Czech Govt Human Rights Commissioner: The term “inadaptable” deprives Roma of their humanity

Dear survivors, dear ladies and gentlemen,

We have gathered at this place of remembrance as we do every year to pay our
respects to the memory of the Romani victims of Nazism, in particular, the 1 309
Roma who were forcibly interned in the so-called “gypsy camp” at Lety from 2
August 1942 to 6 August 1943, as well as the 326 who did not survive that
internment. There were 241 children among those victims.

Permit me to mention a few historical facts and also give some contextual
information about this site which may not be so well-known and which will help
us understand the importance of these commemorative ceremonies and the
remembrance of the persecuted Romani victims during WWII. Prior to the creation
of the “gypsy camp” here and the one in Hodonín by Kunštát, there were
disciplinary labor camps in this country for men over 18 who could not prove
they had a regular source of income or a permanent address.

Romani men comprised anywhere between 10 and 25 % of the populations of these
labor camps. Their establishment was closely linked to an edict banning
itinerancy and the subsequent forced settlement of Romani people. Municipalities
did not want Romani people settling on their territories and endeavored to have
them assigned to these disciplinary labor camps.

It is also necessary to say that some mayors back then did protect their
Romani neighbors of many years. Those mayors also refused to give them up to the
authorities later on, when Romani transports were being sent to their deaths.
However, there were only a handful of Roma whose local governments stood up for
them, took responsibility, and “reclaimed” them from the deportation lists.
Unfortunately, it remains a sad fact that the steps taken by the protectorate
government were initiated even before the creation of the concept for “solving
the gypsy question” in the Reich, and their steps were merely a continuation of
measures that had been undertaken by the authorities of the First Czechoslovak
Republic.

The internment of Bohemian Roma in the concentration camp at Lety by Písek
and of Moravian Roma in the camp at Hodonín by Kunštát proceeded according to
the decree on “abating the gypsy nuisance” issued by the Protectorate of Bohemia
and Moravia on 10 July 1942. That act began the racial persecution of Bohemian
and Moravian Roma on our territory. Their systematic assignment to these
concentration camps was based solely on the basis of their membership in an
ethnic group. The administration of the “gypsy camp” at Lety was entrusted to
Czech Police officers who treated the prisoners not just brutally, but cruelly,
forcing them into a state of unconditional submission. Their forced internment
in these camps took place under inhumane conditions and ended with their
transport to the extermination camps, Auschwitz in particular.

Dear ladies, dear gentlemen, the genocide of the Roma was not spoken of in
our society for a long time, and to this day the general public is not very
familiar with the fate of the prewar population of the Bohemian and Moravian
Roma. We must continue to raise awareness and to preserve the memory of the
Romani victims of racial persecution. In that regard, I would like to thank Mr
Čeněk Růžička and the Committee for the Redress of the Roma Holocaust (Výbor pro
odškodnění romského holocaust) for organizing today’s gathering.

In that context, I would also like to point out the important role of the
Museum of Roma Culture, which in addition to its other work makes a fundamental
contribution to documenting the history of Roma during WWII on our territory. I
firmly hope that the proposal to merge this museum with the Museum of Moravia
will not be implemented and I believe that decision must be changed. I have
taken many steps to make sure the independence of the Museum of Roma Culture is
preserved, as it is a real gem collecting information about Romani culture,
customs and history not only in the Czech Republic, but also in Europe, and I
firmly believe my efforts will have positive results.

The proposal to declare 7 March the official “Day Commemorating the Romani
Victims of Persecution during WWII” in the Czech Republic may also launch a
society-wide discussion that will contribute toward a better understanding of
our own history. The Government discussed this parliamentary proposal on 2 May
and issued a neutral opinion on it, which means the primary discussion of the
bill is expected to take place during a plenary session of the Parliament of the
Czech Republic. Should it be adopted, this date would become an important state
holiday in the Czech Republic.

The date of 7 March was chosen to commemorate the first transport of Bohemian
and Moravian Roma to Auschwitz in 1943. I very much support the adoption of this
bill, because I consider it an important symbol of positive changes reflecting
the maturity of a society that has learned to completely face up to its past. By
adopting and supporting this bill, the representatives of our state would
officially acknowledge that Romani people, just like Jewish people, were one of
the populations most victimized by genocide during WWII. Only 10 % of Bohemian
and Moravian Roma survived the war. This bill will show that our state
representatives perceive that fact as momentous and worthy of commemoration.

The interest of society in this topic is also attested to by the fact that
every year the number of visitors to this remembrance site increases. During
2012, a total of 11 963 visitors came here, a new record (and compared to 2011,
an increase of 1 555 people).

However, that positive development has not yet resulted in the purchase of
the local pig farm, a relic of the communist regime that grossly desecrates this
site of Roma suffering during WWII. Respect for this site of human suffering has
not been preserved. It is my opinion that in a democratic society, this should
not be tolerated. Financing to resolve this situation should be found. I would
like society to realize the moral dimension of this problem and to understand
why it is necessary to remove the pig farm from this site.

When commemorating historical events, it is necessary to be aware of their
connections to the present day. I consider it unfortunate that even today there
are efforts to concentrate Romani people into the poor hygienic conditions of
residential hotels that are being run in out of the way places, and to not only
subject them to special supervision there, but to make money on their formidable
situations of personal misery.

It is sad that even today there are efforts to deprive Romani people of their
humanity by labeling them incorrigible and “inadaptable”. Just like in the years
leading up to the Holocaust, politicians are turning up now who base their
political careers on the dissemination of hateful statements about the members
of this ethnic group and on untrue claims that this group is enjoying some sort
of unfair advantages and represents a burden to the majority population.

If we are aware of the tragic fate of the Romani people whom we remember here
today, then we will always speak out strongly against ridiculous policies that
push Romani people out of communities and force them to live in the garbage
dumps of half-deteriorated industrial factories. We will speak out against bills
and measures to set such processes in stone, such as those that are turning up
in the current debates about the alleged usefulness of preserving the
residential hotels as a component of social housing.

On the other hand, it is always necessary to highlight municipalities that do
good everyday work on social integration, such as those collaborating with the
Czech Government Agency for Social Inclusion. It is also necessary to appreciate
the many improvements being made in the area of education.

Speaking personally, I must say that compared to the previous leadership of
the Czech Education Ministry, the situation now is truly changing.
Representatives of the Czech Republic have acknowledged the indirect
discrimination of Romani children in education and are seeking to correct it.
That is why a plan has been created for measures to implement the judgment of
the European Court of Human Rights in the case of D. H. and Others against the
Czech Republic. This plan clearly defines the steps to be taken to get rid of
indirect discrimination.

We are endeavoring to prohibit Romani children from being enrolled into the
so-called “practical schools” on the basis of their ethnicity. These schools
provide instruction according to the framework educational program for children
with light mental disability. We must know how to provide Romani children equal
opportunities and the same starting point in education so as to facilitate their
full-fledged participation in society, just like all other children.

The situation is also developing positively in relation to the compensation
of women who have been illegally sterilized. Romani women have been subjected to
this treatment to a great extent. I am negotiating with the relevant ministries
about a motion adopted last year by the Czech Government Human Rights Council on
this matter. Even though those negotiations are not easy, I firmly believe we
will find a consensus very soon so that a bill to compensate illegally
sterilized women can be submitted to the Government this summer.

In conclusion, I would like to appreciate the work of everyone who has been
familiarizing the public, in particular the younger generation, with the chapter
in Czech history we are commemorating here today. This contributes, small step
by small step, to a greater understanding of the coexistence between the
majority society and Romani people. This is one of the greatest human rights
tasks of the present day in our country.