Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

Integration and Minority Information Service

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• Chas
prints opinions of high officials about the protest meeting
• Protest meeting against the education reform in Moscow
• Lauku Avize
voices its incomprehension about tolerance of officials towards the protest activities
• Discussion Latvian – the Language of the Future was held yesterday
• Interview with the director of the Strategic Research Institute from Moscow
• Neatkariga features an article about left-wing parties
• Russian government demands that Latvia solve minority issues

Chas

provides opinions of high officials regarding the protest meeting against the education reform. Prime Minister Einars Repse states that there was no sense in organising the meeting as the government had already asked the Education Ministry to strike out the word only and people who came to the meeting were misled. The Education Minister Karlis Sadurskis says that people who came to the meeting protested against the closure of Russian schools and the Minister stresses that nobody is going to close them. The Integration Minister Nils Muiznieks promised to give his opinion later.

Today the Moscows organisation Unified Russia will organise a protest meeting against assimilation of Russians in Latvia outside the Latvian embassy building in Moscow. Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Lauku Avize

voices incomprehension about statements of high officials regarding the education reform and wonders why the state did not interfere with the anti-state activities, that is the protest meeting against the implementation of the education reform.

Yesterday the discussion Latvian – the Language of the Future was held by the Official Language Commission in Riga. The participants discussed the role of Latvian. Head of the Saeima Human Rights Committee, linguist Ina Druviete admitted that unfortunately the usage of languages is not controlled in the private sphere and regrets that Latvian lawyers tend to act not like advocates and defenders of the Latvian language, but more like prosecutors. Participants also discussed the future of Latvian in the EU. Lauku Avize, Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Vestnesis

Neatkariga

features an interview with the director of the Strategic Research Institute Sergey Oznobischev from Moscow. Sergey Oznobischev took part in the Baltic Forum, which was held last weekend. He says that an average MP of the Russian State Duma believes that Latvian non-citizens are oppressed and their rights are not observed in Latvia. Regarding young people who are non-citizens in Latvia, Oznobischev says that the Latvian state has to make Latvian citizenship attractive for these people, so they see real advantages of being Latvian citizens.

Neatkariga

features an article about two left-wing parties in the Saeima – FHRUL and the Peoples Harmony Party. Their key priorities relate mainly to ethnic issues and it is almost impossible to implement them, due to the opposite stance of the governing parties. FHRUL and the PHP continue to develop draft laws, which are aimed at eliminating differences between the status of citizen and non-citizen, however, none of these draft laws has been accepted. According to these parties, there are 60 differences between the status of Latvian citizen and non-citizen.

As of 9 June the First Baltic Channel, which broadcasts from Russia, will air daily Latvian news. Vesti Segodnya

Monday Russias MPs for the first time presented their report at the Parliamentary Assembly of NATO. The Vice Speaker of the Russian State Duma Lubov Sliska demanded the Latvian government solve minority issues in the country, in particular, the large number of non-citizens and education problems. The Head of the Latvian delegation Guntis Berzins said that the Sliskas report is tendentious. Vesti Segodnya