Category Archives: Czech Republic

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Prague and Holocaust

Published by:

The Czech Jewish community called for Tomio Nakamura to excuse himself for his comments on the Roma Holocaust and on Lety. The young Social Democrats, on the other hand, are suing Miloslav Rozner, a MP from Nakamura’s party for similar reason as he denied the Roma Holocaust.
Shame.

– Young Social Democrats suing MP over Roma Holocaust denial. In: The Prague Monitor. 06.02.2018. http://praguemonitor.com/2018/02/06/young-social-democrats-suing-mp-over-roma-holocaust-denial
– Prague Jewish Community wants SPD to apologise for words on Lety. In The Prague Daily Monitor. 06.02.2018. http://www.praguemonitor.com/2018/02/06/prague-jewish-community-wants-spd-apologise-words-lety [link-preview url=”http://praguemonitor.com/2018/02/06/young-social-democrats-suing-mp-over-roma-holocaust-denial “]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Tomio Okamura

Published by:

The Czech MP and president of an extreme rightist party, Tomio Okamura, officially apologised for having been “imprecise” when he claimed that people could walk in or out of the Lety concentration camp, and then doubled up: He cirted Jan Rataj, a history professor who alleges that the Protectorate’s “Gypsy Camps” were not concentration camps…
Roma organisations have filed a crime report against Okamura. Let’s see if anything happens.

– Czech MP apologizes for “imprecision”, then urges people to read historian who calls the Romani Holocaust a “myth”. In: Romea. 04.02.2018. http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/czech-mp-apologizes-for-imprecision-then-urges-people-to-read-historian-who-calls-the-romani-holocaust-a-myth
– Czech citizens file crime report over MP’s remarks denying the suffering of Romani genocide victims. In: Romea. 03.02.2018. http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/czech-citizens-file-crime-report-over-mp-s-remarks-denying-the-suffering-of-romani-genocide-victims [link-preview url=”http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/czech-mp-apologizes-for-imprecision-then-urges-people-to-read-historian-who-calls-the-romani-holocaust-a-myth “]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Refugees

Published by:

A bit more background on the Czech Roma family that was granted asylum in New Zealand: They were threatened, Molotov cocktails were thrown at their home, and, of course, the police did nothing.

– Politisch verfolgt: Familie muss aus der EU fliehen. In: Huffington Post (DE). 02.02.2018. http://www.huffingtonpost.de/entry/weil-sie-sich-nicht-mehr-sicher-fuhlte-familie-flieht-aus-der-eu_de_5a740bd6e4b01ce33eb16c04 [link-preview url=”http://www.huffingtonpost.de/entry/weil-sie-sich-nicht-mehr-sicher-fuhlte-familie-flieht-aus-der-eu_de_5a740bd6e4b01ce33eb16c04″]

Czech Republic Germany News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

Czech Republic: Okamura

Published by:

The Czech MP and leader of an extreme right party Tomio Okamura cast doubts about the events that occurred in the Roma Camp of Lety: On the Holocaust Remembrance Day, he stated in an interview on television the camp was not fenced in and people could walk in our out.
Well, Mr. Okamura should get his fact rights, and he should be prosecuted for Holocaust Denial.
Note that on the picture here, he is in good company ….

– Czech MP marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day by doubting what happened at Romani genocide site. In: Romea.cz. 30.01.2018. http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/czech-mp-marks-international-holocaust-remembrance-day-by-doubting-what-happened-at-romani-genocide-site
– Múzeum rómskej kultúry žiada verejné ospravedlnenie od Tomia Okamuru. In: Aktuality. 29.01.2018. https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/559546/muzeum-romskej-kultury-ziada-verejne-ospravedlnenie-od-tomia-okamuru/
– Museum asks Okamura to apologise for words on Lety camp. In: The Prague Daily Monitor. 30.01.2018. http://praguemonitor.com/2018/01/30/czech-museum-asks-okamura-apologise-words-lety-camp [link-preview url=”https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/559546/muzeum-romskej-kultury-ziada-verejne-ospravedlnenie-od-tomia-okamuru/ “]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czech Family Granted Asylum

Published by:

New Zealand just granted asylum to a Czech woman who has a son with a Rom. She said she was threatened by neo-Nazis in her home country.

– Family facing death threats granted asylum. In: RNZ. 29.01.2018. https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/349187/family-facing-death-threats-granted-asylum [link-preview url=”https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/349187/family-facing-death-threats-granted-asylum”]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Miloš Zeman

Published by:

The current Czech President, Miloš Zeeman is facing a second round against his main opponent Jiří Drahoš on January 26-27. Let’s not forget that Zeman is the one who said that 90% of “inadaptable” citizen are Roma …

– Anti-Roma stigma of Czech president Miloš Zeman threatens progress over Romani rights. In: The Conversation. 24.01.2018. http://theconversation.com/anti-roma-stigma-of-czech-president-milos-zeman-threatens-progress-over-romani-rights-88437 [link-preview url=”http://theconversation.com/anti-roma-stigma-of-czech-president-milos-zeman-threatens-progress-over-romani-rights-88437″]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Special Schools …

Published by:

It seems that the situation in the Czech Republic hasn’t improved at all in the last three years. 12.7% of Roma children are relegated to schools for children with mental disorders.
Note that Rome translates this as “reduced standard” but the Prague Monitor calls it by it correct name.
This is a practice that has long been the norm in that country and is not acceptable.

– Czech EdMin says number of Romani children educated according to reduced standards has not changed in three years. In: Romea. 07.01.2018. http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/czech-edmin-says-number-of-romani-children-educated-according-to-reduced-standards-has-not-changed-in-three-year
– Over tenth of Czech Roma at schools for kids with mental disorder. In: The Prague Monitor. 06.01.2017. http://praguemonitor.com/2018/01/08/over-tenth-czech-roma-schools-kids-mental-disorder [link-preview url=”http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/czech-edmin-says-number-of-romani-children-educated-according-to-reduced-standards-has-not-changed-in-three-year “]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czech Republic – A Solution?

Published by:

An initiative to lodge one (yes – one!) family in a small city in the Czech Republic. The initiator of the project aimed at breaking the vicious circle of poverty, was started by the mayor who is from a rightist populist party.
Good idea, excellent luck for the family, but this is a drop in an ocean.

– Sechs Zimmer, 140 Quadratmeter – und eine Zukunft. In: Der Spiegel. 05.01.2018. http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/wohnprojekt-fuer-roma-in-tschechien-den-teufelskreis-durchbrechen-a-1185996.html [link-preview url=”http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/wohnprojekt-fuer-roma-in-tschechien-den-teufelskreis-durchbrechen-a-1185996.html”]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Slovakia

First and Second Diaspora

Published by:

A portrait of an Indian physicist who studied in Moscow, married in Czechoslovakia and has since lived in the Ostrava region. He founded an association called Mutual Collaboration, which implemented a number of successful programs for Roma in the Ostrava region and in the Moravian-Silesian Region in an effort to bring them closer together to the majority population. He has received several awards and general respect from all sides: from politicians, Roma, police of the Czech Republic, foundations and embassies. He has no problem to stand in the middle of a crowd and calm them down. With his conduct, patience and grace, he has also received grudging respect from some of the extremists.

– Mohol žiť ako boháč v Indii, vyštudoval fyziku v Moskve, radšej však pracuje s Rómami v Česku. In: Dennik. 31.12.2017. https://dennikn.sk/961326/mohol-zit-ako-bohac-v-indii-ale-vystudoval-fyziku-v-moskve-a-pracuje-s-romami-v-cesku/ [link-preview url=”https://dennikn.sk/961326/mohol-zit-ako-bohac-v-indii-ale-vystudoval-fyziku-v-moskve-a-pracuje-s-romami-v-cesku/”]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Ctibor Nečas

Published by:

Ctibor Nečas, one of the leading researchers on the history of the Roma died on Tuesday December 19th.
May he rest in peace!

– Czech Republic: Professor Ctibor Nečas, a pioneer in researching the history of the Roma, has passed away. In: Romea. 22.12.2017. http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/czech-republic-professor-ctibor-necas-a-pioneer-in-researching-the-history-of-the-roma-has-passed-away
– Roma history expert Ctibor Nečas dies aged 84. In: The Prague Monitor. 22.12.2017. http://praguemonitor.com/2017/12/22/roma-history-expert-ctibor-neč-dies-aged-84 [link-preview url=”http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/czech-republic-professor-ctibor-necas-a-pioneer-in-researching-the-history-of-the-roma-has-passed-away “]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Lety – What Next?

Published by:

Now that the pig farm in Lety is closing – a long fight goes to the end. What comes next, in view of the rising extremism in the Czech Republic is difficult to predict. This reportage shows the situation in Ušti nad Labem and it is scary.

– Czech Roma reclaim Holocaust site from pig farmers. In: Deutsche Welle. 20.12.2017. http://www.dw.com/en/czech-roma-reclaim-holocaust-site-from-pig-farmers/a-41872009 [link-preview url=”http://www.dw.com/en/czech-roma-reclaim-holocaust-site-from-pig-farmers/a-41872009″]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Interview with the Director of the Brno Roma Museum

Published by:

Jana Horvathova, the director of the Brno Roma museum gave a lengthy interview to Romea and spoke about the purchase of the pig farm on the site of the former concentration camp of Lety.

– Jana Horváthová: Today Czech society perceives removing the pig farm from the Roma genocide site as necessary. In: Romea. 19.12.2017. http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/jana-horvathova-today-czech-society-perceives-removing-the-pig-farm-from-the-roma-genocide-site-as-necessary
– Jana Horváthová: Dnes už společnost vnímá likvidaci vepřína za potřebnou. In: Romea. 19.12.2017. http://www.romea.cz/cz/romano-vodi/jana-horvathova-dnes-uz-spolecnost-vnima-likvidaci-veprina-za-potrebnou [link-preview url=”http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/jana-horvathova-today-czech-society-perceives-removing-the-pig-farm-from-the-roma-genocide-site-as-necessary “]

Czech Republic Germany News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

Forced Sterilisations

Published by:

An exhibition on forced sterilisations in Koblenz, Germany. The Exhibition centres on the times of the Nazis in Germany but one should not forget that this practice was still common in the Czech and Slovak republic until very recently, and that countries like Switzerland (last know case 1992) or Sweden continued the practice way after World War Two.

– Ausstellung zu Zwangssterilisationen in NS-Zeit. 04.12.2017. https://www.welt.de/newsticker/dpa_nt/regiolinegeo/rheinlandpfalzsaarland/article171225340/Ausstellung-zu-Zwangssterilisationen-in-NS-Zeit.html [link-preview url=”https://www.welt.de/newsticker/dpa_nt/regiolinegeo/rheinlandpfalzsaarland/article171225340/Ausstellung-zu-Zwangssterilisationen-in-NS-Zeit.html”]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Ladislav Body

Published by:

The Czech Roma activist and Member of Parliament Ladislaw Body died a few days ago at the early age of 68. He engaged himself relentlessly for the cause of the Roma and for their rights, this in a country not known for its love of the Roma minority.
May he rest in peace! T’ovel o drom angla leste puterdo!

– Zemřel bývalý poslanec Ladislav Body. 26.11.2017. http://www.romea.cz/cz/zpravodajstvi/domaci/zemrel-byvaly-poslanec-ladislav-body
– Czech Roma activist, former MP Ladislav Body dies. In: Prague Daily Monitor. 27.11.2017. http://praguemonitor.com/2017/11/27/czech-roma-activist-former-mp-ladislav-body-dies [link-preview url=”http://www.romea.cz/cz/zpravodajstvi/domaci/zemrel-byvaly-poslanec-ladislav-body “]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czech Republic: Jellyfish

Published by:

The Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Karel Novotny who compared Roma to “jellyfish” is leaving the Czech Social Democratic Party.
Well … He should have been expelled!

– Deputy minister calling Roma names leaves ČSSD. In: Prague Daily Monitor. 27.11.2017. http://praguemonitor.com/2017/11/27/deputy-minister-calling-roma-names-leaves-čssd [link-preview url=”http://praguemonitor.com/2017/11/27/deputy-minister-calling-roma-names-leaves-čssd”]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czech Republic: Jellyfish

Published by:

The Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Karel Novotny who compared Roma to “jellyfish” is leaving the Czech Social Democratic Party.
Well … He should have been expelled!

– Deputy minister calling Roma names leaves ČSSD. In: Prague Daily Monitor. 27.11.2017. http://praguemonitor.com/2017/11/27/deputy-minister-calling-roma-names-leaves-čssd [link-preview url=”http://praguemonitor.com/2017/11/27/deputy-minister-calling-roma-names-leaves-čssd”]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czech Republic: Hepatitis Epidemic

Published by:

Ušti nad Labem in the Czech Republic is experiencing an epidemic of Hepatitis A with nearly 300 people affected. The outbreak started in a Roma settlement and later spread to the town.

– Epidemic of hepatitis in Czech town: Local Romani organization offers aid. In: Romea.cz. 24.11.2017. http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/epidemic-of-hepatitis-in-czech-town-local-romani-organization-offers-aid [link-preview url=”http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/epidemic-of-hepatitis-in-czech-town-local-romani-organization-offers-aid”]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

More on Lety!

Published by:

More articles on the purchase of the pig farm on the site of the former concentration camp of Lety, in the Czech Republic.

– Tschechien: Roma-Gedenkstätte ersetzt Schweinemast auf früherem NS-Lagergelände. In: RT. 24.11.2017. https://deutsch.rt.com/europa/61138-tschechien-roma-gedenkstaette-ersetzt-schweinemast-auf-früherem-ns-lagergelaende/
– Schweinefarm wird zur KZ-Gedenkstätte. In: N-TV. 23.11.2017. https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Schweinefarm-wird-zur-KZ-Gedenkstaette-article20148960.html
– Czechy: Rząd wykupił chlewnię obejmującą teren obozu dla Romów. In: Farmer.pl. 24.11.2017. http://www.farmer.pl/fakty/unia-europejska/czechy-rzad-wykupil-chlewnie-obejmujaca-teren-obozu-dla-romow,75112.html [link-preview url=”https://deutsch.rt.com/europa/61138-tschechien-roma-gedenkstaette-ersetzt-schweinemast-auf-früherem-ns-lagergelaende/ “]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Bought !

Published by:

At last, the pig farm on the former site of the Lety concentration camp has been bought by the Czech Government.

– Czech Republic buys pig farm at former Nazi camp to shutter it. In: The Times of Israel. 23.11.2017. https://www.timesofisrael.com/czech-republic-buys-pig-farm-at-former-nazi-camp-to-shutter-it/ [link-preview url=”https://www.timesofisrael.com/czech-republic-buys-pig-farm-at-former-nazi-camp-to-shutter-it/”]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

In Case You Doubted …

Published by:

Jaroslav Staník, the secretary of the Czech rightist party ‘Freedom and Direct Democracy” of Tomio Okamura is prone to verbal abuse. He recently suggested to gas all homosexuals, Jews, and Roma.
In which century and times does he live?

– Tschechischer Politiker: Juden, Homosexuelle und Roma vergasen. In: Qeer. 13.11.2017. http://www.queer.de/detail.php?article_id=30081 [link-preview url=”http://www.queer.de/detail.php?article_id=30081″]

rroma.org
en_GBEN
de_DEDE fr_FRFR en_GBEN