MINELRES: Fwd: Slovakia: Roma Call Plans for Special Officers Racist

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ROMA CALL PLANS FOR SPECIAL OFFICERS RACIST
 
Slovakia

The Interior Ministry's proposal stirs up negative reactions

26/1/2004 
 
The interior Ministry's plans to introduce specially trained officers to
assist in keeping order in Roma settlements have raised protests and
been called fascist. Some Roma leaders have dubbed the idea inhumane and
discriminatory against the minority. At the January 14 cabinet meeting,
Interior Minister Vladimir Palko defended his plans when presenting an
analysis on the special officers as a part of the cabinet's long-term
strategy for solving problems in poor Roma communities in Slovakia.
According to informed estimates, there are 500,000 Roma in Slovakia and
many of them live in rundown settlements in the eastern part of the
country. Roma are largely undereducated and many live in poverty without
proper housing. In some Roma settlements, unemployment is as high as 100
percent. The officers would, according to Interior Ministry spokesman
Boris A altovic, work in the Roma community, especially in the Roma
settlements, to "solve petty quarrels and possible transgressions
against the law, and help to prevent illegal activities". Some Roma
settlements are also fighting problems with loan sharking, and the new
officers would help address this issue as well. According to the
Interior Ministry's analysis, the success of the specialised officers,
who are scheduled to start working by the end of 2007, depends on "at
least partial acceptance by the Roma community of [the creation of] such
positions in the police".
 
Initial reactions from Roma leaders showed that achieving this
acceptance could prove a tough job. "This is totally undemocratic and
inhumane and it reminds us of fascist practices," said Alexander
Patkolo, head of the Slovak Roma Initiative. Ladislav Fizik, who leads
the Roma Parliament, a union of several Roma parties, said: "I don't
agree with the plan as described [by Interior Ministry officials].
Nobody knows what a specialist police officer would be and I am afraid
that the Roma would not accept them." "We would prefer that skilled Roma
were picked to work for the police because they would be more accepted
by the community," Fizik said. But Klara Orgovanova, the cabinet
plenipotentiary for Roma communities, disagreed with the statements and
said that she would be the first to protest against a project that would
include elements of discrimination against the Roma. Deputy PM for Human
Rights Pal Csaky also backed the Interior Ministry's plan, stating that
it was normal for specialist officers to receive specialist training.
The project of the special officers will be divided into three stages
that will also involve several NGOs that deal with Roma issues and
minority rights, such as the Info-roma foundation, Citizen and
Democracy, and the Slovak Helsinki Committee. Sarlota Pufflerova from
the Citizen and Democracy NGO told The Slovak Spectator that the
ministry had not officially contacted her organisation but added that
they would be interested in helping to carry out the plan. "We plan to
prepare an educational project for the police and the Roma communities
and we would gladly participate in the ministry's project," Pufflerova
said. She pointed out, however, that the initially negative reactions to
the idea of special officers was possibly due to the negative
connotation that the word specialist can have among the Roma. "They feel
as if something was being plotted against them. Perhaps if the idea was
better communicated and the new policemen were called Roma cooperation
officers or something in that sense, it would help make [the plan]
acceptable to the Roma," she said.

A altovic from the ministry insisted that the "Roma need not fear any
misuse," and he said that the plan may be adjusted according to the
advice the ministry wants to get from NGOs and Roma organisations. "We
plan to introduce the officers no earlier than 2007 so there is a lot of
time to prepare everything so that Roma don't feel that this is aimed
against them," A altovic said on January 19. He explained that the
project is divided into three stages and that the ministry was only at
the start of the first stage. "We are aware that the officers cannot be
successful without being fully or at least partially accepted by the
Roma," he said. "We hope that this plan can improve communication
between the police and the Roma in settlements," A altovic added. Fizik
from the Roma parliament noted, however, that to achieve better
communication, police and the ministry must talk to the Roma communities
and their leaders so that a more precise plan for assisting Roma can be
put together. "We want to contact the Interior Minister and present him
with our suggestions. We think that it would be best if qualified Roma
could become the officers because they are closer to the community and
understand their needs," he said. According to A altovic, all applicants
will be welcome to run for the posts once specific criteria are
prepared.

� The Slovak Spectator 
 
http://www.slovakspectator.sk