Meeting with Czech Deputy Foreign Minister
Martin Palous in Washington last evening, Commissioners Co-Chairman Rep.
Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ) and Ranking Minority Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD)
praised the Government of the Czech Republic for standing firm against
municipal plans in the village of Usti nad Labem to wall off Roma, for
plans to resolve long-standing problems of statelessness for Roma and discrimination
against Czech Americans in the Czech property restitution/compensation
law, and for allowing the Radio Farsi/Radio Free Iraq station to be placed
in the Czech Republic. They also discussed regional security issues, including
the crisis in Kosovo. At the same time, they underscored the need for Czech
leaders to condemn the wave of anti-Roma, anti-Semitic and anti-foreigner
violence that plagues the Czech Republic.
Following the meeting, Smith welcomed the many positive messages brought
to Washington by the Deputy Minister. Smith noted "I was deeply gratified
to learn that the Czech government has announced that it would block the
construction of a wall in the village of Usti nad Labem that, if built,
would effectively create a Roma ghetto. Such walls have no place in modern
Europe. I hope this decision reflects a new and deeper political will on
the part of the Czech Government to combat manifestations of xenophobia."
Hoyer emphasized that "the key to this effort is a strong government
reaction" when xenophobic attacks occur. "President Havel has, for too
long, carried the burden of reacting to such acts. It is time for other
Czech leaders, including Prime Minister Zeman, to be equally assertive
in condemning hate crimes." The Commissioners provided Deputy Prime Minister
Palous with a list of recent xenophobic attacks, including one against
Bob Joyce, a 61-year-old American teacher who was beaten unconscious in
November for defending a Rom against skinhead harassment.
In a similar vein, they discussed the citizenship law of the Czech Republic
which has left stateless thousands of Czech Roma who previously had Czechoslovak
citizenship. "I was deeply heartened by my discussion with Mr. Palous on
this issue," said Smith. "Not only does there appear to be a fast-track
timetable for moving legislation forward, but Mr. Palous has assured us
of his government's commitment to ensure that new citizenship procedures
will not entail a lot of bureaucratic red tape." Hoyer added, "the adoption
of the new citizenship law, which Minister Palous said will permit dual
citizenship, will also be a first step towards resolving the discrimination
Czech Americans have faced in making claims for restitution or compensation
for property that was wrongly taken from them by the previous Communist
regime."
The Commissioners and Mr. Palous also discussed the status of the Lety
archives-the only known archives from a Roma concentration camp-and welcomed
news that Mr. Palous had brought copies of one-third of the archives with
him to deliver to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. "I am gratified that
this moves towards fulfilling a pledge made to me over four years
ago, and I hope that the remaining two-thirds of the archive copies will
be delivered soon," said Hoyer. The Commissioners also urged Mr. Palous
to seek the repeal of the Czech Republic's Communist-era criminal defamation
law. "Criminalizing people because of their criticism of the government,
its offices or its personalities is simply contrary to international norms
and contrary to the Helsinki Final Act," said Hoyer. "Although President
Havel pardons everyone who gets convicted under this law, what will happen
when someone else becomes President?" asked Smith. "This is an unnecessary
legacy of the Communist past."