Racism on the rise in Czech Republic-ENAR

Racism-related problems in the Czech Republic worsened last year, especially as regards the approach to the Romany minority, the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) said in a report today.

The report mentions the resettlement of Romanies from the north Moravian town of Vsetin, involuntary sterilisation of Romany women and Romany children’s access to education.

It says the problems with racism also persist in Slovakia but points out that these problems concern the whole of Europe.

"It is evident that regardless of public protests against certain cases of racism there is still a shortage of knowledge of such fundamental topics as the Holocaust, including the Romany Holocaust, in the Czech Republic," the report says.

It points out that the anti-Romany statements of Jiri Cunek (senior governing Christian Democrats, KDU-CSL) who was behind the eviction of Romanies from their flats in Vsetin, have won great popularity in Czech society.

Although the eviction provoked certain public protests, on the other hand the case has brought about a dramatic political rise of Cunek from Vsetin mayor to the posts of senator, KDU-CSL head, first deputy prime minister, and local development minister, the report says.

It points to Czech ombudsman Otakar Motejl’s conclusion that Romany women’s complaints about their involuntary sterilisation were justifiable. Motejl arrived at the conclusion that sterilisation was illegal because the women agreed with it without having sufficient information.

The ombudsman recommended a change in the laws and compensation to the women concerned, the report says.

The ENAR also mentions the dispute concerning Romany children and their automatic placing in special schools that was heard by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The court ruled recently that such an approach was tantamount to discrimination against Romanies.

The report points out that since it joined the EU in 2004, the Czech Republic has not transposed the EU directive on racial equality into its legislation.
The Czech government approved an anti-discrimination bill in June and the bill was sent to the Chamber of Deputies in September.

The report says racism in Slovakia remains a phenomenon concerning a large part of the population. It mentions attacks on Romanies and on immigrants with a different skin colour.

The ENAR also points to the activities of neo-Nazis in Slovakia who attack not only ethic minorities, but also young people with an alternative orientation.