Recent Romnews postings

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Recent Romnews postings


EAST MEETS WEST YOUTH CONFERENCE
Budapest/HUNGARY (RNN Correspondent) September the 7th 1998.

Twenty-five young people from 12 countries met in Budapest between
August 19th and 21st. Sixteen Roma youth organisations were
represented and agreed to form a protest network because of inadequate
representation on an international level. Twenty Roma organisations
have joined up since then. The aim of this network is to enable every
member organisation to send their protests to the co-ordination
centre, which will then forward them to the other member organisatons.
The motive behind such co-ordination is to ensure that as many Roma
organisations worldwide as possible can complain about the same
problem to the same place.

For this reason, we call upon all Roma organisations to join up with
the network and protest in unity with others. Everyone can use the
network for serious comment and complaints. Send the Roma National
Congress a fax, e-mail or letter and we will ensure that you become
part of the network.
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The Flood in Roma Settlement of Jarovnice
Jarovnice/SLOVAK (RNN Correspondent) September the 2nd 1998

Heavy rains on June 20 brought about the worst floods in Slovak
history,changing otherwise quiet rivers in eastern Slovakia into a
lethal force. The wild, overflowing water rushed from the river bed,
sweeping over and engulfing everything in its path. The tragic results
of these destructive floods were 63 dead, over 3,000 people evacuated
from their homes, and two thousand houses destroyed in dozens of
communities.

June's floods hit the Romani settlement near the community of
Jarovnice the hardest, and the highest number of casualties occurred
here. The rain-swollen Mala Svinka river claimed 44 children and 16
adults, though this isn't even the final total, as the Roma have not
given up searching for missing relatives. 
Although these floods were tragic for the Roma in Jarovnice, in no way
did it increase the sense of solidarity between the Romani minority
and the Slovak majority. Quite the opposite, the spite towards the
Roma, who lost their homes and often their loved ones, grew. This
natural disaster revealed the long-term lack of interest of the
Slovaks in the Roma living in separate Romani settlements in eastern
Slovakia,
living the way they lived a hundred years ago. Jarovnice is one of the
largest and the most backward of the Romani settlements in Slovakia.
Almost four thousand Roma live in unbearable living conditions in
Jarovnice, most of them without work and illiterate. They received
more attention from the unique art work of the Romani children of
Jarovnice, which has won several top prizes at international
competitions of children's art and has been exhibited in many European
countries. But even this international success failed to attract the
government's interest in the Roma in the settlements of eastern
Slovakia...

The Romani settlement at Jarovnice lies in the valley of the Mala
Svinka river. Approximately two thousand Slovaks live in the village
above the valley, which kept them from being affected by the floods.
The Slovaks in Jarovice accuse the Roma of laziness and a lack of
interest in clearing away the effects of the flooding. "The solidarity
and compassion the Slovaks felt towards their suffering neighbors from
the settlement soon evaporated. It's true the water gave the Roma a
reason to work in a harsh way, but their
apathy for work, seasoned by ingrained bad habits, is an integral part
of their life. These very extremes - on one hand the Slovaks' working
on their own damaged property and on the other the depressing
inactivity of the Roma - gave rise to cynical comments that there
hadn't been enough victims," wrote
the most popular Czech newspaper Mlada fronta Dnes in its weekly
magazine.

The Roma didn't want to return to the Mala Svinka river valley, where
the water had swept away their dwellings. For the mayor of Jarovnice,
the problem loomed: where to put them? The Slovaks in Jarovnice didn't
want the Roma in close proximity, and so there was nowhere to begin
building new dwellings for the Roma left with out shelter. "We found a
location that would be feasible for the construction of new dwellings,
but the land belongs to private persons. It's their decision, whether
construction starts
or not", said the mayor of Jarovnice, Marian Kyjovsky in an interview
with the Slovak daily Pravda, adding that no one had much interest in
the Roma of Jarovnice, especially now, with the election campaign
going on in Slovakia. "Their campaign is a review of the successes of
Meciar's ruling Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS). The tragedy
in Jarovnice, of course, doesn't fit in that picture," wrote Pravda,
and that the tragedy in the Romani encampment has also exposed the
total intertwining of the problems concerning the situation of the
Roma in Slovakia. Slovak prime minister Valdimir Meciar, who has also
taken on presidential powers, paid a visit to the area affected by the
floods 17 days after the event. The Slovaks in Jarovnice honored him
with the traditional welcome of bread and salt, and a visit to the
Romani settlement, the most decimated by the flooding, was on the
program, but evidently there wasn't enough time and it was cancelled.

The tension between Roma and Slovaks was also increased by the reports
in the Slovak media on the situation in Jarovnice. For the Roma,
according to the press and television, only reluctantly and
unwillingly helped in clearing away the damage and were waiting
apathetically for help from the state. According to the media, the
Roma not only didn't want to work, but they were drinking their state
benefits away at the pub, burning or selling the clothing they
received from humanitarian aid, and when they realized that those who
lost their property and roof over their heads would receive financial
compensation from the state, they started to destroy what still
remained of their homes. The other inhabitants accused the authorities
of concentrating aid only on the Roma.

In the flooded communities, the mayors coordinated aid and soldiers
helped to clear away the damage. Approximately 600 Roma from Jarovnice
lost their homes and now live in military tents and eat military
rations. Humanitarian aid, in particular drinking water, preservable
foodstuffs, sanitary products, fabric, shoes and children's toys were
brought in by a number of Slovak as well as Czech foundations. The
Romani Children and Youth Association of the Czech Republic continues
to deliver aid to Jarovnice. "The Roma are living outside, so it's not
true that they are living inportable cells. It is true that two cells
were brought to Jarovnice, but they were so damaged that it wasn't
possible to live in them," said the
association's chairman, Jan Rac, who last delivered aid to Jarovnice
on August 20. "Immediately after that terrible report, we got in touch
with the director of the elementary school in Jarovnice, Jozef Bugma,
and promised him all-round aid. We contacted the Romani communities,
and no one refused us aid," said Rac, adding that information about
the Roma's inactivity in Jarovnice wasn't entirely true. "I was there
when
Romani women cleaned up the elementary school so the Romani children
could start attending classes on September 1."

How the problem of lodging for the Roma without homes in Jarovnice
will be resolved is still not clear. We will report on further
developments in the Slovakian town of Jarovnice. Should you decide to
offer your help, here are two contact addresses:
Jan Rac
Chairman of the Romani Children and Youth Association of the Czech
Republic
Obeciny 29
760 01 okres Zlin
Tel: 420 / 67 / 721 59 08
----------------------------------

ROMA UNION FRANKFURT/MAIN (RNN Agency) September the 15th 1998

VERY URGENT!

PRESS RELEASE
ROMA UNION APPEALS FOR FUNDS FOR ROMA REFUGEES IN PODGORICA,
MONTENEGRO

The Roma Union got information confirming the intolerable living
conditions of more than 2.000 Roma in the camp of Podgorica., who fled
from Kosovo and Bosnia. They urgently need medical care and sanitary
facilities. There is a lack of food and tents. The drinking water is
contaminated due to the
unhygienic conditions.

Most of the refugees in Podgorica are women, children, and old people.
Many of them fled on foot from Kosovo, where they had been exposed to
assaults, rape, mob law, and forced recruitment. The Yugoslavian Red
Cross cannot ensure the providing of the people. The German Red Cross
confirmed the absolute desperate situation in Podgorica. Presently,
they are making an effort to install sanitary facilities in the camp.

Considering the inhumane situation in Podgorica, the Roma Union
Frankfurt repeats its demand not to deport refugees from Ex-Yugoslavia
and Kosovo at present.

The Roma Union Frankfurt/Main appeals for donations in kind and
financial aid. For the time being, small donations in kind can be
delivered to the office of the Roma Union, Petterweilstr. 4 - 6,
Frankfurt/Main. Financial donations can be paid to the account of the
Roma Union Frankfurt/Main No. 684 295 at Frankfurter Sparkasse von
1822, bank code 500 502 01; the password is "Help for Roma in
Podgorica". For further inquiries from the media the Roma Union
Frankfurt/Main is available under the above mentioned address.
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