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Czech PM Rusnok honors Romani genocide victims at Lety, says he needs to review UN recommendations about pig farm

02 August 2013
2 minute read

Czech Prime Minister Jiří Rusnok and several ministers of his cabinet have paid their respects to the Romani victims of the Holocaust at Lety by Písek. On 1 August 1942, exactly 71 years ago, a concentration camp for Romani people was established there.

The PM touched on the current situation in Czech society, noting that we cannot allow something like the Holocaust to be repeated. "The places where organized groups are marching today for the purpose of unleashing violence are not far from here at all. We must stand up very forcefully to such manifestations of hatred in society today. That is why I hope that on the basis of our historical experience of Nazism and other hateful ideologies we will never again permit the perpetration of genocide or similar incidents of ethnic cleansing," the PM said in his speech.

Rusnok also said he wants to familiarize himself with the recent call from the UN Human Rights Committee for the closure of the pig farm at Lety. The farm is located in close proximity to the memorial commemorating the former concentration camp for Romani people.

The PM did not want to make a more concrete statement on behalf of the government about this problem at today’s commemoration of the Romani victims of the Holocaust. "I must first familiarize myself with the recommendation by the UN committee, its justification, and mainly the realities of this situation. I wouldn’t dare make any claims before doing that," Rusnok told journalists.

Human rights activists and Romani survivors of the camp and their relatives have been protesting the fact that the memorial at Lety is located in close proximity to the pig farm and have been demanding the farm’s closure for years. Former Czech PM Petr Nečas (Civic Democrats – ODS) said last year that the government does not have the money to purchase the farm.

The PM participated in the event at Lety today commemorating two anniversaries connected with the former "gypsy camp" that was run at the local site during WWII. On 1 August 1942, exactly 71 years ago, the facility began operations. It was closed one year later on 8 August 1943. "On 2 August we also commemorate the International Day of Romani Holocaust Victims and the closure of the disciplinary camp for Romani prisoners at Auschwitz," Milouš Červencl, director of the Lidice Memorial, which manages the memorial site at Lety, told journalists.

After the ceremonial speeches, a concert by the group Bachtale Apsa with Mário Bihári was performed in the amphitheater near the mass grave site of the Romani victims. The actress Bára Hrzánová also guest-performed during the cultural program.

The camp at Lety was a prison for "Gypsies, gypsy half-breeds, and persons living the gypsy way of life". A total of 326 children, men and women died at the camp in inhuman conditions. Another 540 prisoners were sent to the extermination camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau from Lety.

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