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.

• Saeima Committees discuss the protest actions against the education reform
• Interview with Prime Minister Indulis Emsis
• Saeima Legal Affairs Committee prepares new amendments to the law On the Status of Former USSR Citizens Who are not Citizens of Latvia or Any Other State
• Saeima Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee postpones discussion about draft law on elimination of racial discrimination
• Daugavpils mayor Rita Strode worries about the activities of the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language Schools in Daugavpils
• Discussion on minorities problems
• Yesterday 674 non-citizens were naturalized

Protest actions against education reform have very little in common with the minorities’ education reform, but students are only an instrument for the gaining of political capital before elections, stated the chairman of the State Security Police Janis Reiniks during the Saeima Defense and Internal Affairs Committee and National Security Committee meeting. MPs have decided to call the state security institutions to clarify the actual organizers of the protest actions in order to call them to justice. A  request is planned for Saeima approval to remove immunity, so that three Saeima MPs form For Human Rights in the United Latvia – Jakovs Pliners, Andris Tolmacovs and Vladimirs Buzajevs – involved in organizing the protest ations can be punished adminstratively. Saeima commissions will also evaluate the proposal of the Minister of Education and Science Juris Radzevics to amend the law to include responsibility for intetional involvement in administrative infringement measures.

Protest actions against education reform have very little in common with the minorities education reform, but students are only an instrument for the gaining of political capital before elections, stated the chairman of the State Security Police Janis Reiniks during the Saeima Defense and Internal Affairs Committee and National Security Committee meeting. MPs have decided to call the state security institutions to clarify the actual organizers of the protest actions in order to call them to justice. A request is planned for Saeima approval to remove immunity, so that three Saeima MPs form For Human Rights in the United Latvia – Jakovs Pliners, Andris Tolmacovs and Vladimirs Buzajevs – involved in organizing the protest ations can be punished adminstratively. Saeima commissions will also evaluate the proposal of the Minister of Education and Science Juris Radzevics to amend the law to include responsibility for intetional involvement in administrative infringement measures. Latvijas Avize features an interview with Minister of Education and Science Juris Radzevics about these issues. Chas features a chronic of the education reform. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Telegraf

Latvijas Vestnesis prints an interview with Prime Minister Indulis Emsis about possible solutions to education reform problems. The Prime Minister stresses that any solutions must fall within the framework of the existent Law on Education. Indulis Emsis states that it is necessary to recognize that there is one part of students having poor knowledge not only of Latvian, but also of exact or other subjects, which the school has chosen to teach in Latvian. The Prime Minister considers the establishment of additional classes for students, who have problems in particular subjects. According to Indulis Emsis, the government can also help with methodological materials for those schools which are not ready for education reform. The Prime Minister believes that one in six (out of 108) minority secondary schools are not ready for implementation of the education reform.

The Saeima Legal Affairs Committee has prepared new amendments to the law On the Status of Former USSR Citizens Who are not Citizens of Latvia or Any Other State.  The proposed amendments stipulate that persons who have received a residence permit in another country after 1 May 2004 can be deprived of their non-citizen status in Latvia.

The Saeima Legal Affairs Committee has prepared new amendments to the law On the Status of Former USSR Citizens Who are not Citizens of Latvia or Any Other State. The proposed amendments stipulate that persons who have received a residence permit in another country after 1 May 2004 can be deprived of their non-citizen status in Latvia. Latvijas Avize, Chas

Yesterday the Saeima Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee postponed the discussion on the draft law on the elimination of discrimination.

Yesterday the Saeima Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee postponed the discussion on the draft law on the elimination of discrimination. Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya features an article about the meeting of the representatives of the Saeima Subcommittee on Social Integration and Mayor of Daugavpils Rita Strode. Rita Strode has expressed disquiet about the activities of the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language Schools in Daugavpils, stating that before their activities there were not particular problems in the area of education reform in Daugavpils. According to mayor, most participants in the protest actions organized by the Headquarters in Daugavpils, were activists from Riga.

Latvijas Avize writes about discussion on minorities problems with participation of the party Equality leader Tatjana Zdanok, Special Task Minister for Society Integration Nils Muiznieks and the representative of Social Democratic Union Peteris Salkazanovs, organized by the social organization Cita Politika (Different policy). The member of the board of Cita Politika Maris Graudins stated that the true cause of the education reform problems is the neglect of the Latvian government of youth socialization. Its necessary to recognize that we have 493,000 non-citizens and that it would be fair to grant citizenship for all who were born in the territory of the Republic of Latvia, stressed Maris Graudins. Nils Muiznieks stated that the education is essential for the interruption of the reproduction of the Soviet system, which created a divided society on the basis of language knowledge.

Yesterday 674 non-citizens were naturalized. These new citizens are Russians, Belorussians, Ukrainians, Lithuanians and Poles.

Yesterday 674 non-citizens were naturalized. These new citizens are Russians, Belorussians, Ukrainians, Lithuanians and Poles. Rigas Balss