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.

• Representatives of state security institutions and state officials about the possible escalation of violence during the protest actions against the education reform
• Interview with Riga Vice-Mayor Sergejs Dolgopolovs
• Fragments of a Los Angeles Times article about minorities rights in Latvia
• Approximately 300 Russian school students participate at protest meeting against the education reform in Rezekne
• Minister of Education and Science Juris Radzevics meets minority students parents in Liepaja

Rigas Balss features opinion of the state security institutions and state officials about the possible escalation of violation during the protest actions against the education reform. According to the representative of the Constitutional Protection Bureau Dainis Mikelsons, a working group under the leadership of the Prime Minister keeps track of the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language Schools activities. Saeima MP Andrejs Klementevs (Peoples Harmony Party) believes that its necessary to establish a moratorium on education reform until 2007 in order to preclude the escalation to violence, because neither the Ministry of Education and Science nor the teachers are ready for the implementation of the reform. The Minister of Education and Science Juris Radzevics believes that protest actions against the education reform become less and less connected with the education reform, but are events in which people demonstrate in order to provoke the state security officials.

Vesti Segodnya features an interview with Riga Vice-Mayor Sergejs Dolgopolovs, who points to a positive tendency regarding education reform, stating that a dialogue in society has started. Vice-mayor believes that if the moratorium on the education reform is not established de jure, it will work de facto, because many schools are not ready for the reform.

Neatkariga Rita Avize reprints fragments of an article published in the Los Angeles Times about minorities rights observation in Latvia. The author writes about the relationship between Latvia and Russia and the minority education reform in Latvia, pointing out that discussion on the reform is political. The article also mentions restrictions on non-citizens rights, but allegedly does not include any mention about the possibilities to naturalize.

Yesterday approximately 300 Russian school’s students from Rezekne, Riga, Daugavpils and Ludza participated at protest meeting against the education reform in Rezekne.

Yesterday approximately 300 Russian schools students from Rezekne, Riga, Daugavpils and Ludza participated at protest meeting against the education reform in Rezekne. Latvijas Avize, Chas

Minister of Education and Science Juris Radzevics met with minority students’ parents in Liepaja in order to discuss the education reform.

Minister of Education and Science Juris Radzevics met with minority students parents in Liepaja in order to discuss the education reform. Chas