Young Roma form crisis team, want different approach

Prague, June 21 (CTK) - A group of Czech Romany students and intellectuals has established an "emergency staff" to seek a better view of and a better approach to Romanies by the majority population, the team says in a press statement its member David Tiser gave to CTK Thursday.

The team will offer cooperation to state institutions and town halls. For the moment, it comprises 160 university students and intellectuals, all Romanies.

The young Romanies have taken the step in reaction to a recent incident in southern Slovakia where a policeman shot three members of a Romany family dead and injured another two.

The police do not know the shooter's motive yet. A racial motive has not been confirmed.

Tiser Thursday mentioned anti-Romany violent actions in the Czech Republic. He said there were also fabricated incidents such as in Breclav, south Moravia, where a 15-year-old boy recently admitted that the violent attack of Romanies on him, which he had reported to the police, actually never happened.

Nonetheless, the boy's original false testimony raised tension between Romanies and the majority population in the Breclav area.

The case seriously harmed the long-lasting work of all who seek the integration of Romanies in society, Tiser said Thursday.

The number of Romanies living in the 10.5-million Czech Republic is estimated at 250,000. About one third of them live in "ghettos" or excluded localities or houses, which, the emergency team says, are becoming a target of hatred.

In its press statement, the team writes about "pressure exerted by right-wing extremists and people who are easy to influence."

It also criticises the approach of the media.

"Up to now we've passively endured all what has been happening. This applies not only to Romanies living in ghettos but also to other, let's say 'invisible' Romanies," the team writes.

Czech politicians keep silent on racially motivated acts and do not condemn racist behaviour, the team adds.

It said it wants to help solve "the disquieting situation" in the Czech Republic and to become a partner for town halls and other institutions.

"We want to take part in changing the society, we are ready to devote our free time to it and help prevent an escalation of the situation," the team wrote.

Ten days ago, Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas received the leadership of the Czech Romany Association, at the latter's initiative, to discuss measures to be taken to solve the Romany problem.