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.

• Diena reports on the success of minority students in the national Latvian language exam
• President of Russia Vladimir Putin criticizes the Baltic States for the existence of the non-citizen status
• Diena fosters a discussion about possibilities of promoting tolerance among youth
• Information about new protest action against minority education reform
• Saeima Presidium refuses the extension of accreditation to the journalists of the national-radical newspaper DDD

Diena reports on the results of national exams, stating that the results of minority students in the Latvian language exam are better than those by the Latvian students. The knowledge of 15,5 % of minority students was rated as being at the two lowest – E and F – levels, while the share of Latvian students receiving the same grades in the Latvian language exam reached 32,6%. According to the Director of the General Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Science Arturs Skrastins, minority students of grade 9 also showed good Latvian language proficiency (two thirds of them passed the exam at A, B or C levels), which attests to their readiness to study at least 60% of the subjects in Latvian at secondary school.

Newspapers report on the meeting of the President of Finland  Tarja Halonen and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin. During the meeting the President of Russia expressed indignation about the existence of non-citizen status in the Baltic States, stressing that no legal system foresees such a status and promising to discuss the issue with Russia’s partners in the EU. In turn, Halonen stated that Latvia and Estonia are working to solve the problem of Russian-speakers, and called upon Russia to sign boarder agreements with these states. Halonen also questioned the possibility of including the non-citizen issue among the priorities of the Finnish EU Presidency, which will commence during the second half of 2006.

Newspapers report on the meeting of the President of Finland Tarja Halonen and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin. During the meeting the President of Russia expressed indignation about the existence of non-citizen status in the Baltic States, stressing that no legal system foresees such a status and promising to discuss the issue with Russias partners in the EU. In turn, Halonen stated that Latvia and Estonia are working to solve the problem of Russian-speakers, and called upon Russia to sign boarder agreements with these states. Halonen also questioned the possibility of including the non-citizen issue among the priorities of the Finnish EU Presidency, which will commence during the second half of 2006. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Diena fosters discussion about the possibilities of promoting tolerance among youth by featuring the opinions of several experts. All the experts point to the role of teachers in promoting tolerance among young people. Programme director of the Education Development Centre Aija Tuna believes that teachers in Latvia still tend to divide all answers in ‘right and ‘wrong and this impedes the process of education for tolerance in schools. According to Tuna, today teachers are not ready to work with a child who differs from majority, be it a child with a different native language or a child with mental or physical disabilities. Human rights expert Nils Muiznieks and the research coordinator of the organisation Education International Guntars Catlaks point to the role of politicians in promoting tolerance in society. According to Muiznieks, it is also necessary to elaborate new textbooks reflecting the real diversity of the society.

Russian-language newspapers

Russian-language newspapers inform about new protest action against minority education reform, planned by the Headquarters for the Defence of the Russian-language Schools. According to the head of Saeima For Human Rights in the United Latvia (FHRUL) faction Jakovs Pliners, the protest action will allegedly take place in mid-September. In the forthcoming week, the representatives of the FHRUL and Headquarters are planning to visit Rezekne (the town in Eastern Latvia where the repeated municipal elections are planned in August) to collect signatures in support of the requirement to grant the voting rights to non-citizens at municipal elections. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

After assessing the information provided by the State Security Police, the Saeima Presidium decided to refuse the extension of accreditation to the journalists of the national-radical newspaper

After assessing the information provided by the State Security Police, the Saeima Presidium decided to refuse the extension of accreditation to the journalists of the national-radical newspaper DDD. As reported, two journalists of this newspaper have been charged with the incitement of ethnic hatred in their publications. Diena, Latvijas Avize