanding. End summary.

--------------
Evening Cocktails in Roma Homes
--------------

2. A small village of 1659 inhabitants (eight percent Roma),Patka
lies 45 miles southwest of Budapest. Late in the evening of June 3,
allegedly members of the local Civil Guards - not related to the
Magyar Garda - threw Molotov cocktails into three Roma homes,
causing minor damage but no injuries. The three Civil Guard members
suspected of throwing the Molotov cocktails were detained by the
Police a few days after the attack. Following the Civil Guards'
arrest, the local council issued a statement signed by 500
residents, expressing support for the three until the investigation
is complete.


3. During a visit by EmbOffs to Patka on June 19, Mayor Bela Furi
commented that Roma and non-Roma residents used to live together in
peace but now, four or five Roma individuals routinely break the law
and harass the community residents. Furi stated that he and the
local council are looking for ways to ensure citizens obey the law,
noting that for almost 10 years the 39 member volunteer Civil Guard
unit has operated in the village to help deter crime. (Note: the
Civil Guard has no Roma members. End note.)

--------------
Yearning for the good old days...
--------------

4. Interspersed with council members' comments about Roma
"horse-stealing, illegal apple picking, and limited trainability of
Roma in only certain skill areas," the Doyen of the city council,
Lajos Gyenei, expressed his opinion that the regime change generated
most of the problems because Roma people are not obliged to have a
job or permanent housing anymore. Continuing, Gyenei said that due
to the poorly designed social welfare system, unemployed people who
have many children and live solely on social benefits gain more than
those who work for minimum wage. (Note: As septel will report, this
is part of a growing chorus of complaints regarding the welfare
system, and both the government and the opposition are talking about
reforms to link receipt of benefits to performance of community
work. End note.) This system encourages the so-called "crime for
living" phenomena. Gyenei underscored that "the community has had
enough of them stealing the fruits of the work of others." Mayor
Furi and the Village Notary, Szilard Visi, both cited Roma players
on the local soccer team as evidence that "there is no racism in the
village." They both characterized the "unfortunate incident" as a
police matter, blaming the media and politicians for crying racism.


5. Additionally, the Mayor said that the integration of the local
elementary school and unintended consequences has fueled public
tension. When Roma students were integrated by law, the majority of
non-Roma students left, enrolling in the nearby city of
Szekesfehervar. With only a few remaining Roma children, the
municipality could no longer finance the local school and it has
been closed.

--------------
Local "crime," local "justice?"
--------------

6. Perhaps a catalyst for the recent attacks, in 2007 a young,
drunk, Patka Roma man hit a non-Roma girl with his car. The girl
suffered serious, lasting injuries. On June 2, 2008, one day before
the Molotov cocktail attacks, the court found the driver guilty but
suspended the sentence due to his mental instability. The Roma
driver's house was one of those targeted with the Molotov cocktails.


--------------
"Outsiders'" interference
--------------

7. Responding to the attacks and the Civil Guard members' arrest,
the "Together for Patka" Civil Group organized a village forum on
June 13, inviting the Magyar Garda. Jozsef Furi, the Mayor's
brother, and a "Together for Patka" member, praised their
attendance, commenting that "the Magyar Garda is not against anyone,
they simply stand at the side of honest people, showing them that
they are not alone if they need protection." (Note: no Roma is a
member of the "Together for Patka" Civil Group. End note.)


8. In response, European Parliamentary Member (MEP) Viktoria
Mohacsi, a Roma, invited approximately 100 Roma men from other
villages to be present. Separated from the 120 Magyar Garda members
by police, shouting epithets was the extent of the confrontation.
Ms. Mohacsi further stirred Patka's emotions when she raised the
issue at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on June 16. Mayor
Furi told EmbOffs he blamed Ms. Mohacsi for interfering in a local
affair, "spreading her lies in the media and in the European
Parliament, only aggravating the situation." He noted that she did
not even visit him while in Patka on June 13.

--------------
The rest of the story?
--------------

9. Emboffs also met with Istvan Lakatos, one of the Roma victims of
the Molotov cocktail attack and a former member of the local city
council. Lakatos said that the attack was unprovoked and that he
has serious concerns about the future relations between the Roma and
non-Roma citizens in Patka. He noted that the Mayor did not even
come to visit the occupants of the three homes after the attacks.
Lakatos also praised Ms. Mohacsi's demonstration of solidarity with
the local Roma people, commenting that "only her involvement saved
the lives of Roma residents."


10. Ms. Mohacsi told EmbOffs on June 20, that "racism is behind the
Molotov cocktail incident -- what else could it be?" When asked by
PolOff if her invitation to Roma men from other towns may have
exacerbated the situation, Mohacsi acknowledged that she "was not
thinking when one of my colleagues offered to bring a couple of
strong Roma men from the neighboring cities to a rally where Magyar
Garda is invited [but], I believe Magyar Garda is a threat to Roma
people who have no confidence in police defending them."


11. Interestingly, the Mayor, Istvan Lakatos and Viktoria Mohacsi
all mentioned an American investor's plan to build a wellness resort
in Patka. Lakatos and Mohacsi both mentioned this investment as
playing a role in trying to "drive" the Roma out of the village
because "the investment will only happen if no Roma live in the town
anymore."

--------------
Co-existence - on whose terms?
--------------

12. During the visit to Patka, the city council members provided
Emboffs a draft copy of the "Moral Agreement of Co-existence" that
they plan to distribute to all the residents. If the majority signs
the agreement outlining "correct" social behavior and rules, the
agreement will take effect. Guidelines include appropriate
greetings to each other based on age and gender, respect for public
institutions, public buildings, public officials, church leaders,
and public and private property. Queried as to the "punishment" if
someone breaks a rule, the council members stated they have yet to
decide. The Mayor postponed a planned June 25 meeting to discuss the
agreement and other issues with the local Roma community pending the
Roma's approval of their representatives.


13. Comment. The Patka Molotov cocktail incident raises the ante
of anti-Roma activity in Hungary. The presence of the Magyar Garda
continues the trend of their appearance in smaller towns and
villages - where observers tell us they are strongest - and where
Magyar Garda leaders say Roma criminality is a huge problem. The
Patka attack, coupled with Magyar Garda "appearances" in two other
villages during the same week, considerably lowers the flash point
for physical confrontation between the Magyar Garda and Roma
counter-protestors. We will continue to monitor events carefully
over the summer and restate our tolerance message at every
opportunity.
FOLEY