VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUP #0663/01 1840504
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 020504Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3144
INFO RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA 1032

UNCLAS BUDAPEST 000663 
 
SIPDIS 
 
EUR/NCE FOR MARC NORDBERG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI HU
SUBJECT: COCKTAILS FOR THE ROMA - MOLOTOV STYLE 
 
REF: Budapest 493 and previous 
 
¶1.  Summary: Recent Molotov cocktail attacks on Roma houses in the 
village of Patka highlight a growing trend of open confrontation 
between Roma and non-Roma Hungarian citizens in various locales. 
Village officials and the local "Civil Guard" group face racism 
claims in their effort to maintain law and order.  The appearance of 
Magyar Garda members and Roma Hungarian European Parliament Member 
Viktoria Mohacsi did little to diffuse the situation in a search for 
common understanding.  End summary. 
 
------------------------------- 
Evening Cocktails in Roma Homes 
------------------------------- 
¶2.  A small village of 1659 inhabitants (eight percent Roma), Patka 
lies 45 miles southwest of Budapest.  Late in the evening of June 3, 
allegedly members of the local Civil Guards - not related to the 
Magyar Garda - threw Molotov cocktails into three Roma homes, 
causing minor damage but no injuries.  The three Civil Guard members 
suspected of throwing the Molotov cocktails were detained by the 
Police a few days after the attack.  Following the Civil Guards' 
arrest, the local council issued a statement signed by 500 
residents, expressing support for the three until the investigation 
is complete. 
 
¶3.  During a visit by EmbOffs to Patka on June 19, Mayor Bela Furi 
commented that Roma and non-Roma residents used to live together in 
peace but now, four or five Roma individuals routinely break the law 
and harass the community residents.  Furi stated that he and the 
local council are looking for ways to ensure citizens obey the law, 
noting that for almost 10 years the 39 member volunteer Civil Guard 
unit has operated in the village to help deter crime.  (Note: the 
Civil Guard has no Roma members. End note.) 
 
-------------------------------- 
Yearning for the good old days... 
-------------------------------- 
¶4.  Interspersed with council members' comments about Roma 
"horse-stealing, illegal apple picking, and limited trainability of 
Roma in only certain skill areas," the Doyen of the city council, 
Lajos Gyenei, expressed his opinion that the regime change generated 
most of the problems because Roma people are not obliged to have a 
job or permanent housing anymore.  Continuing, Gyenei said that due 
to the poorly designed social welfare system, unemployed people who 
have many children and live solely on social benefits gain more than 
those who work for minimum wage.  (Note: As septel will report, this 
is part of a growing chorus of complaints regarding the welfare 
system, and both the government and the opposition are talking about 
reforms to link receipt of benefits to performance of community 
work.  End note.)  This system encourages the so-called "crime for 
living" phenomena.  Gyenei underscored that "the community has had 
enough of them stealing the fruits of the work of others."  Mayor 
Furi and the Village Notary, Szilard Visi, both cited Roma players 
on the local soccer team as evidence that "there is no racism in the 
village."  They both characterized the "unfortunate incident" as a 
police matter, blaming the media and politicians for crying racism. 
 
¶5.  Additionally, the Mayor said that the integration of the local 
elementary school and unintended consequences has fueled public 
tension.  When Roma students were integrated by law, the majority of 
non-Roma students left, enrolling in the nearby city of 
Szekesfehervar.  With only a few remaining Roma children, the 
municipality could no longer finance the local school and it has 
been closed. 
 
----------------------------- 
Local "crime," local "justice?" 
----------------------------- 
¶6.  Perhaps a catalyst for the recent attacks, in 2007 a young, 
drunk, Patka Roma man hit a non-Roma girl with his car.  The girl 
suffered serious, lasting injuries.  On June 2, 2008, one day before 
the Molotov cocktail attacks, the court found the driver guilty but 
suspended the sentence due to his mental instability.  The Roma 
driver's house was one of those targeted with the Molotov cocktails. 
 
 
------------------------- 
"Outsiders'" interference 
------------------------- 
¶7.  Responding to the attacks and the Civil Guard members' arrest, 
the "Together for Patka" Civil Group organized a village forum on 
June 13, inviting the Magyar Garda.  Jozsef Furi, the Mayor's 
brother, and a "Together for Patka" member, praised their 
attendance, commenting that "the Magyar Garda is not against anyone, 
they simply stand at the side of honest people, showing them that 
they are not alone if they need protection."  (Note: no Roma is a 
member of the "Together for Patka" Civil Group.  End note.) 
 
¶8.  In response, European Parliamentary Member (MEP) Viktoria 
Mohacsi, a Roma, invited approximately 100 Roma men from other 
villages to be present.  Separated from the 120 Magyar Garda members 
by police, shouting epithets was the extent of the confrontation. 
Ms. Mohacsi further stirred Patka's emotions when she raised the 
issue at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on June 16.  Mayor 
Furi told EmbOffs he blamed Ms. Mohacsi for interfering in a local 
affair, "spreading her lies in the media and in the European 
Parliament, only aggravating the situation." He noted that she did 
not even visit him while in Patka on June 13. 
 
---------------------- 
The rest of the story? 
---------------------- 
¶9.  Emboffs also met with Istvan Lakatos, one of the Roma victims of 
the Molotov cocktail attack and a former member of the local city 
council.  Lakatos said that the attack was unprovoked and that he 
has serious concerns about the future relations between the Roma and 
non-Roma citizens in Patka.  He noted that the Mayor did not even 
come to visit the occupants of the three homes after the attacks. 
Lakatos also praised Ms. Mohacsi's demonstration of solidarity with 
the local Roma people, commenting that "only her involvement saved 
the lives of Roma residents." 
 
¶10.  Ms. Mohacsi told EmbOffs on June 20, that "racism is behind the 
Molotov cocktail incident -- what else could it be?"  When asked by 
PolOff if her invitation to Roma men from other towns may have 
exacerbated the situation, Mohacsi acknowledged that she "was not 
thinking when one of my colleagues offered to bring a couple of 
strong Roma men from the neighboring cities to a rally where Magyar 
Garda is invited [but], I believe Magyar Garda is a threat to Roma 
people who have no confidence in police defending them." 
 
¶11.  Interestingly, the Mayor, Istvan Lakatos and Viktoria Mohacsi 
all mentioned an American investor's plan to build a wellness resort 
in Patka.  Lakatos and Mohacsi both mentioned this investment as 
playing a role in trying to "drive" the Roma out of the village 
because "the investment will only happen if no Roma live in the town 
anymore." 
 
------------------------------ 
Co-existence - on whose terms? 
------------------------------ 
¶12.  During the visit to Patka, the city council members provided 
Emboffs a draft copy of the "Moral Agreement of Co-existence" that 
they plan to distribute to all the residents.  If the majority signs 
the agreement outlining "correct" social behavior and rules, the 
agreement will take effect.  Guidelines include appropriate 
greetings to each other based on age and gender, respect for public 
institutions, public buildings, public officials, church leaders, 
and public and private property.  Queried as to the "punishment" if 
someone breaks a rule, the council members stated they have yet to 
decide. The Mayor postponed a planned June 25 meeting to discuss the 
agreement and other issues with the local Roma community pending the 
Roma's approval of their representatives. 
 
¶13.  Comment.  The Patka Molotov cocktail incident raises the ante 
of anti-Roma activity in Hungary.  The presence of the Magyar Garda 
continues the trend of their appearance in smaller towns and 
villages - where observers tell us they are strongest - and where 
Magyar Garda leaders say Roma criminality is a huge problem.  The 
Patka attack, coupled with Magyar Garda "appearances" in two other 
villages during the same week, considerably lowers the flash point 
for physical confrontation between the Magyar Garda and Roma 
counter-protestors.  We will continue to monitor events carefully 
over the summer and restate our tolerance message at every 
opportunity. 
FOLEY