Roma And Sinti Minorities Say Holocaust Effects Remain In Europe

Associations of Roma and Sinti ethnic minorities in Europe said Monday they continue to suffer racial discrimination that led to an estimated 500,000 people of the two groups dying in the Holocaust during World War II.

The associations asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to appoint a UN special representative who will defend and develop practical measures to protect the rights of Roma and Sinti currently living in Europe.

There are between 10 million to 12 million Roma and Sinti scattered in several European countries, from Poland to the Netherlands. Representatives of those ethnic minorities attended the second international day for the remembrance of Holocaust victims in the UN General Assembly in New York.

They said in a press conference that Roma and Sinti continue to be "victims of pogroms, racially motivated murders and other acts of violence."

"Often, such attacks emanate from the state security forces themselves," said Romani Rose, one of the representatives. "Only rarely can the perpetrators expect consistent prosecution."

Rose belongs to the association of Roma and Sinti in Heidelberg, Germany.

Laila Weiss said Roma and Sinti in the Netherlands are "seriously" neglected in schools, suffer high unemployment rates and are not considered an ethnic minority.

A statement by the Central Council of German Senti and Roma and the other national organizations said the ethnic minorities are marginalized and discriminated against in several European countries.

"This is a scandal, which is unworthy of the European states, which are founded on the protection of human rights," the statement said.