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.

• Students strike against the education reform takes place today
• Appeal of the Prime Minister Indulis Emsis to the minority students parents
• European Council Human Rights Commissioner Alvaro Hill-Robles calls on Sweden to influence the Latvian integration policy more actively
• Response of the Prime Minister Indulis Emsis to the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia
• Directors of nine Latvian- and Russian-language Riga schools condemn activities of the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language Schools
• Directors of Liepaja minority schools receive anonymous letters
• Executive director of the Riga City Council Maris Tralmaks has repeatedly refused to authorize a protest meeting against the education reform
• Russia submitted a memorandum to the European Commission, agreeing to sign a supplementary protocol of the treaty on collaboration between Russia and the European Union
• Minister of Education and Science Juris Radzevics discusses the education reform with the mayors of Latvias biggest towns
• Jakovs Pliners and Valerijs Buhvalovs on the future of the Russian community in Latvia
• Tatjana Zdanoka explains her political position, publicly answering a letter which blames her for destabilizing situation in the country
• Information day in the Naturalization Boards Centre of Methodology and Examination

Newspapers print articles about the students’ strike against the education reform, organized by the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language Schools taking place today.

Newspapers print articles about the students strike against the education reform, organized by the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language Schools taking place today. Diena writes about the planned protest actions against education reform in Daugavpils. The Education board of Daugavpils has issued an instruction, demanding a letter from parents of the students who want to participate in the protest actions, in which they consent to bear responsibility for the conduct of their children. Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Chas

Prime Minister Indulis Emsis is asking parents of the minority students to consider issue of their children’s security before allowing them to participate in the strike against the education reform.

Prime Minister Indulis Emsis is asking parents of the minority students to consider issue of their childrens security before allowing them to participate in the strike against the education reform. Diena, Latvijas Avize

European Council Human Rights Commissioner Alvaro Hill-Robles has called on Sweden, as a big authority for the Baltic countries, to influence Latvian integration policy more actively, in order to help solving the problem of non-citizens. According to the commissioner, such a big number of people restricted from participation in the political life, creates a dangerous precedent in Europe. He believes it is necessary to grant automatic citizenship to the newborn children, and to allow non-citizens to vote at the municipal elections. Latvia should put more trust into its own residents, says Alvaro Hill-Robles.

European Council Human Rights Commissioner Alvaro Hill-Robles has called on Sweden, as a big authority for the Baltic countries, to influence Latvian integration policy more actively, in order to help solving the problem of non-citizens. According to the commissioner, such a big number of people restricted from participation in the political life, creates a dangerous precedent in Europe. He believes it is necessary to grant automatic citizenship to the newborn children, and to allow non-citizens to vote at the municipal elections. Latvia should put more trust into its own residents, says Alvaro Hill-Robles. Diena

Vesti Segodnya publishes response of the Prime Minister Indulis Emsis to the invitation to meet representatives of the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language schools. Prime minister regards such meeting as useful, especially taking into consideration that a working group under the guidance of the Minister of Education and Science Juris Radzevics was established for development a constructive dialogue with minority students, parents and organizations representing them. FHRUL has also invited the prime minister to participate at the ceremony, during which opponents of the education reform are planning to submit a petition expressing a negative attitude towards the reform.

Directors of nine Latvian and Russian language Riga schools have appealed to the society, calling to ignore the protest actions against the education reform, organized by the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language schools. Directors call the protest actions ‘immoral’, and express indignation about attempts of the Headquarters to involve teachers in those.

Directors of nine Latvian and Russian language Riga schools have appealed to the society, calling to ignore the protest actions against the education reform, organized by the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language schools. Directors call the protest actions ‘immoral, and express indignation about attempts of the Headquarters to involve teachers in those. Diena points to the lack of informative activities for parents, promised by the Minister of Education and Science. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Chas, Telegraf

Directors of Liepaja minority schools have received copies of the unsigned letter with the logotype of the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language Schools. The letter requests directors not to create obstacles for the students who want to express their attitude against the education reform, and not to restrict their freedom of participation in the protest actions.

Directors of Liepaja minority schools have received copies of the unsigned letter with the logotype of the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language Schools. The letter requests directors not to create obstacles for the students who want to express their attitude against the education reform, and not to restrict their freedom of participation in the protest actions. Telegraf

Executive director of the Riga City Council Maris Tralmaks repeatedly refused to authorize a protest meeting against the education reform, planned on 16 April by the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language schools. According to the activist of the Headquarters Gennadijs Kotovs, application to the Riga City Council, asking for permission to organize this protest meeting, will be resubmitted again today.

Executive director of the Riga City Council Maris Tralmaks repeatedly refused to authorize a protest meeting against the education reform, planned on 16 April by the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language schools. According to the activist of the Headquarters Gennadijs Kotovs, application to the Riga City Council, asking for permission to organize this protest meeting, will be resubmitted again today. Chas

According to the information possessed by

According to the information possessed by Diena, Russia has submitted a memorandum to the European Commission, confirming its resolution to sign a supplementary protocol of the treaty on collaboration between Russia and the European Union, therefore applying it to all new EU member states. Russia will sign the protocol on condition that the EU undertakes to satisfy Russias requirements, including revision of the Russian-speakers status in the Baltic States. Russian Information Agency Novosti quotes the Russia Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov saying that all new member states of EU should acknowledge that they will fulfill requirements of the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Chas

Newspapers feature articles about the meeting of the Minister of Education and Science Juris Radzevics and the mayors of the Latvian biggest towns in order to discuss implementation of the education reform. According to the mayors, the greatest part of minority schools in Ventspils, Daugavpils, Rezekne, Valmiera, Jelgava and Jurmala are prepared for the reform’s implementation. Juris Radzevics acknowledged that the state will be forced to apply appropriate sanctions if violations of law take place during the protest actions.

Newspapers feature articles about the meeting of the Minister of Education and Science Juris Radzevics and the mayors of the Latvian biggest towns in order to discuss implementation of the education reform. According to the mayors, the greatest part of minority schools in Ventspils, Daugavpils, Rezekne, Valmiera, Jelgava and Jurmala are prepared for the reforms implementation. Juris Radzevics acknowledged that the state will be forced to apply appropriate sanctions if violations of law take place during the protest actions. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya

Vesty segodnya publishes article by the FHRUL MP Jakovs Pliners and Dr. ped. Valerijs Buhvalovs about the future of the Russian community in Latvia. Using a Russian-language school in Kalnciems as an example, authors claim that state integration program has put Russian-language schools on the verge of extinction – schools do not have enough pupils, and soon will encounter a shortage of teachers. According to Jakovs Pliners and Valerijs Buhvalovs, defending schools from the ‘forceful Latvianization is not enough to preserve ethnic identity and Russian culture. They believe a new law on ‘ethnic-cultural autonomy is necessary, which would stipulate, among other conditions, education from pre-school to university available in the Russian language with the intensified studies of Latvian; official status of the Russian language in the areas inhabited by the Russian minority in substantial numbers; and creation of the Advisory Council of the Russian communities at the Saeima, which would evaluate the draft laws concerning the Russian minority.

Vesty Segodnya publishes a response of the leader of the Equality party Tatjana Zdanoka to the letter, which blames her for destabilizing political situation in the country and endangering school children, sending them out to the streets to protest against the country they live in, and against the President of Latvia. Author of the letter is a Russian woman, who had married a politically repressed Latvian during his exile in Siberia, and later repatriated together with her husband. Tatjana Zdanoka defends her position, saying that children do not protest against their native country, they simply demand respect towards themselves and their parents, the right to study in their native tongue, and the right to the best possible way of Latvian language acquisition.

Rigas Balss writes about the information day in the Naturalization Boards Centre of Methodology and Examination.