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.

• Head of an NGO Prata Speks Igors Kuzmuks criticizes the draft integration program elaborated by the Ministry of Culture
• Diena prints an interview with the leader of the nationalists union All for Latvia!-For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM Raivis Dzintars
• Famous Latvian composer Raimonds Pauls: Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte speaks only about integration and does nothing for culture
• Security Police initiated a criminal proceeding for action intentionally aimed at incitement of ethnic and racial hatred and public call to destroy Latvias territorial unity

Vesti Segodnya interviews head of an NGO Prata Speks (which provides free-of-charge Latvian language courses for non-Latvians), deputy of the Riga City Council Igors Kuzmuks about the draft integration program elaborated by the Ministry of Culture. Mr Kuzmuks criticizes the program arguing that it separates the society in three major groups – ethnic Latvians, ethnic minorities who are Latvian citizens, and non-citizens who got named as long-term-immigrants. Mr Kuzmuks believes that such division by definition cannot consolidate the society. Mr Kuzmuks also notes that in the process of elaboration of the draft program none of the principle remarks made by corresponding experts got taken into consideration by the authors of the program.

Diena prints an interview with the leader of the nationalists union All for Latvia!-For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM Raivis Dzintars. According to Mr Dzintars, the consolidated society can be achieved by gradual transition of all society into one informative space. Mr. Dzintars believes that education system also should be gradually Latvianised arguing that bilingual education system is too expensive. Mr Dzintars positively evaluates that the draft integration program elaborated by the Ministry of Culture believing that it is prepared much better than previous programs and it has a good frame.

Famous Latvian composer, ex-MP Raimonds Pauls in an interview with

Famous Latvian composer, ex-MP Raimonds Pauls in an interview with Neatkariga criticizes the Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte. According to the composer, the Minister speaks only about integration of society and does nothing for culture in Latvia. Mr Pauls also believes that ethnic Latvians should refrain of pressuring Russia and ethnic Russians to acknowledge the occupation of Latvia by the USSR, arguing that many ethnic Latvians got engaged in the work of Cheka (Extraordinary Commission - Soviet security organisation after the revolution) in its crimes and they do not apologise for it.

The Security Police initiated a criminal proceeding for action intentionally aimed at incitement of ethnic and racial hatred or instigation of discord and public calls to destroy Latvia’s territorial unity. The criminal proceeding is initiated for dissemination of leaflets in Daugavpils (city in the Eastern part of Latvia) which assert that ethnic Latvian nationalists oppress ethnic Russian residents, the existing political regime is colonial and should be replaced by the “people’s trust front.” Author of the leaflets also believes that Latgale region (Eastern part of Latvia) should be detached from Latvia and given to Russia.

The Security Police initiated a criminal proceeding for action intentionally aimed at incitement of ethnic and racial hatred or instigation of discord and public calls to destroy Latvias territorial unity. The criminal proceeding is initiated for dissemination of leaflets in Daugavpils (city in the Eastern part of Latvia) which assert that ethnic Latvian nationalists oppress ethnic Russian residents, the existing political regime is colonial and should be replaced by the peoples trust front. Author of the leaflets also believes that Latgale region (Eastern part of Latvia) should be detached from Latvia and given to Russia. Latvijas Avize