[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 74 (Monday, May 19, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E992-E993]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                THE CONTINUING PLIGHT OF ROMA IN GREECE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 19, 2003

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, the European Roma Rights 
Center, ERRC, and Greek Helsinki Monitor, GHM, have just published a 
report on the human rights situation of Roma in Greece. ``Cleaning 
Operations: Excluding Roma in Greece'' documents the plight of the 
inhabitants of the Romani settlement of Aspropyrgos, outside Athens, 
and details the problems of Roma across the country. Illustrated with 
stark scenes of bulldozed homes and marginalized and neglected Romani 
communities, a picture disturbing in more ways than one has been 
painted.
  In particular, the report supports the accusation that the Government 
of Greece has used preparations for the 2004 Olympics as justification 
for the campaign to uproot Roma. Ironically, Greece currently holds the 
presidency of the European Union.
  The Helsinki Commission, which I cochair, held hearings in 1998, 
2000, and in 2002 focused on the human rights problems faced by Roma 
with the intent of raising the awareness of these problems amongst the 
governments of the OSCE participating States. The plight of the Roma 
has also been addressed in specific

[[Page E993]]

hearings or briefings covering Greece, Russia, Serbia, Kosovo, and 
Romania, as well as the OSCE process.
  Members of the Commission have also sent several letters to Greek 
leaders in recent years addressing longstanding human rights concerns 
in the Hellenic Republic, including those affecting the Romani 
community. These expressions of concern have specifically addressed 
forced evacuations of Roma from numerous villages, the abusive 
application of the use of national identity cards issued to Roma, the 
inability of Roma children to have access to schools on a 
nondiscriminatory basis and other matters of blatant racial 
discrimination.
  This newly released report on Roma clearly indicates that the Greek 
Government has failed to properly address many of these ongoing 
concerns. At a June 2002 Commission hearing on Greece, in fact, I 
raised the specter of an intensified campaign targeting Roma to obtain 
land for use as venues for the 2004 Olympics. This campaign is well 
documented in this report.
  Notwithstanding the assertions of Greek officials at the Commission 
hearing that ``everything is done (concerning the relocation) in 
consultation with, and with the consent of, the Roma involved,'' 
numerous non-governmental organizations have raised such issues with 
Athens. Greek human rights activists have stepped forward.
  As an original signatory to the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, Greece has 
accepted numerous commitments pertaining to the treatment of Roma and 
joined in condemning discrimination against Roma, a provision found in 
the 1999 Istanbul OSCE Summit Document. Regrettably, the Greek 
Government has failed to fulfill these commitments, as documented in 
the new ERRC/GHM report on Roma in Greece.
  The ERRC and GHM conducted intensive field missions that revealed 
several patterns of human rights abuse against Roma in Greece: cruel 
and inhuman or degrading treatment of Roma in housing; police violence 
against Roma; exclusion of Roma from the educational system; and, 
barriers to access to health care and other social support services for 
Roma.
  Based on the facts in this report and the discussions I have had over 
the years in my leadership capacity with the Helsinki Commission, I 
urge the Government of Greece to take corrective measures, without 
delay, along the lines recommended by the ERRC and the GHM:
  1. Facilitate access to Greek citizenship for those Roma residing in 
Greece who are stateless and provide the necessary legal documents, 
such as identity cards, to all Roma.
  2. Use all appropriate means to guarantee protection against forced 
evictions outside the rule of law and without due process.
  3. Bring to justice public officials and private individuals 
responsible for forced evictions of Roma in breach of Greek law.
  4. Carry out thorough and timely investigations into all alleged 
instances of police abuse.
  5. Undertake effective measures to ensure that local authorities 
register all persons factually residing in a given municipality, 
without regard to ethnicity.
  6. Ensure that Romani schoolchildren have equal access to education 
in a desegregated school environment.
  7. Without delay, adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination 
legislation, as called for in the 1999 OSCE Istanbul Summit Document.
  8. Conduct public information campaigns on human rights and remedies 
available to victims of human rights abuse, and distribute in both the 
Greek and Romani languages.
  9. Conduct comprehensive human rights and anti-racism training for 
national and local administrators, members of the police force, and the 
judiciary.
  10. At the highest levels, speak out against racial discrimination 
against Roma and others, and make clear that racism will not be 
tolerated.
  The Helsinki Commission will continue to monitor the situation of 
Roma in the Hellenic Republic with the aim of encouraging the 
Government of Greece to implement commitments it has agreed to within 
the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in 
Europe. The Commission will also work to ensure that the plight of Roma 
in Greece is raised at the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting to be 
held this Fall in Warsaw.

                          ____________________