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
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• Officials of the State Language Centre about Latvias accession to the EU

• PHP MP Yakov Pliner sent an open letter to the President regarding her role in the education reform
• Interview with the Head of the ASRSL Igor Pimenov
• Interview with chaplain working in the woman prison in Riga

In the column For or Against the EU? Lauku Avize provides opinions of employees of the State Language Centre. A state language inspector states that she is against Latvias accession to the EU because she hates Europe with all its commissioners while there are such persons as Max van der Stoel I am not able to vote for the EU. She believes that Latvia is yielding to all requirements set by Europe and is not able to defend its interests. The Director of the State Language Centre Agris Timuska says that he supports Latvias accession to the EU, however, on some conditions, for example, more attention should be paid to the protection of national interests and additional guarantees for the Latvian language should be ensured.

Peoples Harmony Party MP Yakov Pliner sent an open letter to the Latvian President and asked her to take part in the discussion about the education reform. He decided to send the letter because before the presidential elections in the meeting with MPs of the Peoples Harmony Party the Latvian President admitted that she supported the education reform because the Ministry of Education had told her that the reform was broadly discussed among students, teachers and parents. Yakov Pliner believes that the President was misled. Vechernaya Riga, Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Vechernaya Riga interviews the Head of the Association for the Support for Russian Schools in Latvia Igor Pimenov. He states that there is no split in the Headquarter, however, there are different opinions about the necessary strategy. He says that interests of both communities Russian and Latvian should be in balance. He reports about the planned activities of the ASRSL in the future: 1) the Association considers a possibility to organise a boycott of classes; 2) another, even bigger mass protest meeting is under preparation.

Rigas Balss

features an article about the activities of chaplain Rudite Losane in the woman prison in Riga. One of the inmates who attend services is Roma. In the woman prison there are many Roma women that are sentenced for dealing with drugs. Chaplain says, I do not want to say that Roma are bad but they are easy to fool because they are not educated.