Helsinki commissioners urge Czech leaders
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Subject: Helsinki commissioners urge Czech leaders
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Helsinki commissioners urge Czech leaders
CSCE NEWS RELEASE
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
234 Ford House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-6460
Rep. Christopher H. Smith, Co-Chairman
Contact: Chadwick R. Gore
(202) 225-1901
[email protected]
www.house.gov/csce/
Helsinki Commissioners Reps. Smith and Hoyer Urge Czech Leaders to
Condemn Xenophobic Attacks
For Immediate Release
January 21, 1999
Contact: Chadwick R. Gore
(202) 225-1901
Washington, DC-Meeting with Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Martin
Palous in Washington last evening, Commissioners Co-Chairman Rep.
Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ) and Ranking Minority Rep. Steny H. Hoyer
(D-MD) praised the Government of the Czech Republic for standing firm
against municipal plans in the village of Usti nad Labem to wall off
Roma, for plans to resolve long-standing problems of statelessness for
Roma and discrimination against Czech Americans in the Czech property
restitution/compensation law, and for allowing the Radio Farsi/Radio
Free Iraq station to be placed in the Czech Republic. They also
discussed regional security issues, including the crisis in Kosovo. At
the same time, they underscored the need for Czech leaders to condemn
the wave of anti-Roma, anti-Semitic and anti-foreigner violence that
plagues the Czech Republic.
Following the meeting, Smith welcomed the many positive messages
brought to Washington by the Deputy Minister. Smith noted "I was
deeply gratified to learn that the Czech government has announced that
it would block the construction of a wall in the village of Usti nad
Labem that, if built, would effectively create a Roma ghetto. Such
walls have no place in modern Europe. I hope this decision reflects a
new and deeper political will on the part of the Czech Government to
combat manifestations of xenophobia."
Hoyer emphasized that "the key to this effort is a strong government
reaction" when xenophobic attacks occur. "President Havel has, for too
long, carried the burden of reacting to such acts. It is time for
other Czech leaders, including Prime Minister Zeman, to be equally
assertive in condemning hate crimes." The Commissioners provided
Deputy Prime Minister Palous with a list of recent xenophobic attacks,
including one against Bob Joyce, a 61-year-old American teacher who
was beaten unconscious in November for defending a Rom against
skinhead harassment.
In a similar vein, they discussed the citizenship law of the Czech
Republic which has left stateless thousands of Czech Roma who
previously had Czechoslovak citizenship. "I was deeply heartened by my
discussion with Mr. Palous on this issue," said Smith. "Not only does
there appear to be a fast-track timetable for moving legislation
forward, but Mr. Palous has assured us of his government's commitment
to ensure that new citizenship procedures will not entail a lot of
bureaucratic red tape." Hoyer added, "the adoption of the new
citizenship law, which Minister Palous said will permit dual
citizenship, will also be a first step towards resolving the
discrimination Czech Americans have faced in making claims for
restitution or compensation for property that was wrongly taken from
them by the previous Communist regime."
The Commissioners and Mr. Palous also discussed the status of the Lety
archives-the only known archives from a Roma concentration camp-and
welcomed news that Mr. Palous had brought copies of one-third of the
archives with him to deliver to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. "I
am gratified that this moves towards fulfilling a pledge made to me
over four years ago, and I hope that the remaining two-thirds of the
archive copies will be delivered soon," said Hoyer.
The Commissioners also urged Mr. Palous to seek the repeal of the
Czech Republic's Communist-era criminal defamation law. "Criminalizing
people because of their criticism of the government, its offices or
its personalities is simply contrary to international norms and
contrary to the Helsinki Final Act," said Hoyer. "Although President
Havel pardons everyone who gets convicted under this law, what will
happen when someone else becomes President?" asked Smith. "This is an
unnecessary legacy of the Communist past."
Chadwick R. Gore
Communications Director
U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
234 Ford House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-6064
[email protected]
www.house.gov/csce/
(202) 225-1901; fax (202) 225-4394
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