Romani CRISS-Roma Center for Social Interventions and Studies asks the intervention of the international institutions of protection of human rights regarding the last points of view published in mass-media concerning the Roma from Romania. Bucarest / ROMANIA ( RNN Correspondent ) March the 29th, 2000 APPEAL Romani CRISS-Roma Center for Social Interventions and Studies asks the intervention of the international institutions of protection of human rights regarding the last points of view published in mass-media concerning the Roma from Romania. We let you know that, during this electoral year, the Roma are about to become a tool for manipulating the public opinion from Romania. Certain leaders of some Romanian political organizations promote a nationalist speech, connected to a supposed danger that would be represented by the Roma people, in order to gain a favorable position in front of the electorate. In this idea, we bring to your knowledge the declarations of the deputy Mugurel Vintila, vice-president of the party Alliance for Romania, published in the newspaper "National", from 28th of March, 2000, in page 4, under the title "The Occidental chanceries want to transform Romania in a state of Gypsies". In an interview given to that publication, Mr. Mugurel Vintila inform the public opinion about a "shocking problem"which the Roma from Romania would represented, existing the possibility of transforming our country in a "state of Gypsies", by the Occidental chanceries' intervention. This allegations are based on the information obtained by Mr. Vintila from "a friend diplomat in West". The diplomat would have communicated to the deputy of A.f.R. that the Occident intends to bring all the members of Roma ethny from Europe on Romanian territory, in order to create a state of Gypsies. Mr.Mugurel Vintila, also sustains the the Roma leaders from Romania, even if they don't have political experience, are financially sustained from outside in order to get access to the structures of power, from where they will take decisions favorable to their ethny. The politician, also says that "Roma ask for their Rights as ethny, fact that never happen before". This are few of the most serious allegations of the vice-president of A.f.R., with a nature that might make an attempt on Roma security in Romania. We consider that the extremist attitude of the deputy Mugurel Vintila and his allegations with a high level of racism require an intervention from the international institutions, in order to fight against and to eliminate, in future, this kind of acts. In this idea, we ask that the governmental and inter-governmental institutions organize a dialog with the representatives of the Romanian state's institutions, the leaders of the political parties, Roma associations and mass-media. From our point of view, this dialog should have as objective the fight against racism, discrimination and intolerance regarding the Roma from Romania. A first of this kind of dialog was launched under the title "Strengthening of the Democratic Frame regarding the Ethnical Minorities in Romania", by the Commission for European Integration-Romanian Government-Romanian Parliament, Department for National Minorities Protection and Romani CRISS, on 21st-22nd of March, 2000. At our invitation answered only a small number of representatives of political organizations and mass-media. We would like to organize again such kind of meetings, with the support of the national and international institutions, which will mediate the relations between the political forces and Roma from Romania, in this electoral year. Hoping that our message will find understanding from you, we wait for an answer. We annex our reaction next to the declarations made by Mr.Mugurel Vintila, the press communicate being published in the newspaper "National", from 30th of March, 2000, page 5. With respect, Costel Bercus, Executive Manager Romani CRISS Buzesti no.19 sector 1 Bucharest - Romania tel/fax: 004 01 659 78 13 004 01 231 41 44 E-mail: criss@dnt.ro PRESS COMMUNICANT Romania-the future state of Roma people?! Roma Center for Social Intervention and Studies, Romani CRISS, considers that the declarations made by deputy Mugurel Vintila, vice-president of the party Alliance for Romania, published in the newspaper "NATIONAL", from 28th of March, 2000, in page 4, under the title "The foreign occidental chanceries want to transform Romania in a state of Gypsies", constitutes an attempt to rouse the nationalist feelings, made in an obvious electoral purpose. Our association organized, on 23th of March, 2000, in Bucharest, a march of protest against racism, under the aegis of "European Week of Fight Against Racism and Discrimination".On this occasion, we asked to be ensured for us an undiscriminatory treatment- the declarations made by Mr.Vintila come to confirm, once again, that our demands have to fight with strong prejudices, sustained by persons from very high level. The allegations of the vice-president of A.f.R., based on the words of an occidental diplomat, according to which in few years the Romanian state might transform itself in a state of the European minority of Roma, are not founded, because we, as members of the concerned ethny, are not familiar to any kind of such plan. Even more, in case that the occidental chanceries would sustain and encourage the establishment of a state like this, probably that we would be the first who would find about this. That is why we ask the deputy Mugurel Vintila to communicate us the source of this information, aprilbe we find out what fate is preparing for us. Connected to his interview, published by the "National", under the signature of Bogdan Tiberiu Iacob, we consider that if some Romanian politicians from the high level sustain the access of Roma leaders within the leading positions of the state, this will represent the prove of democracy and of good functioning of the state of law throw the participation of national minorities to the political life. The Roma ethnic from Romania are Romanian citizens, which, according to the Constitution, have the right to be elected, including in the highest positions in the state. As consequence, Romani CRISS, considers that the allegations made in press by the vice-president of A.f.R. are in fact just an attempt of the organization that he is representing to settle certain political accounts, using the Roma minority as tool. In the same time, the deputy Mugurel Vintila creates a state of worry among the majority population, declaring that Romania might become a state of Gypsies. We call the public opinion not to let itself influenced by this allegations. We are in an electoral year, after all...... Contact Point of the Roma Associations with the Press C.P.R.A.P
APPEAL
Romani CRISS-Roma Center for Social Interventions and Studies asks the intervention of the international institutions of protection of human rights regarding the last points of view published in mass-media concerning the Roma from Romania. We let you know that, during this electoral year, the Roma are about to become a tool for manipulating the public opinion from Romania. Certain leaders of some Romanian political organizations promote a nationalist speech, connected to a supposed danger that would be represented by the Roma people, in order to gain a favorable position in front of the electorate. In this idea, we bring to your knowledge the declarations of the deputy Mugurel Vintila, vice-president of the party Alliance for Romania, published in the newspaper "National", from 28th of March, 2000, in page 4, under the title "The Occidental chanceries want to transform Romania in a state of Gypsies". In an interview given to that publication, Mr. Mugurel Vintila inform the public opinion about a "shocking problem"which the Roma from Romania would represented, existing the possibility of transforming our country in a "state of Gypsies", by the Occidental chanceries' intervention. This allegations are based on the information obtained by Mr. Vintila from "a friend diplomat in West". The diplomat would have communicated to the deputy of A.f.R. that the Occident intends to bring all the members of Roma ethny from Europe on Romanian territory, in order to create a state of Gypsies. Mr.Mugurel Vintila, also sustains the the Roma leaders from Romania, even if they don't have political experience, are financially sustained from outside in order to get access to the structures of power, from where they will take decisions favorable to their ethny. The politician, also says that "Roma ask for their Rights as ethny, fact that never happen before". This are few of the most serious allegations of the vice-president of A.f.R., with a nature that might make an attempt on Roma security in Romania. We consider that the extremist attitude of the deputy Mugurel Vintila and his allegations with a high level of racism require an intervention from the international institutions, in order to fight against and to eliminate, in future, this kind of acts. In this idea, we ask that the governmental and inter-governmental institutions organize a dialog with the representatives of the Romanian state's institutions, the leaders of the political parties, Roma associations and mass-media. From our point of view, this dialog should have as objective the fight against racism, discrimination and intolerance regarding the Roma from Romania. A first of this kind of dialog was launched under the title "Strengthening of the Democratic Frame regarding the Ethnical Minorities in Romania", by the Commission for European Integration-Romanian Government-Romanian Parliament, Department for National Minorities Protection and Romani CRISS, on 21st-22nd of March, 2000. At our invitation answered only a small number of representatives of political organizations and mass-media. We would like to organize again such kind of meetings, with the support of the national and international institutions, which will mediate the relations between the political forces and Roma from Romania, in this electoral year. Hoping that our message will find understanding from you, we wait for an answer. We annex our reaction next to the declarations made by Mr.Mugurel Vintila, the press communicate being published in the newspaper "National", from 30th of March, 2000, page 5. With respect, Costel Bercus, Executive Manager Romani CRISS Buzesti no.19 sector 1 Bucharest - Romania tel/fax: 004 01 659 78 13 004 01 231 41 44 E-mail: