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.

• Articles commenting readiness of the state police for the forthcoming protest action on 1 September
• Head of Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Aleksands Kirsteins: the Baltic States should demand compensations from Russia
• Tatjana Zdanoka will inform the European Parliament about the protest actions against the education reform
• Vesti Segodnya reports on results of the research ‘Integration of Non-Latvian Youth in Latvian Society in the Context of the Education Reform
• Response of the anaesthesiologist Viktors Dergunovs to the letter of the head of the Riga City Councils For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM fraction doctor Janis Birks
• Interview with the director of the documentary film ‘Non-equilateral triangle Vladislavs Andrejevs

Diena reports about readiness of the state police for the forthcoming protest action on 1 September. The Minister of Interior Eriks Jekabsons has stated that the police have elaborated a special security plan which will be able to prevent all bad surprises. Diena notes that in the home page of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian-language Schools there is an announcement about a new protest action: during the rock concert, organised by the Ministry of Education and Science, there will be a procession from the Strelnieku Square in Old Riga to the building of the Cabinet of Ministers. According to the newspaper, the procession is not authorised by the Riga City Council. Leaders of the Headquarters Jakovs Pliners and Vladimirs Buzajevs deny their involvement in organising this procession. Rigas Balss writes that yesterday activities of education reforms opponents were discussed also during the meeting of the National Security Council. Diena, Rigas Balss

Head of Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Aleksands Kirsteins believes that the Baltic States should demand Russia to pay them compensation for damages caused by the USSR’s occupation. According to the MP, the states should come up with new and specific demands, for instance, Russia should pay pensions to the disabled persons who became disabled when serving in the USSR army in Afghanistan war.

Head of Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Aleksands Kirsteins believes that the Baltic States should demand Russia to pay them compensation for damages caused by the USSRs occupation. According to the MP, the states should come up with new and specific demands, for instance, Russia should pay pensions to the disabled persons who became disabled when serving in the USSR army in Afghanistan war. Chas, Telegraf

Member of the European Parliament (EP) Tatjana Zdanoka is planning to inform other members of the EP about the protest actions against the education reform.

Member of the European Parliament (EP) Tatjana Zdanoka is planning to inform other members of the EP about the protest actions against the education reform. Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya reports on results of the research ‘Integration of Non-Latvian Youth in Latvian Society in the Context of the Education Reform conducted by the Baltic Institute of Social Sciences. According to the research, only 10% of minority school teachers support the ratio of Latvian and Russian languages, stipulated by the education reform, while 65% of teachers support the model of bilingual education and 22% – the education only in Russian language. At the same time 40% minority students foresee that they will participate in protest actions against the reform, 36% have not decided yet, but 24% do not plan to participate in these protest actions.

Chas prints the response of the anaesthesiologist Viktors Dergunovs to the letter of the head of the Riga City Councils For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM faction doctor Janis Birks letter, where Birks condemned Dergunovs participation in a hunger strike against the education reform. Viktors Dergunovs stresses that the party, represented by Janis Birks, initiated the education reform and that in fact it is not oriented at improving Latvian language skills, but it pushes out the Russian language from schools.

Rigas Balss features an interview with the director of the documentary film ‘Non-equilateral Triangle and the journalist of Baltic news in Russias TV channel NTV Vladislavs Andrejevs. The documentary gives an insight into the history of Latvia since 1905 till Latvias accession to the EU and NATO. Vladislavs Andrejevs states that neither he nor his friends nor neighbours dont feel themselves as ‘poor Russians.