Source: en.wikipedia.org
Hide anti-Roma discrimination in Czechoslovakia from the democratic world
In the mid-1980s, the State Security Service monitored the growing Roma efforts to revive the Gypsy-Roma Union, or possibly other Roma organizations in communist Czechoslovakia. It was particularly bothered by the fact that the Roma (Gypsy in the terminology of the time) issue was being thematized by the anti-regime opposition, including the main movement Charter 77. The communist regime resented being accused of racism and anti-Roma discrimination in the international environment. Therefore, it tried to prevent the development of the Roma movement and its international contacts. It did not use direct violence to do so, but rather prohibitions and the influence of informers in the Roma movement.
“Information was provided to the leadership of the Federal Ministry of the Interior regarding international Roma events in the Federal Republic of Germany and Yugoslavia, at which participants commented on human rights violations in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. Furthermore, a representative of Czechoslovak Gypsies was prevented from attending an audience with Pope John Paul II.“
Beneš, Josef (1986)
Evaluation of the work plan of the 4th Department of the 10th Administration of the SNB for the year 1986. – annual and 1st – 4th quarter, p 19. Recently, in the Archive of Security Forces (ABS) of the Czech Republic, signature AKR 36 i.j, 769], original in Czech
Further Reading / Source
Charter 77 and the Roma: Human Rights and Dissent in Socialist Czechoslovakia. In: Hoffmann Stefan-Ludwig, (ed.): Human Rights in the Twentieth Century. Human Rights in History
Donert, Celia (2010). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 191-212
Gypsies in Czechoslovakia: a Case of Unfinished Integration. East European Politics and Societies, 2(2), 306-332
Ulč, Otto (1988)
[Development of the main tasks of the annual plan of the 10th administration of the SNB in the issues of the 4th department for 1986]. in the Archive of Security Forces (ABS) of the Czech Republic, signature AKR 36 i.j. 720_f113419
Wiederlechner, Zdeněk (1986)