[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 136 (Wednesday, October 16, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10565-S10566]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                THE ROMA

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I rise to discuss the situation of the Roma 
people in Serbia and Montenegro, which together make up the Federal 
Republic of Yugoslavia, FRY.
  I am among those who believe that the United States should continue 
to strongly support the development of democratic institutions and 
reconciliation among ethnic groups throughout the FRY and Senator 
McConnell and I have tried to do that in the fiscal year 2003 Foreign 
Operations spending bill.
  As in the past, we have provided funds to support democratic 
reformers in the FRY, as they continue to work to overcome the hatred 
and destruction caused by Slobodan Milosevic.
  The United States is dedicated to ensuring that Serbia develops a 
solid commitment to peace, the rule of law, and to protecting the 
rights and well-being of its minority communities. That is why the 
funding level for Serbia--and indeed throughout the Balkans--
recommended by the Committee on Appropriations is above what the 
President requested in his Fiscal Year 2003 budget.
  Our law requires that the President certify to the Committee on 
Appropriations that the FRY is continuing to cooperate with the War 
Crimes Tribunal. He must also certify that the FRY is implementing 
policies which reflect a commitment to the rule of law, a commitment to 
end support for separate Republika Srpska institutions, and a 
commitment to ensure and protect the rights of minority groups.
  Progress toward those goals has been made. But it has been slow, and 
the FRY has an inconsistent record of compliance with our law.
  I recognize that the process of reform is difficult. Breaking down 
old hatreds can take generations. I have been very disappointed that 
even the reformers in positions of authority have not done more to 
support the Tribunal, and to expose the truth about Milosevic's crimes. 
However, even their inconsistent efforts are resisted at every turn by 
powerful nationalists who are far less committed to justice.
  That political dynamic is the cause of much friction within the FRY, 
and is the cause of continuing difficulties between Serbia and the 
international community.
  It is my hope, and I think I speak for everyone here, that the 
Balkans will eventually become a stable, peaceful, and tolerant region 
in which Serbia is the leading force for trade and democracy. Such a 
hope will become a reality only if our commitment to it remains strong.
  As the world's attention has shifted toward Afghanistan and a 
possible war with Iraq, it is important that our concerns for the FRY 
are not drowned out by events elsewhere.
  In addition to ensuring FRY compliance with the Tribunal, there is 
still serious work to be done on behalf of minority groups there.
  In particular, a higher level of attention must be focused on the 
plight of the Roma people, whose history is one of discrimination and 
suffering.
  The Roma are an ethnic group that traces their heritage back about 
one thousand years to the north of India. They first settled in Eastern 
Europe in the 14th Century. Today, Roma reside in all parts of Europe.
  Over the centuries, the Roma have been the victims of murderous 
violence and debilitating discrimination that has poisoned their 
relations with their host nations, stunted their growth as a community, 
and perpetuated a vicious cycle of poverty, unemployment, sickness, and 
every form of social ostracism.
  It is a cycle that has sentenced the Roma to shorter lives, lower 
literacy rates, and often horrid living conditions--living conditions 
that are far below those of the general populations of their host 
nations.
  I read in a recent publication that in England, during the time of 
Elizabeth I, there was a law which made it illegal to be a Roma person, 
and under that law one could be put to death simply for being born to 
Roma parents. Also during that time, in Switzerland, it was legal to 
hunt Roma for sport.

  During the Second World War, the Roma were among the first ethnic 
groups targeted for eradication by Hitler. Until the 1970s, in other 
parts of

[[Page S10566]]

Europe, policies have resulted in separating Romani children from their 
parents so they could be raised by non-Roma families.
  The last decade has been no kinder to the Roma. During the Balkan 
wars of the 1990s, the Roma were severely victimized. And the abuse of 
the Roma continues now during peacetime.
  The FRY has officially registered the Roma as a minority group, and 
has mandated that more Romani language programs appear on state 
television. These are important steps and are to be commended.
  Much progress toward equitable and lawful treatment of the Roma, 
however, is yet to be made by the FRY, where the Roma are reportedly 
subject to frequent police brutality.
  They often live in illegal settlements on the outskirts of towns, 
without electricity, running water, or sanitation.
  International nongovernmental organizations willing to assist the 
Roma in constructing more permanent housing have been forced to cancel 
their projects, because the FRY and local authorities denied them the 
necessary land.
  Roma in the FRY are also the targets of humiliating social 
discrimination. They are frequently denied access to privately owned 
restaurants and sports facilities. Roma do not receive adequate 
education, health care, or equitable access to public goods and 
services. In many FRY communities they are treated as a public 
nuisance.
  Very little effort is made by state prosecutors to pursue cases of 
discrimination against Roma in the courts, partially due to widespread 
apathy for the Roma and partially because of weak legislation 
protecting the rights of minorities.
  The Roma experience is one of suffering. Their's is a life of 
waiting, and one of hope lost as the tide of history threatens to sweep 
them aside.
  As with its cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, the FRY's respect 
for the rights of the Roma must be closely monitored and verified. The 
President's certification to the Committee on Appropriations concerning 
funds appropriated for the FY should address both issues.
  Continuing progress by the FRY in ensuring the safety and dignity of 
all its citizens, including the Roma, is the intent of our law and 
essential to the future stability of the former Yugoslavia.

                          ____________________