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07 August 2000
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CERD
57th session
7 August 2000
Afternoon
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon started its consideration of a fourth periodic report presented by the Government of the Czech Republic on how that country was giving effect to the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Miroslav Somol, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the United Nations Office at Geneva, introduced the report by stressing that racially motivated crimes continued to be a focus of interest for Czech Government agencies as well as for the media and the broader public. Although no racially motivated murders had been registered in 1999, a number of racist attacks had occurred, the most serious ones being committed by supporters of neo-Nazi or far-right movements.
Marc Bossuyt, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of the Czech Republic, referring to an incident which led to the building of a wall dividing Roma inhabitants from the rest of the people, said that although the wall was demolished by a decision of a higher body, segregation in the Czech Republic still resembled a mini-apartheid. He said the measures undertaken by the Government were insufficient and ineffective; the remedies available to victims of segregation and racial discrimination were mainly administrative and ineffective; and even in the administration of justice, Roma people received higher sentences compared to those given for similar crimes committed by others.
The following Committee experts also took part in the discussion: Gay MacDougall, Luis Valencia Rodriguez, Carlos Lechuga Hevia, Regis de Gouttes, Ion Diaconu, Raghavan Vasudevan Pillai, Brun-Otto Bryde, Yuri A. Rechetov, Peter Nobel, Patricia Nozipho January-Bardill and Mahmoud Aboul-Nasr.
The delegation of the Czech Republic is also made up of Pavel Cink, Director, International Department of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports; Adela Janovska, Department of Security Policy, Ministry of Interior; Zdenek Sovak, President of the Senate, Supreme Court; Petr Kaplan, Department of Requalification, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs; Jan Jarab, Secretary, Council of Human Rights, Office of the Government; Lukas Machon, Human Rights Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Ivana Schellongova, Second Secretary at the Czech Permanent Mission at Geneva.
The Czech Republic is among the 156 States parties to the Convention and as such it is obligated to present periodic reports on its compliance with the terms of the treaty.
Also this afternoon, the Committee heard a report presented by one its members on article 15 of the Convention concerning the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and the Committee's consideration of petitions from the inhabitants of Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories.
The Committee will continue its review of the report of the Czech Republic when it meets at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 8 August.
Report of Czech Republic
The fourth periodic report of the Czech Republic (document CERD/C/372/Add.1) enumerates legislative and administrative measures undertaken by the Government in compliance with the provisions of the Convention on an article-by-article basis. It says that the State does not pursue any policy aimed at racial discrimination. However, like other European countries, it tackles the problem of racist manifestations and tries to combat them as effectively as possible. During recent years, the Czech authorities have intensified their efforts to overcome problems associated with racial discrimination.
The report gives demographical data with emphasis on the situation of the Roma people and says that their number was estimated to be 200,000 but according to the Roma Citizen's Initiative, the Roma in the Czech Republic number 300,000 to 400,000. The Roma living on the territory of the Czech Republic belong to several sub-ethnic groups. The absolute majority of them, 80 per cent, are referred to as the Slovak Roma.
Further, the report says that the key issue relating to the security of persons belonging to minorities, particularly the Roma, is the threat from more or less organized extreme nationalists and neo-fascist groups whose members are usually referred to as skinheads. They have pursued their activities on the territory since 1990. In 1998, the courts have handed down final sentences to 138 person for racially motivated offences, including 13 who were sentenced to prison terms without suspension.
Presentation of Czech Report
MIROSLAV SOMOL, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that the Roma community in his country continued to suffer from high rates of unemployment, low education and qualification, difficulties and other intertwined social problems. In April 1999, the Government had taken a measure aimed at facilitating the integration of the Roma people into society. The concept of the measure was to contribute to a harmonious co-existence between the Roma and the majority population, to counter all forms of discrimination and to eliminate the long-standing handicaps faced by the Roman people.
Among the measures taken by the Government was the project of community housing for Roma inhabitants in the city of Brno, where the Government offered a guarantee for a credit provided by the Development Bank of the Council of Europe, Mr. Somol said. The Government invested into reconstruction of housing in an urban area with a high proportion of Roma tenants with the aim of turning that area into a model of co-existence between the Roma and ethnic Czech inhabitants.
Mr. Somol affirmed that racially motivated crime continued to be a focus of interest for Government agencies as well as for the media and the broader public. According to a Government report of 1999, although no racially motivated murder had been registered, a number of racist attacks had occurred, the most serious ones being committed by supporters of neo-Nazi or far-right movements. Those groups of predominantly young people targeted principally the Roma, but their rhetoric also included hatred of Jews and foreigners. It was also reported that some members of legally registered civic associations abused the freedom of expression by promoting xenophobia or open racism.
In conclusion, Mr. Somol said that in addition to the measures taken to improve the situation of Roma people, policies regarding foreigners had also been undergoing major developments in recent months.
Discussion
MARC BOSSUYT, the Committee expert who served as rapporteur to the report of the Czech Republic, referring to the high number of foreigners in that country, asked the delegation about the measures taken to combat illegal immigration to the Czech Republic which was serving as a transit to other European countries.
With regard to article 14 of the Convention, which was recognition of the Committee's competence to receive individual complaints, Mr. Bossuyt asked if the Czech Republic was still contemplating the issue.
Speaking on the Roma people, Mr. Bossuyt said the difficulties facing the Roma - high unemployment and security - were not the same as those facing the other minorities.
Mr. Bossuyt said that the report had indicated that the key issue relating to the security of persons belonging to minorities, particularly the Roma, was the threat from more or less organized extreme nationalists, and neo-fascist groups whose members were usually referred to as skinheads. During the night of 8 November 1997, two skinheads had attacked two Sudanese students in the district of Prague causing bodily harm; the two offenders received 14.5 years and 7.5 years jail sentences, but upon their appeal the sentences were reduced to one year and to a suspended sentence for three years; what was the number of skinheads in the country? How were they organized?
Mr. Bossuyt further said that according to the report, racially motivated attacks had led to the death of 13 persons, including 11 Roma and 2 foreigners, a Turk and a Sudanese, between 1990 and 1993. Were there measures undertaken by the Government to prevent those incidents? In spite of certain partial improvements, the Roma people in particular believed that the current status of violence and bodily harm was unsatisfactory, according to the report.
On the issue of nationality, Mr. Bossuyt said due to the division of Czechoslovakia, people had been left out of acquiring the Czech citizenship despite their long affiliation to that territory. Some persons of Slovak origin who stayed in the Czech Republic after the partition of the former Czechoslovakia were unable to obtain Czech citizenship.
Mr. Bossuyt continued to ask about the situation of the small Muslim group which was first denied by local citizens to build mosques in Bron and Teplice and which latter received the permission by the local council to build the mosques without the minarets.
Referring to an incident which led to the building of a wall dividing Roma inhabitants from the rest of the people, Mr. Bossuyt said that although the wall was demolished after a decision by a higher body, segregation in the Czech Republic still resembled a mini-apartheid. The measures undertaken by the Government were insufficient and ineffective. The remedies available to victims of segregation and racial discrimination were mainly administrative and ineffective. Even in the administration of justice, Roma people received higher sentences compared to those given for similar cases committed by others.
Other Committee experts also highlighted the problems faced by the Roma people and the discriminatory attitudes existing in the Czech Republic. Many experts expressed the view that the Roma people were less privileged and their access to basic social needs such as education, health and employment was restricted.
An expert said the measure to build a wall dividing the Roma inhabitants from the rest of the citizens in one of the Czech villages had resulted in an international outcry and had raised the Committee's concern. Although the wall had been demolished, the act remained to be a great sign of discrimination
Another expert expressed concern that African, Asian and Roma communities in the Czech Republic were the principal targets of discrimination and physical attacks. Excessive use of force against minorities and power abuse by police in streets and prisons were alleged by many sources. In some cases, certain members of the police did not fear to side with extremist rightist groups. In addition, the media was not helping the situation because of its continued use of information siding with the extreme right.
* *** *
57th session
7 August 2000
Afternoon
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon started its consideration of a fourth periodic report presented by the Government of the Czech Republic on how that country was giving effect to the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Miroslav Somol, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the United Nations Office at Geneva, introduced the report by stressing that racially motivated crimes continued to be a focus of interest for Czech Government agencies as well as for the media and the broader public. Although no racially motivated murders had been registered in 1999, a number of racist attacks had occurred, the most serious ones being committed by supporters of neo-Nazi or far-right movements.
Marc Bossuyt, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of the Czech Republic, referring to an incident which led to the building of a wall dividing Roma inhabitants from the rest of the people, said that although the wall was demolished by a decision of a higher body, segregation in the Czech Republic still resembled a mini-apartheid. He said the measures undertaken by the Government were insufficient and ineffective; the remedies available to victims of segregation and racial discrimination were mainly administrative and ineffective; and even in the administration of justice, Roma people received higher sentences compared to those given for similar crimes committed by others.
The following Committee experts also took part in the discussion: Gay MacDougall, Luis Valencia Rodriguez, Carlos Lechuga Hevia, Regis de Gouttes, Ion Diaconu, Raghavan Vasudevan Pillai, Brun-Otto Bryde, Yuri A. Rechetov, Peter Nobel, Patricia Nozipho January-Bardill and Mahmoud Aboul-Nasr.
The delegation of the Czech Republic is also made up of Pavel Cink, Director, International Department of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports; Adela Janovska, Department of Security Policy, Ministry of Interior; Zdenek Sovak, President of the Senate, Supreme Court; Petr Kaplan, Department of Requalification, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs; Jan Jarab, Secretary, Council of Human Rights, Office of the Government; Lukas Machon, Human Rights Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Ivana Schellongova, Second Secretary at the Czech Permanent Mission at Geneva.
The Czech Republic is among the 156 States parties to the Convention and as such it is obligated to present periodic reports on its compliance with the terms of the treaty.
Also this afternoon, the Committee heard a report presented by one its members on article 15 of the Convention concerning the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and the Committee's consideration of petitions from the inhabitants of Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories.
The Committee will continue its review of the report of the Czech Republic when it meets at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 8 August.
Report of Czech Republic
The fourth periodic report of the Czech Republic (document CERD/C/372/Add.1) enumerates legislative and administrative measures undertaken by the Government in compliance with the provisions of the Convention on an article-by-article basis. It says that the State does not pursue any policy aimed at racial discrimination. However, like other European countries, it tackles the problem of racist manifestations and tries to combat them as effectively as possible. During recent years, the Czech authorities have intensified their efforts to overcome problems associated with racial discrimination.
The report gives demographical data with emphasis on the situation of the Roma people and says that their number was estimated to be 200,000 but according to the Roma Citizen's Initiative, the Roma in the Czech Republic number 300,000 to 400,000. The Roma living on the territory of the Czech Republic belong to several sub-ethnic groups. The absolute majority of them, 80 per cent, are referred to as the Slovak Roma.
Further, the report says that the key issue relating to the security of persons belonging to minorities, particularly the Roma, is the threat from more or less organized extreme nationalists and neo-fascist groups whose members are usually referred to as skinheads. They have pursued their activities on the territory since 1990. In 1998, the courts have handed down final sentences to 138 person for racially motivated offences, including 13 who were sentenced to prison terms without suspension.
Presentation of Czech Report
MIROSLAV SOMOL, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that the Roma community in his country continued to suffer from high rates of unemployment, low education and qualification, difficulties and other intertwined social problems. In April 1999, the Government had taken a measure aimed at facilitating the integration of the Roma people into society. The concept of the measure was to contribute to a harmonious co-existence between the Roma and the majority population, to counter all forms of discrimination and to eliminate the long-standing handicaps faced by the Roman people.
Among the measures taken by the Government was the project of community housing for Roma inhabitants in the city of Brno, where the Government offered a guarantee for a credit provided by the Development Bank of the Council of Europe, Mr. Somol said. The Government invested into reconstruction of housing in an urban area with a high proportion of Roma tenants with the aim of turning that area into a model of co-existence between the Roma and ethnic Czech inhabitants.
Mr. Somol affirmed that racially motivated crime continued to be a focus of interest for Government agencies as well as for the media and the broader public. According to a Government report of 1999, although no racially motivated murder had been registered, a number of racist attacks had occurred, the most serious ones being committed by supporters of neo-Nazi or far-right movements. Those groups of predominantly young people targeted principally the Roma, but their rhetoric also included hatred of Jews and foreigners. It was also reported that some members of legally registered civic associations abused the freedom of expression by promoting xenophobia or open racism.
In conclusion, Mr. Somol said that in addition to the measures taken to improve the situation of Roma people, policies regarding foreigners had also been undergoing major developments in recent months.
Discussion
MARC BOSSUYT, the Committee expert who served as rapporteur to the report of the Czech Republic, referring to the high number of foreigners in that country, asked the delegation about the measures taken to combat illegal immigration to the Czech Republic which was serving as a transit to other European countries.
With regard to article 14 of the Convention, which was recognition of the Committee's competence to receive individual complaints, Mr. Bossuyt asked if the Czech Republic was still contemplating the issue.
Speaking on the Roma people, Mr. Bossuyt said the difficulties facing the Roma - high unemployment and security - were not the same as those facing the other minorities.
Mr. Bossuyt said that the report had indicated that the key issue relating to the security of persons belonging to minorities, particularly the Roma, was the threat from more or less organized extreme nationalists, and neo-fascist groups whose members were usually referred to as skinheads. During the night of 8 November 1997, two skinheads had attacked two Sudanese students in the district of Prague causing bodily harm; the two offenders received 14.5 years and 7.5 years jail sentences, but upon their appeal the sentences were reduced to one year and to a suspended sentence for three years; what was the number of skinheads in the country? How were they organized?
Mr. Bossuyt further said that according to the report, racially motivated attacks had led to the death of 13 persons, including 11 Roma and 2 foreigners, a Turk and a Sudanese, between 1990 and 1993. Were there measures undertaken by the Government to prevent those incidents? In spite of certain partial improvements, the Roma people in particular believed that the current status of violence and bodily harm was unsatisfactory, according to the report.
On the issue of nationality, Mr. Bossuyt said due to the division of Czechoslovakia, people had been left out of acquiring the Czech citizenship despite their long affiliation to that territory. Some persons of Slovak origin who stayed in the Czech Republic after the partition of the former Czechoslovakia were unable to obtain Czech citizenship.
Mr. Bossuyt continued to ask about the situation of the small Muslim group which was first denied by local citizens to build mosques in Bron and Teplice and which latter received the permission by the local council to build the mosques without the minarets.
Referring to an incident which led to the building of a wall dividing Roma inhabitants from the rest of the people, Mr. Bossuyt said that although the wall was demolished after a decision by a higher body, segregation in the Czech Republic still resembled a mini-apartheid. The measures undertaken by the Government were insufficient and ineffective. The remedies available to victims of segregation and racial discrimination were mainly administrative and ineffective. Even in the administration of justice, Roma people received higher sentences compared to those given for similar cases committed by others.
Other Committee experts also highlighted the problems faced by the Roma people and the discriminatory attitudes existing in the Czech Republic. Many experts expressed the view that the Roma people were less privileged and their access to basic social needs such as education, health and employment was restricted.
An expert said the measure to build a wall dividing the Roma inhabitants from the rest of the citizens in one of the Czech villages had resulted in an international outcry and had raised the Committee's concern. Although the wall had been demolished, the act remained to be a great sign of discrimination
Another expert expressed concern that African, Asian and Roma communities in the Czech Republic were the principal targets of discrimination and physical attacks. Excessive use of force against minorities and power abuse by police in streets and prisons were alleged by many sources. In some cases, certain members of the police did not fear to side with extremist rightist groups. In addition, the media was not helping the situation because of its continued use of information siding with the extreme right.
* *** *