Respected Mrs. Clinton, Regarding your addressing to the world publicity on the International day of Roma 8th April, when you highlighted that protection against discrimination of Roma represents a priority for the administration of president of United States of America Barack Obama, I am addressing you with this open letter, in which I foremost want to thank you because human rights of Roma in Europe became a subject of attention of American administration.

Today in European Union live between 12 and 15 millions of Roma. That number thereabout corresponds to the number of citizens of some country member of the European Union of medium size. Yet again, majority still knows little about nation who lives on the European continent over 7 centuries. That knowledge is based on ignorance, prejudges and stereotypes. Roma are today, at the step of Third millennium, for many lower beings or “parije”. That is evidenced with everyday physical assaults and racial harassments to whom they are exposed, then ghettoization, segregation and in general disrespect of their fundamental human rights – right on work, schooling, judicial protection, own culture… so your attitude that Roma today across the Europe became target of different attacks is absolutely correct.

While some live in relative comfort, millions of Roma across the Europe live in tents which they live wherever they can. Others aren’t so lucky, they live on the street and everything they have is only a piece of cardboard or plastic. Many Roma earn for surviving as they work whatever they can – fumble trashcans, work as physical workers, or with small trams collect cardboards, empty bottles, cans or similar.

European Council and its commissions for human rights speak little or none about issue which is fundamental issue of Romany nation. They doesn’t speak how many pupils in Europe remained unenclosed with primary or high schools, how many Romany girls given up from further schooling, how many Romany families are which doesn’t have any employed member, what is a number of Roma who wander on the streets of Europe in look for a job, what is a number of Romany juveniles who are exposed to unmerciful exploitation of different employers, etc. Why is in Europe continued history of such misunderstanding of Romany national sentiments? Why is limited exposing of Romany national being? Isn’t that counter-civilization’s relation towards one nation today?

World War II brought to Roma the greatest troubles which history records about this nation. Hitler regarded existence of Roma as the greatest insult of racial ideal.

Gas chambers, processes, decrees, prosecutions, executions without evidences, crimes because of preventive and self-protection, prisons, ghettos, forbidden zones, gas chambers of Auschwitz and experimental scalpels of doctors from Auschwitz, Dahau and Buhenvald, and other forms carried out lives of 3.500.000 Roma. Roma, with one word, passed through the Dante’s hell from Vitos, through Jashi, till Auschwitz and Jasenovac.
Beginning from the Holocaust in World War II, there should be initiated issues of humanity, democracy and equal value of all people.

Doesn’t look to you Mrs. Clinton that Roma are the only nation in Europe who voluntarily give up from their rights? Roma are today both as a nation and individuals truly challenge for justice and truth because to Roma in Europe and wider are jeopardized rights and freedoms both as a nation and individuals.

Discrimination on the basis of race, color of skin or national qualification (“racial discrimination”) almost always represents violation of human rights. According to what says in the International convention about elimination of all forms of racial discrimination, main international law which is dealing with suppression of racial discrimination, term ‘racial discrimination’ marks any making of differences, exclusion, limiting or favouriting on the basis of race, color of skin, family’s, national or ethnic origin which have for effect cancelling or diminishing of acknowledgment, enjoyment or realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms on equal grounds, in political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of social life.

Even after clause 31 of Document from Copenhagen, which obligates countries members of European Union to undertake necessary measures for sake of preventing discrimination both on individual and collective plan especially in relation to employment, habitation and education, on the basis of belonging or non-belonging to the national minority, they in Europe apply towards Roma policy of double standards.

Objective analysis very easily relieves that, while on different ways plays very active role in solving problems of protection of minority in the “remaining of world”, European Union at the same time flees from confronting with that issue when it is about its states members. With other words, besides some positive drifts, especially in a domain of fight against discrimination, European Union still isn’t willful to respect by itself what it requires from others, and even its future members.

Related to that, in literature is with right indicated that what occurs is a policy of double standards. In confirmation of that is alleged simple fact that one of the most important elements which are taken into the consideration during evaluating countries candidates for reception into the European Union represents review about how they apply Framework convention of Council of Europe about protection of minorities, while from the other side, actually 5 members of Union haven’t even ratified that covenant (Netherland, Belgium, Luxemburg, France, Greece).

Fact that it is about double standards, and especially necessity to get adequate solutions about protection of minorities applied on all members of European Union, is perceived and publicly exposed not only from side of independent experts, yet also from side of international non-governmental organizations which are dealing with protection of minorities, and even from side of High Commissar for national minorities Tomas Hammarberg.

Inclusive society was and should remain key priority of European Union since adoption of Convention about protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms (1950), while making significant and obvious progresses during time. As a result, strong and sustainable political and economic development enabled to European progress to on all levels transform Europe into significant and progressive continent with improved life’s conditions of all social groups.

Last 20 years have been devoted to glorify success of EU and its political and social-economic approaches, which enabled to Europeans and migrants from the other continents to accede better life through the devoted increase of resources, services and infrastructure in the areas like employment, health protection, habitation, education, etc. Glory of such inclusive policies enabled to many disadvantaged communities in Europe to uplift beyond its status, offered access to millions of people to live and aspire to gentle life – as a natural fundamental right of all human beings. As a result of such European ideologies and practices, we have modern Europe and its progress.

Despite European glorified progress and development, somebody can’t deny that in this lovely picture of Europe still exist a lot of ideology splashes and dirty practices known as racism, exclusion, discrimination and marginalization against its greatest and historically most-excluded minority – Romany nation.

Europe therefore shows very strange picture: lovely, progressive and developed continent, yet powerless to secure integration of its most-excluded citizens – Roma, neither respect of their fundamental human rights.

Therefore, until social inclusion and rights of Romany nation remain only theory on the political agenda, then Europe was and remains progressive and developed place only for people who enjoy access to its rights, but not for Roma. Until the legislative and executive instruments lack implementation, and until they don’t bring real social-economic approach to the development of Romany nation – stigmatized and excluded Romany nation can’t be blamed for its historical circumstances.

Mrs. Clinton, it is final time for American administration to invite all governments of 56 participatory countries of Organization for European Security and Cooperation (OSCE) to implement Framework convention for human and minority’s rights from 1995, because in opposite Roma will still be faced with institutional discrimination.

For sake of building Romany nation should be immediately invited all international, European and national instruments to offer its support in a joint effort to establish and realize highest standards of implementation of human rights in relation with integration of Romany nation, and in opposite case to undertake sanctions for violation of human rights of Roma against individual countries.

American administration should put human rights into the middle of its foreign, internal and security policy, so that it could resolve “great damage” inflicted during Bush’s reign.
Bush’s administration in great measure deviated from the defense of human rights when decided for the fight against terrorism while “neglecting fundamental rights, like right on unliableness to torture, and practicing forcible disappearances or custodies without trials”.

I greet American administration who recently done everything that USA accede to membership of UN’s council for human rights, and ratify leading covenants in that area. Administration should also accede to International Criminal Court (ICC), with which it would give sign that new American government is ready to again be included into international community.

USA should precede in defense of human rights, and especially Romany rights. Roma doesn’t want anymore to be hostage of European policy of double standards.
Beginning from the fact that there hasn’t been discussion about position of Roma, neither any measures have been undertaken for its solving, I appeal on the highest bodies of American administration to put that issue into its program and to consider it on one of its sessions.

• to adjudge on that session unsatisfying legal and political position of Roma in some countries, especially in view of deprive of fundamental freedoms and rights which otherwise enjoy members of other nations;
• to instruct invite to all countries of Europe to apply towards Roma international obligations and standards which refer to equal enjoyment of fundamental freedoms and rights regardless race, language, national peculiarity or origin;
• to inspirit aspirations of Roma to preserve its national identity, language, culture and tradition, and instruct call to all countries in which Roma live to support and help all their aspirations;
• to instruct invite to the German government to raise to encounter to rightfull and deeply moral request of Roma to pay adequate compensation to victims of Nazi’s and Fascism’s terror from Romany side and its families.

Mrs. Clinton, as a conclusion, in light of above mentioned, I would like to put an emphasis on your personal efforts and permanent obligation of administration of the president of USA Barack Obama to continue to raise sense about problems with whome is faced Romany community, to fight against any form of discrimination against Roma, and to contribute to the achieving of inclusion of Romany nation by using all resources it has on disposal in that fight.

Bajram Haliti
President of Journalism Informative Agency of Roma
and independent expert for Romany issue