Czech Romany activists opened an exhibition paying homage to the victims of
racially-motivated crime in Prague on the occasion of the International Roma Day
today.
They lit candles near the exhibit panels with the names of 27 Romanies who have
been killed by violent perpetrators in the Czech Republic since 1990 over the
colour of their skin or their different views.
The panels feature, among others, the names and information about the cases of
Tibor Daniel, Tibor Berki or Filip Venclik.
Romany Tibor Berki died from injuries he received when he was attacked by four
skinheads.
Eighteen members of the skinhead movement were charged with the murder of Romany
Tibor Daniel but only two of them have been convicted and they only received
suspended sentences.
Anarchist Filip Venclik was killed by an attacker at a metro station.
"The question is who will be the next. We want to believe in a better future,"
activist Gabina Hrabanova said.
According to representatives of the Romany Dzeno group, anti-Gypsy tendencies
have strengthened in the Czech Republic in the past period.
The Association of Romany Regional Representatives shares this view.
The exhibition was organised by Dzeno. According to its head Ivan Vesely, the
organisers did not want to mark this year's Roma Day by dance or song events as
usual. On the contrary, they wanted to pay tribute to the victims of
racially-motivated violence and point to the situation of Romanies in the Czech
Republic and the European Union.
Romanies are the largest minority in the EU. According to estimates, up to 12
million Romanies live in Europe.
Some 11,700 people declared themselves Romanies in the latest national census in
the Czech Republic. However, according to estimates, some 250,000 Romanies live
in the country.
An analysis has shown that one-third of them live in ghettos in which almost all
adults are jobless and families are dependent on welfare benefits. Romany
children are placed in schools for children with learning difficulties which
closes a path for them to a higher education.
Romanies resent when Czech and European officials describe them as a "social
problem," Vesely said.
He told CTK that Romanies would like to participate in the improvement of their
situation and want to make decisions concerning them by themselves.
Last year Dzeno addressed an open letter to President Vaclav Klaus calling on
him to contribute to the observance of human rights and the improvement of
Romany situation in the Czech Republic.
The International Roma Day has been celebrated since 1990 to mark the first
meeting of Romany representatives held near London on April 8, 1971.
In the following days, the first world Roma congress took place in Britain at
which the International Roma Union was established.
Participants from 14 countries, including the former Czechoslovakia, approved
the Roma anthem and the Roma flag at the congress.
