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Košice 9 December (RPA) – Editors at the Roma Media Center (MECEM) have officially asked the leadership of the town of Medzev to include in a book of personal statements by Rudolf Schuster, as a representative of the Carpathian German community, a chapter on his responsibility for the creation of the Lunik IX housing estate. The town received a grant of 20,000 euro for the book from the Slovak Office of the Government for the support of national minority cultures and ethnic groups.

According to the authors of the letter, director of the Roma Media Center (MECEM) Kristína Magdolenová and chief editor of the Roma Press Agency (RPA) Jarmila Vaňová, this is not an attempt to stop publication of the book but an effort to tell the truth and for the first time to publicly name the local government representatives who are historically responsible for the segregation of the Roma in Slovakia. In this regard the authors of the letter welcome the bestowal of the grant on the town of Medzev.

“We request via this letter, in the interest of preserving the historical truth, and we believe that you feel the same way… and the fact that Rudolf Schuster is the father of Lunik IX is historically indisputable,” says the letter. Magdolenová emphasized that “the publishing a book which will not manipulate reality and which also presents these facts could be the first positive step for speaking about the responsibility of local government for the segregation of the Roma. For this reason we welcome the decision of the commission regarding support for the book.” The authors of the letter also hereby challenge the international organizations dealing with the situation of the Roma in Slovakia to join in the initiative and via an open letter ask the leadership of the town of Medzev about the recording of the historical truth as one small opportunity to speak about the responsibility of specific persons for the segregation of the Roma in Slovakia, so that efforts from international institutions at the removal of discrimination does not remain merely empty phrases.

More information can be found at www.mecem.sk/rpa/.

You can address your comments via e-mail to the address of Medzev mayor JUDr.Valéria Flachbartová at: primator@medzev.sk. You can also send a copy of the mail to the RPA editorial staff at: rpa@mecem.sk.

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