To chyba z ONZ.

A week ago at the UN forum dealing with obeying the convention to fight racism
the Polish government presented a report describing actions Poland undertook as
a result of that convention. Non-government institutions also presented their
reports.


The government report presents a much more optimistic view. From this report it
follows that Polish law guarantees the protection from racial discrimination.
It is forbidden to create organizations that advocate racism, fascism and
racial, ethnic or religious hatred. National minorities are allowed to form
their own organizations, while the state supports their educational and
cultural activities.

In reports of governmental organizations the issue of improper proceedings
during last year's census was raised. The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights
has pointed out that during the census people were either not asked about their
nationality or were "talked into" declaring Polish nationality. In the
Foundation's report we also read about discrimination of religious minorities,
which have been collectively labeled as "sects". Another problem are racist
pamphlets, which appear despite ban on such publications. Most of them are anti-
Semitic, less of them are anti-Ukrainian anti-German, and some are anti-Roma.
Published are also articles that disseminate hatred while attacking the
Catholic Church, the feminists and sexual minorities.

The association "Nigdy Wiecej" (Never Again) points out that the Polish state
tolerates the activities of racist organizations. The report states that groups
such as: Narodowe Odrodzenie Polski, Front Narodowy, Polska Partia Narodowa and
Młodziez Wszechpolska have been officially registered and are considered legal
despite the fact that their programs (and actions) include racial hatred -
banned by the Polish law. The report by "NW" contains also a register of a few
hundred cases of racist assaults.

The European Roma Rights Center report includes accusations of employment
discrimination of Romani, the limited availability of receiving education and
social welfare along with weak police protection from racist assaults.

Within a few weeks the UN committee shall issue a document evaluating the
Polish report.