US embassy cable - 04BRATISLAVA215

UNCLAS  BRATISLAVA 000215 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO CSCE COMMISSION - ERIKA SCHLAGER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, ECON, SOCI, PINR, LO 
SUBJECT: A TRIP TO THE EAST: THE ROMA PERSPECTIVE 
 
REF: BRATISLAVA 191 
 
1. Summary. On February 26 and 27 embassy staff traveled to 
the Presov and Spisska Nova Ves regions to meet with 
activists, city councilmen, and experts about the causes of 
the recent unrest in the Roma community (reftel). After the 
arrival of additional police and military in Eastern 
Slovakia, Roma looting of grocery stores ceased. The last 
reported incident was on February 25, the same day Roma 
politicians called for a nation-wide strike against the new 
welfare reform, which was not successful. Social workers 
employed by the Office for the Roma Plenipoteniary 
speculated that these events could be repeated next month 
when Roma first receive lower welfare payments. Local 
leaders stated that the outbreak of looting and protests was 
a spontaneous event due to a series of reforms that had a 
severe impact on the Roma community. Overall, Roma activists 
claimed that the recent events and police actions in 
Trebisov have diminished recent progress to improve 
relations between Roma and majority communities. End 
Summary. 
 
Police Contain Roma Looting 
---------------------------- 
 
2. On February 26 and 27 two embassy staff members traveled 
to the Presov and Spisska Nova Ves regions to meet with 
activists, city councilmen, and experts about the causes of 
the recent unrest in the Roma community. The area had 
relatively few incidents, but there was a noticeable police 
and media presence. After the arrival of additional police 
and military in Eastern Slovakia, Roma looting of grocery 
stores ceased. The last reported incident was on February 
25, the same day Roma leader Fizik called for a nation-wide 
strike against the recent welfare system. Small peaceful 
demonstrations occurred in some towns, but regional leaders 
appealed to Roma to call off the strike because of the 
volatile situation with the police. By February 27, 182 Roma 
(51 men, 96 women, and 35 minors) were accused of robbery or 
assaulting a police officer. In most cases, prosecutors 
requested pre-trial custody, which was granted in at least 
42 cases. The total estimated damage to equipment, goods, 
and property was 26,500 USD (847,000 SK). General Prosecutor 
Dobroslav Trnka opened an investigation into the statements 
of certain Roma politicians inciting the closure of borders 
and blockading highways as a method of protest. 
 
3. Plenipotentiary for Roma Affairs Klara Orgovanova 
expressed concern about the recent police action centered in 
Trebisov, the largest police deployment in Slovakia after 
the fall of communism. She stated her office received 
reports officers entered residences without warrants and 
complaints of police brutality, which she forwarded to the 
Ministry of Interior to investigate. Ingrid Zubkova, a Roma 
activist and education specialist from Trebisov, told pol 
staff she was not allowed to enter some areas heavily 
populated by Roma and some family and friends feared leaving 
their homes for work or school. As poloff joined several 
Roma activists celebrating a birthday over a bottle of 
champagne, masked police entered the bar to root out 
suspects involved in looting. Some Roma felt this regional 
"show of force" was excessive, however an increase in 
skinhead attacks targeting Roma that many feared would 
result did not occur. 
 
The Power of the Media 
---------------------- 
4. Roma activists stated that one of reasons why looting 
spread so quickly was the sensationalized reporting on 
television, the primary source of information in Roma 
settlements. Ed Conka, a local NGO leader in Levoca, stated 
he had observed a Czech television crew buying alcohol for 
several Roma who were later reacting with more vigor than 
others involved in a strike. The mayor of Levoca later 
accused the crew of inciting the protest; Ceska Televizia 
has responded by suing the mayor. The mayor of Bystrany 
stated the media reported that Roma broke into the local 
community center, but in reality they were playing soccer. 
Roma reporters Denisa Havrlova and Daniela Hivesova-Silanova 
from the monthly Romano Nevo Lil, accused their colleagues 
from the leading dailies during a recent press conference of 
contributing to the spread of the looting and ill feelings 
toward Roma. 
 
The Straw that Broke the Camel's Back 
------------------------------------- 
 
5. Roma councilmen from the Presov area told pol staff the 
outbreak of looting and unrest was spontaneous. They 
disavowed that politicians or usurers influenced events. 
Rather, they were a display of frustrations with the series 
 
of difficult reforms. The culmination of changes in health 
care payments, the institution of the 19 percent flat tax, 
and the welfare reform passed in a short time frame have 
severely affected the Roma community. 
 
6. The elected Roma leaders believed that neither local 
governments nor Roma communities were prepared for the 
monumental changes in the welfare system. A councilman from 
Jarovnice asked why government cuts could not have occurred 
more gradually to allow local offices to prepare for the 
institutional changes and allow Roma to adjust their 
household spending. The discussants spoke mostly about a new 
monetary bonus given for ten hours of community service a 
week, which local government and organizations will create 
jobs and assist qualified recipients to fill them. In areas 
with small Roma communities, all residents were offered this 
benefit.  However, for the citizens of Jarovnice, with a 
population of nearly 4,000 Roma, it is more complicated. 
Several municipalities contacted the local Roma entrepenuer, 
Jozef Patkan, known for his thriving businesses employing 
Roma, but he stated that there was more supply than demand. 
 
Nostalgia for Communism and Work 
-------------------------------- 
 
7. It was obvious that the dramatic transition over the last 
15 years to democracy and a market economy, so evident in 
Bratislava, has not taken hold in the East. The Roma 
councilmen were deeply disappointed with the current 
government and professed a deep longing to return to the 
simpler days of communism. They stated they wished to return 
to the days where you either went to work or to jail. 
According to noted sociologist Alexander Musinka, many 
politically active Roma with leadership positions on the 
local level have never held a job and have lived exclusively 
on welfare. He confirmed that these Roma will likely vote in 
the presidential elections for leftist candidates and in 
favor of the referendum on early elections. 
 
Looting Strains Race Relations 
------------------------------ 
 
8. Several activists relayed to embassy staff progress in 
the last few years in the Roma community, such as the 
election of several mayors and council members in the 2002 
local elections. Integrating Roma into the democratic 
process has not been smooth, but these officials have 
already done much for their communities. Bystrany, a city 
that is 80 percent Roma, elected both a Roma mayor and city 
council. After the election, the non-Roma population 
appealed to the Ministry of Interior because of fears that 
the newly elected officials did not have enough basic 
education. Following the recent events, the non-Roma 
population again began discussing whether the Roma mayor was 
competent. Roma activists and the media were refused access 
to a February 25 "public" meeting on this issue organized by 
non-Roma. Activists who initially felt the civil unrest 
could bring needed attention to the Roma problem conceded 
that it was actually very destructive. 
 
The Dual Face of Usurers 
------------------------ 
 
9. While the government placed some of the blame for the 
Roma unrest on usurers, Roma themselves described a 
different vision of usury's prevalence and influence. Some 
usurers were elected to positions in the city council and 
are well regarded for contributing to their community. Zehra 
city council members complained the mayor was not 
communicating with them. They were eagerly awaiting the 
return of the deputy mayor, who was on "vacation," and was 
able to cooperate more effectively with the mayor. (We later 
learned that the deputy mayor was arrested for usury and was 
due to be released from jail in two weeks.) Social workers 
commented that while there are reports that usurers are 
highly influential and occasionally collaborate with the 
local police, not everyone in the community is beholden to 
usurers. Peter Polak, former Roma housing advisor to the 
district of Spisska Nova Ves, stated that usury is a by- 
product of the current economic situation, which will only 
be solved with further integration and employment for Roma. 
 
Roma Field Workers Fear Uncertain Future 
----------------------------------------- 
 
10. Nearly 50 social workers across Eastern and Southern 
Slovakia are currently employed through a pilot project 
operated by the Office of the Roma Plenipotentiary. The 
office directly employs 21 workers and foundations and 
international donors finance the remaining number. 
Throughout the past year, these workers gained trust in 
 
their communities, began education projects, and in some 
cases were the only means of communication between the Roma 
and the non-Roma citizens. In a small office in Velky Saris, 
Jozef Simonic, a coordinator for the workers, showed on a 
map the communities where the workers were engaged and where 
the looting occurred. He proudly commented that there were 
no problems in their communities and workers sought to 
manage the peaceful demonstrations. Simonic said he believed 
the government had adequate warning about the possible 
effects of the new benefit cuts, but the ministries and 
policy-makers suffer from not having enough knowledge about 
the Roma communities and not adequately coordinating 
policies through the Plenipotentiary's office. 
 
11. The Association of Social Workers and the Ministry of 
Labor (MOL) formed a working group to discuss guidelines for 
the workers and the future of the project. According to Roma 
Plenipotentiary Klara Orgovanova, the MOL agreed to transfer 
money to the municipalities to employ social workers, 
however delays may cause the project to run out of funding 
before the end of March and she can only continue funding a 
third of the staff. She is confident they will find a 
solution, but the Association may loose its trained 
employees due to new job qualifications and the inability of 
municipalities to pay for new positions. 
 
Comment 
-------- 
12. Our strongest impression after three days of traveling 
in eastern Slovakia was the extent to which most Roma 
communities have not participated in the economic or 
democratic transformation that occurred over the past 
fifteen years. Additionally, we noted a lack of mechanisms 
for communication between the two communities, with the 
exception of certain projects promoting field social work 
activity. There is no clear leadership behind which Roma can 
unite, and relying on sensationized TV coverage for 
information has proven to have disastrous results. The GOS 
speaks to Roma leaders that many claim have no constituents. 
 
13. We encouraged our interlocutors to explore new methods 
to get their message to policy-makers, such as more use of 
the growing Roma press and increased oversight efforts at 
the local level. We urged them to continue to build 
communication between Roma and non-Roma and to demand 
participation through peaceful means in decisions that 
affect them. The U.S. mission will continue to promote grass- 
roots democracy among Roma, and USAID's regional Roma 
project may also offer training on conflict resolution and 
other topics. 
 
THAYER 
 
 
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