VZCZCXRO5919
PP RUEHAST
DE RUEHSL #0706/01 2331305
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211305Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0245
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRATISLAVA 000706 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
BUDAPEST FOR USAID NOWICKI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM SOCI PGOV LO
SUBJECT: ROMA ISSUES ROUND-UP FOR SLOVAKIA 
 
REF: A. 03 BRATISLAVA 1178 
     ¶B. BRATISLAVA 586 
     ¶C. 05 BRATISLAVA 661 
     ¶D. 05 BRATISLAVA 888 
 
BRATISLAVA 00000706  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
PAST STERILIZATION OF ROMANI WOMEN - ISSUE REOPENED 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶1. (U) The August 14 release of the U.S. Helsinki 
Commission's report on sterilization of Romani women without 
informed consent in the Czech Republic and Slovakia has 
spurred a reaction in Slovakia.  The report received media 
coverage on both television and radio.  Deputy Prime Minister 
for Human Rights and Minorities Dusan Caplovic announced on 
August 17 that he will discuss the issue of past 
sterilization of Romani without consent with the Minister of 
Health.  He said that he intends to review the government 
investigations (ref A) that took place in 2003. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Klara Orgovanova, Plenipotentiary for Roma Affairs, 
confirmed that the Slovak government has not made a final 
decision about possible compensation for victims of 
sterilization.  In a print interview appearing on August 21, 
Orgovanova noted that it is within Caplovic's purview to 
follow the issue. 
 
¶3. (SBU) In a meeting on August 16, the MFA Deputy Director 
for Human Rights said the report was "surprising" and that 
certain words were "offensive".  She noted that 
investigations had been conducted and new laws had been 
enacted to ensure that informed consent is given, to allow 
greater access to one's own medical files, and to expand 
access to healthcare for Romani communities.  The issue is 
not closed, she said, since victims have the right to file 
suit to receive compensation.  However, to date no victim has 
received compensation.  Two suits have gone to the European 
Court of Human Rights, several suits are in process in the 
Slovak courts, and several suits have been terminated for 
lack of cause. 
 
ROMA HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL GARNERS HIGH LEVEL ATTENDANCE 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶4. (U) On August 4, Prime Minister Robert Fico spoke at the 
unveiling of a Roma Holocaust Memorial in Dunajska Streda, 
Slovakia to commemorate Porrajmos, the genocide of Roma 
during WWII.  Labor and Social Affairs Minister Viera 
Tomanova, head of the President's office Milan Cic, Hungarian 
(and ethnic Romani) MEP Viktoria Mohacs, and others also made 
short remarks.  While this event unveiled the first 
"Memorial" (i.e., free-standing structure) in honor of the 
Roma Holocaust, other commemorations and plaque unveilings 
have occurred for the past few years. 
 
¶5. (SBU) While the commemoration included an exhibition of 
photographs of a Slovak-Romani artist, Jozef Ravasz, who also 
spoke at the event, there was a noticeable lack of Slovak 
Roma in attendance.  No one from the Roma Plenipotentiary's 
Office made the hour-long drive to Dunajska Streda.  Ladislav 
Richter, the Slovak-Romani organizer, had previously 
contested Klara Orgovanova for the position of 
Plenipotentiary.  Richter and the NGOs that he is affiliated 
with are not well-respected by the young Romani activist 
crowd.  Several Romani NGOs were unaware of, and apparently 
uninvited to, the event.  Despite these behind-the-scenes 
issues, the event received positive attention in the 
mainstream Slovak press. 
 
ROMA ACTIVISTS POSITIVE ABOUT MEETING WITH DPM CAPLOVIC 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶6. (U) On August 7, the New Roma Generation and the Milan 
Simecka Foundation issued a press release expressing their 
satisfaction after a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Dusan 
Caplovic.  According to the statement, Caplovic understood 
the issues of the Romani community and promised a higher 
level of engagement.  The meeting stemmed from a 
well-publicized press conference of Romani activists calling 
for the new government to keep its campaign promises (ref B). 
 Shortly after that press conference, Caplovic publicly 
announced his intention to meet with the organizers and told 
the press that he intended to increase financial resources 
for the Romani community and minority cultures in general. 
We understand that Caplovic has formally requested all 
relevant ministries to come up with ideas for dealing with 
the issue of Roma integration. 
 
¶7. (SBU) The August 7 press release was drafted and issued 
solely by the Romani NGOs.  One trainer from the National 
Democratic Institute described the effort as demonstrating 
 
BRATISLAVA 00000706  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
good initiative and strategy, but lacking in refinement and 
execution.  The timing proved a few days too late to ride on 
the wave of media attention of the promises in the government 
program statement and the language used was overly complex 
and thus unlikely to be quoted by media outlets.  (COMMENT. 
This shows a need for ongoing training in all fields for 
these promising young leaders.  They are seeking funding for 
English language training from the British Embassy to be able 
to expand contacts and capture grants from abroad.  END 
COMMENT.) 
 
ROMA SWIMMING BAN RESCINDED 
--------------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) In eastern Slovakia, the town council of Vysny Kazimir 
had issued a ban, later signed by the mayor, to prevent all 
Roma from going to a nearby pond used for fishing and 
swimming by local residents.  The council said that Romani 
youths from a neighboring town were hassling others while 
there and were polluting the pond by swimming fully-clothed 
and riding their bicycles directly into it.  Thanks to 
immediate pressure from the Roma Plenipotentiary's Office and 
local NGOs, the town council adopted a new resolution on 
August 15 which did not ban Roma but simply stated that 
anyone causing damage to the pond would be fined. 
 
SOLUTION TO ROMA WALL IN SMALLER SETTING? 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (U) About 20 residents of the southern Slovak town of 
Levice have complained about a neighboring housing complex 
which houses people evicted from other places for non-payment 
of rent, almost all of whom are Roma.  The complaints include 
late-night noise and harassment by the children.  On August 
14, the daily newspaper SME quoted the mayor as saying, 
"Maybe we will separate them by a fence with an entrance path 
or establish a neighborhood police office in one of the 
buildings." 
 
¶10. (SBU) The mayor's statement hints that he is aware of the 
resolution to the proposed Presov - Stara Tehelna wall last 
year (refs C and D) and may be trying to seek a similar 
result, although it is unknown what type of "fence" he 
intends.  At this point, the Embassy has not engaged but will 
follow the issue.  This is a much smaller town with fewer 
Romani-related tensions than Presov.  We will allow time 
first to see if the appropriate domestic entities, including 
the Plenipotentiary's Office and local NGOs, can apply the 
lessons learned from their previous experiences to ensure 
that any proposed solution is acceptable to both Roma and 
non-Roma residents. 
 
THREAT AT ROMA CONSTRUCTION SITE BEING INVESTIGATED 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶11. (U) On August 18, the Slovak media reported that a bullet 
casing inside a partial skull had been left at a construction 
site of apartments expected to be occupied by Roma in the 
eastern Slovak village of Letanovce.  Attached to the skull 
was a note directed to the mayor threatening that if he did 
not halt the construction, he would end up like the bones. 
The note also indicated that two activated grenades had been 
left at the site.  Special technicians and trained service 
dogs found no trace of any explosives.  The police have 
initiated a criminal investigation on the grounds of 
extortion and spreading alarm. 
VALLEE