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.

• FF / LNIM adopted new programme at a party congress last Saturday

Newspapers reporting about the new programme adopted by the political party “For Fatherland and Freedom / the Latvian National Independence Movement” (FF/LNIM) at its congress last Saturday. The programme aims at development of ethnically Latvian Latvia. It seeks to increase the birthrate among ethnic Latvians, encourage emigration of ethnic minorities and Latvianize and de-Russify minorities. The party wants to amend legislation, obliging private companies operating in services sector to hire employees who do not speak Russian and switching all publically funded education to Latvian language of instruction. The party argues that availability of entertainment and mass-media in Russian language is distancing people of Latvia from the Western way of thinking. On international arena, the party pledges to insist that the Communist and the Nazi crimes are equal. It also argues that because of Soviet occupation it is immoral to celebrate the victory over the Nazis on 9 May and insists that Russia should not tell Latvia how to commemorate 16 March (unofficial day of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires). Participants of the congress also discussed the possibility to make an alliance with “Unity”, “The Union of Greens and Farmers” and “All for Latvia!”

Newspapers reporting about the new programme adopted by the political party For Fatherland and Freedom / the Latvian National Independence Movement (FF/LNIM) at its congress last Saturday. The programme aims at development of ethnically Latvian Latvia. It seeks to increase the birthrate among ethnic Latvians, encourage emigration of ethnic minorities and Latvianize and de-Russify minorities. The party wants to amend legislation, obliging private companies operating in services sector to hire employees who do not speak Russian and switching all publically funded education to Latvian language of instruction. The party argues that availability of entertainment and mass-media in Russian language is distancing people of Latvia from the Western way of thinking. On international arena, the party pledges to insist that the Communist and the Nazi crimes are equal. It also argues that because of Soviet occupation it is immoral to celebrate the victory over the Nazis on 9 May and insists that Russia should not tell Latvia how to commemorate 16 March (unofficial day of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires). Participants of the congress also discussed the possibility to make an alliance with Unity, The Union of Greens and Farmers and All for Latvia! Neatkariga, Diena, Chas, Vesti-segodya, Telegraf