Integration monitor

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.

Sept. 10, 2010

  • State Language Centre punished a supermarket for posters which do not comply with the State Language Law
  • Head of the control department of the State Language Centre Antons: Russian speakers became more aggressive towards Latvian language
  • Two administrative cases against the channel TV5 programme Un-censored
  • Telegraf prints an article about closure of Russian language schools in Latvian regions.
  • OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebeck asks for explanation about norms on state language usage prescribed in the Law on Electronic Mass Media
  • Diena prints an article about Roma in Latvia

The State Language Centre (SLC) punished a supermarket Stockmann for posters which do not comply with the State Language Law. According to the head of the control department of the SLC Antons Kursitis the inspectors found one more store which placed posters about sale in which the text in English is written in bigger letters as in Latvian. Telegraf

Head of the control department of the State Language Centre Antons Kursitis in an interview to radical nationalists newspaper DDD stated that Russian speaking residents of Latvia became more active and aggressive towards Latvian language and language inspectors. Mr. Kursitis also believes that general attitude towards the state language changed to worse in whole country. Vesti Segodnya

The National Radio and Television Council and the State Language Centre initiated two administrative cases against the parent company of channel TV5 for the fact that in its Russian language programme Un-censored the Minister of Transportation Kaspars Gerhards was not requested to speak Russian. The TV channel is accused of violating the State Language Law and the Administrative Violations Code regarding disrespect towards Latvian language. Telegraf, Latvijas Avize, Diena

Telegraf prints an article about closure of Russian language schools in Latvian regions. According to the newspaper, there are whole regions which completely liquidated Russian language schools because existence of such schools is fully dependent on a good will of municipalities. The MP and the head of the Latvian Association for Support of Schools with Russian Language of Instructions Igors Pimenovs believes that the state does not give voting rights to those residents who could defend Russian schools.

Latvijas Avize reports that the Minister of Foreign Aivis Ronis received a letter from the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebeck asking to provide explanation about norms on state language usage prescribed in the Law on Electronic Mass Media. The Commissar questions whether representatives of ethnic minorities were consulted during the adoption of the Law. A response letter prepared by the Saeima states that representatives of ethnic minorities were invited to the second reading of the draft Law, however, none of them attended it.

Diena prints an article about Roma in Latvia. According to it many Roma who have lived in Latvia for generations emigrated from the country in search for work. A representative of Roma in an interview to the newspaper states that Roma would not leave Latvia if they would be able to find a job here. According to official statistics, there are 8,559 ethnic Roma in Latvia, however, this data allegedly does not reflect real number because large part of Roma do not show their true ethnicity in official documents.

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  • Integration Monitor - daily Latvian press digest on minority and social integration issues

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