Hungary not a safe country for Roma

Date 21 August 2012 Author Roma React Category Uncategorised

All Roma organizations and activists gather in Cegled to protest against extreme right wing groups alleging to have been attacked by local Roma. This is part of a series of marches of the radical groups generating hatred against Roma people in Hungary. Roma organizations declare that Hungary is not a safe country for Roma. The statement below was forwarded to RomaReact by Istvan Vadaszi, head of the Roma Club in Hungary. The video attached to this article is about a gathering of Jobbik in Devecser, Hungary recorded earlier this month where speakers urge the public to break 'Gypsy criminality' by force.

'Statement

There was a state of emergency in Cegled after the right-wing extremists stated that the Hungarian Guard and the police were attacked by the Roma. The Pest County Police refuted that any disorderly conduct or assaults occurred, but the rumor was enough to mobilize a nationwide call of neo-facists to continue terrorizing the Roma through barikad.hu, kuruc.info, and szentkoronaradio.com. With this action, they have committed a hate crime.

The news on the night of August 19, hundreds (400-500 people, a thousand according to other information) flooded into Cegled. Many of the Roma families fled in fear, many to their relatives. We believe that every legal norm is untenable and the contradictory positions are responsible for the development of the policy on behalf of the government
and police leadership as these are similar to the right-wing as they have tolerated these racist acts through their inaction.

Roma organizations and representatives held a vigil at the National Police Headquarters through the night. They reported the accusations of a criminal offense apartheid of the Hungarian Guard. They asked the Roma to remain calm and not to yield to provocation.

We expect the complete diligence of the state, that the police act with the full rigors of the law on behalf of the public peace, social harmony and human dignity. We are in solidarity with the police, who perform their work and have been also attacked by the right-wing extremists.

We expect the government to fulfill its international obligations and prevent and stop racial violence.

The government should act against the continual physical threats against Gypsies. It is intolerable that the right-wing forces besiege and blockade Hungarian citizens and families in their homes.

Until these conditions are met, Hungary is not a safe country for Roma. For the right-wing, we have become the scapegoats. Their real goal is to overthrow the rule of law and democracy.

Amenca Group; Among Them, Roma Community Network (Ide Tartozunk Roma Közösségi Hálózat); XIII. RNO District; Roma Parliament; Phralipe; A New Approach Group (Új szemlélet csoport); Oprea Roma Group; Bhim Dzsáj Community MCDSZ XIII. District of Member Associations; We Ourselves – For Ourselves Society (Mi Magunk – Saját Magunkért Egyesület)

Contacts:

Parádi Lilla +36 20 396 38 50 lillaparadi@gmail.com

Setét Jenő +36 30 329 14 71 settjen@gmail.com'