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

• Interview with the Head of the New Era Saeima faction Krisjanis Karins
• Interview with First Deputy of the Chairperson of the Russian State Duma Lubova Sliska
• Head of the Saeima Human Rights Committee gave an interview with a nationalistic newspaper
• HIV/AIDS-infected Russian youth in Estonia and Latvia
• FF/LNNK member about activities of Russian-speakers
• Lauku Avize
features a long article about the study initiated by the Naturalisation Board

Lauku Avize

interviews the head of the New Era Saeima faction Krisjanis Karins. In response to newspapers reproaches that the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration Affairs Nils Muiznieks is not doing his job as there were no non-Latvians at the Freedom Monument on 14 June -- the mourning day for victims who were deported to Siberia by the Soviet regime -- Krisjanis Karins replies that it is difficult to comment on Nils Muiznieks as he is not a Minister appointed by his party. Regarding citizenship issues, Karins says that international experts may say what they want about the big number of non-citizens, however, Latvia does not have to change anything and even if we decide to harden the Citizenship Law, nobody would be able to object to that. Karins states that the New Era has a different approach to solving ethnic issues than FF/LNNK does.

Chas

interviews the First Deputy of the Chairperson of the Russias State Duma Lubova Sliska. She believes that the time has come to solve non-citizen issues in Latvia and Estonia. Lubov Sliska states that her efforts to establish a dialogue with the Latvian Parliament failed. She believes that Russia should implement more effective policy regarding its compatriots.

Vesti Segodnya

reports that the Head of the Saeima Human Rights Committee Ina Druviete gave an interview to the nationalistic newspaper DDD. Vesti Segodnya writes that Druviete provided her opinion regarding ethnic relations in Latvia.

Chas, Vechernaya Riga

feature an article about a book on HIV/AIDS-infected Russian youth in Estonia and Latvia. The author states that integration programmes of both countries Estonia and Latvia may lead to a serious risk of social exclusion among Russian youth in Estonia and Latvia and that their implementation may foster the growth of infection with HIV/AIDS among the Russian youth.

Lauku Avize

features an article by member of FF/LNNK Vilnis Zarins about the activities of Russian-speakers. He states that protest activities against the education reform are their efforts to dictate their will in Latvia. He says that not all Russian-speakers are hostile towards Latvia. He concludes that all residents of Latvia should observe the law.

Lauku Avize

features a long article about the study initiated by the Naturalisation Board on the reasons which hold back non-citizens from naturalisation.