BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

29/11/2005

Discriminatory Documentary released in Belarus 29. 11. 2005

Nicolas Kalinin, a Roma ctivist and the Head of the Belarussian Roma Lawyers Group and chairman of the Belarus Roma Organization Ekhipe (Unity) informed Dzeno Association about a biased documentary movie entitled "Without a limitation period: The Roma Camp is going to Prison" that was broadcasted on a Belarussian TV Channel ONT this month.

In November 2005 on the governmental TV channel ONT the documnetary was shown, which comprises large amounts of the negative information on representation of Roma people. It seems that the director of the film, Victor Chamkovsky, intended to collect all negative information regarding the representatation of Roma people in order to present it for general viewing. The disclaimer at the beginning of film states that the journalist does not present a subjective purpose to discredit all Roma community as a whole, but this film leads to an exclusively objective result. The film conintues on to say that all Roma people in Belarus are criminal and that all Roma children are selling drugs since childhood. The director of this film tells all the citizens of the Republic Belarus that all Roma people are enemies of law, although this is far from the truth. We, Roma lawyers, disagree with this opinion. It is necessary to point out that Chamkovsky's task has not only been successful , but has also exceeded it's expectations by 100%. Roma people have not yet seen this film. Chamkovsky has collected all the negative information about Roma people which could possibly be found. Film of journalist Chamkovsky contains all the attributes and stereotypes of discrimination of Roma people.

A person who goes against the status-quo mentality or who dissents in Belarus runs the risk of receiving an invitation from the Office of the Public Prosecutor. Roma people also have the right to equally take part in political life of the country and we shall do it, not without regard to enormous pressure, we the national diasporas will support further democracy in Belarus.

On November, 17th, 2005 Belarusian Roma Lawyers Group prepared the reference to the Head of Committee on affairs of religion and nationalities, and to the Chairman of the Commission of Human Rights in the parliament of Belarus in which we asked our authoritites to prosecute the authors of the film who were responsibile.

(Written by Nicolas Kalinin, English editting by Dzeno Association)

Source:

http://www.dzeno.cz/?c_id=9262