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From: Emil Cohen<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Bulgaria Rejected Draft Law on Educational Integration Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Precedence: bulk Human Rights Project* Bulgaria Violates its International Obligations Rejecting the Draft for Establishment of Fund for Educational Integration of Minority Children Sofia, October 13, 2004 - On October 07, 2004 the Parliament of Bulgaria rejected at first reading the Draft Law for Establishment of Fund for Minority Children Educational Integration. (For more details see the Press Release of HRP from Monday, October 11, 2004 that is available at http://dev.eurac.edu:8085/mdinfo?serial=1097662868718 and also at: http://www.bghelsinki.org/frames-press.html). After HRP has examined closely the argumentation of the leftist opposition that voted 'against' the Draft and by this rejected the Draft HRP is obliged to declare the followed: 1.The main reason of the leftist opposition was that the Draft creates 'preferences' in favor of the Roma children and thus puts the Bulgarians in an inferior state. According to the speakers of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) there is not a problem of the equal access of the minority children and especially of the access of the Roam children. This problem 'has been a general one for a big part of the Bulgarian children and families' said the main speaker on behalf on BSP Mrs. Eugenia Jivkova (she is a daughter of the former communist dictator of Bulgaria Todor Jivkov). She added also that Bulgaria should not divide the children by ethnic origin. 2. That kind of argumentation enters in strong contradiction with the international obligations of Bulgaria and especially with the Framework Convention for Protection of the National Minorities, that Bulgaria ratified in the beginning of 1999. In Art. 4, par. 2 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities is written: 'The Parties undertake to adopt, where necessary, adequate measures in order to promote, in all areas of economic, social, political and cultural life, full and effective equality between persons belonging to a national minority and those belonging to the majority. In this respect, they shall take due account of the specific conditions of the persons belonging to national minorities.' And further is written in par. 3: 'The measures adopted in accordance with paragraph 2 shall not be considered to be an act of discrimination.' Beside this Bulgaria has taken an obligation to pass such a Law at the Budapest meeting of eight Prime Ministers that took place on June 30 and July 01, 2003. 3. It is absolutely clear for everyone that the Roma people are subjected of all-round discrimination in Bulgaria. The very existence of the segregated 'Roma' schools is a kind of discrimination. Because of it the establishment of Fund for Minority Children Educational Integration is a way for overcoming the educational discrimination. Thus the affirmative measures in favor of the Roma children could not be considered as granting of privilege to someone. 4. Thus the argumentation of these MPs who voted 'against' the Draft for Establishment of Fund for Minority Children Educational Integration did most probably because of their strong nationalistic attitudes. Furthermore it is obviously that by rejecting of the establisment of the above mentioned Fund Bulgaria infringed its international obligations. Our Parliament should as soon as possible stop that infrigement by passing of the rejected Draft. On behalf of HRP: Emil Cohen ____________ *Human Rights Project was established in the summer of 1992 as anon-profit organization focusing on monitoring the human rightssituation of the Roma in Bulgaria, and on legal defense in cases of serious human rights abuses. The HRP monitors the human rights situation of the Roma community in Bulgaria and reports on the cases which it had investigated; works with Roma volunteers from all over the country who report on the human rights observation in their region; conduct independent extrajudicial investigation into allegations of human rights violations against Roma; hire lawyers to take up selected cases and monitors the process of legal defense; advocates legislative and policy changes in favor of Roma. Ivan Ivanov is Chair of the Board of HRP. Dimitrina Petrova, Dimitar Georgiev, Mitio Kemalov and Rumian Russinov are members of the Board. Emil Cohen [EMAIL PROTECTED] is Executive Director. Our address: 23 Solunska St., 6th floor, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria Tel./fax: (+359 2) 986 35 46 and (+359 2) 981 50 66; E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] and [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________ This message came from the Public-Interest-Law-Network e-mail list. Please send any responses to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]". EuroAtlantic Club: http://www.europe.org.ro/euroatlantic_club/ *** Birou de traduceri autorizate. Oana Gheorghiu - tel/fax: 252.8681 / [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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