Czech fascists harass and attack Roma people
In Calgary Herald,
Canwest News Europe Correspondent
PARDUBICE, Czech Republic - A ghastly arson attack that has left a two-year- old girl fighting for her life contradicts Canadian and Czech government assertions that an exodus of Roma refugee claimants to Canada is driven by economics, rather than fear of persecution, say members of the Roma community here.
The Roma, once known as Gypsies, describe living conditions that might fit the image of the Southern U.S. during racial segregation.
They say they face a constant threat of neo-Nazi attacks and hateful demonstrations, where marchers head into Roma communities and call them ``parasites,'' organized by increasingly sophisticated organizations such as the far-right Workers' Party.
Most graphic was the April 18 incident, when three Molotov cocktails were tossed through a Roma family's front window.
The family members escaped the flaming house, except for little Natalka Sivakova, who was found by her frantic mother crouching in the corner of her smoke-filled bedroom, crying, ``Mommy, mommy!''
The child's pyjamas had caught fire, leaving her with severe burns to every part of body except the area covered by her diapers.
She remains in a coma while police investigate a witness's allegation that a group of men, after shouting ``Gypsies, you will burn,'' left the scene in a dark car.
Nationwide, Roma demonstrations to denounce that attack were held last Sunday, not only in cities and towns across the country, but in cities such as Toronto. In some places, there were counter-demonstrations by neo-Nazis.
The most emotional was in Vitkov, a small city on the Czech Republic's eastern corner near Poland, where the arson attack took place.
``I have been asked to lead a prayer for this little girl, who was so severely burned,'' said Czechoslovak Hussite Church Bishop Jana Silerova.
``I would also like to pray for our society to be healed, because it is ill."
``We are afraid for our lives,'' said Martin Duna, 31, who, despite owning his own construction company and three houses here, is considering taking his wife and eight-year-old son to Canada to claim asylum.
``We are worried that Hitler is coming back.''
He said he and his friends were assaulted by a group of stone-throwing skinheads outside a bar in December, but when police came, they didn't lay charges.
Moments after making that comment, Duna and his friends went to a restaurant here, and asked for a reservation for that evening, to prove a point about discrimination.
``We're full,'' the waitress replied. ``How about the following night?'' She shook her head. ``Next Tuesday?'' ``No, not possible,'' she replied.
Duna's reference to Hitler, who sent Roma, as well as Jews and homosexuals, to extermination camps during the Second World War, isn't as extreme as it may sound. Czech skinheads demonstrated to celebrate Hitler's birthday two days after the arson attack; Czech municipal politicians have won nationwide public praise for evicting Roma from apartments to live in metal containers in city outskirts; and human-rights groups have reported involuntary sterilizations of Roma women from the late 1960s to as recently as late last year.
Growing neo-Nazi violence, as well as discrimination and even segregation in areas such as health, housing, education, criminal justice and employment, have been reported in numerous publications issued by the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the U.S. State Department and Amnesty International.
The Canadian and Czech governments, however, are challenging the persecution complaints, as they attempt to deal with the skyrocketing number of refugee claims since Canada lifted visa requirements for Czech visitors in late 2007...
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