Pope asked to help Romas moved from Czech town

dpa German Press Agency
Published: Monday November 6, 2006

Prague- Minority rights groups sought help Monday from Pope Benedict XVI as a row over government relocations of hundreds of Roma, or gypsies, spread far beyond the Czech town where it started last month. The pope was asked to intervene in the dispute that began when poor Roma families were recently evicted from public housing in the eastern town of Vsetin and relocated in villages up to 70 kilometres away.

Vsetin Mayor Jiri Cunek has repeatedly defended the relocations, but the letter's co-author and activist Vaclav Miko of the group Roma Realia told the CTK news agency that the mayor's decision "is a sin that can turn into a crime."

Meanwhile in Prague, the government's human rights commissioner pledged to investigate the use of state funds for part of Vsetin's programme, which some critics called minority-group "deportations."

Under the programme, Roma families were evicted for failing to comply with public-housing rules including rent payments and noise.

About 100 Romas were moved to villages and another 230 were placed in a community of metal "container" homes about 1 kilometre outside the town of 28,000.

The containers were bought with state funds allocated to Vsetin by the Ministry of Local Development, officials said. Cunek and his critics have clashed over whether the state funds were used properly.

Cunek's critics include his political party colleagues with the Christian Democrats (KDU) as well as members of the Green Party (SZ), such as parliament member Katerina Jacques.

Jacques said the programme isolates Romas at a time when the Czech government is working to integrate minority groups into society.

SZ considers the Vsetin programme "unacceptable" and contrary to state policy, said party spokeswoman Dzamila Stehlikova.

"The battle against social exclusion and the legislation for stable, social housing is part of state and local policy," she said.

© 2006 dpa German Press Agency