Tension in Sofia Neighbourhood

Sofia, June 15 (BTA) - The prosecuting magistracy has brought
charges against four Roma men in the wake of Saturday's incident
in Sofia's Orlandovtsi neighbourhood.

Seven persons were injured and two men, Zhoni Kotsev, 19, and
Asen Kotsev, 22, were arrested after a mass fight between Roma
and Bulgarians on Saturday evening in Orlandovtsi, on the
outskirts of Sofia. Tsonev has a criminal record, including
theft and robbery.

The conflict started at around 20:30 over loud music coming from
a car riding around the park. A group of young men made remarks
about the music to the Roma drivers. According to one of the
young men, soon after three other cars came from the Roma
neighbourhood out of which came people with axes. Residents told
Bulgarian National Television that loud music and cars had been
a regular occurrence in the park in the past months. Close to
200 people came out to protest against the Roma in Orlandovtsi
on Sunday after which a few Roma were wounded.

On Monday, two more persons were arrested, Georgi Kotsev, 25,
and Daniel Kolev, 17. An investigation and questioning of
witnesses is under way.

Not the law alone, but its enforcement is what will change
Bulgaria, said Deputy Prime Minister for European Policies and
Institutional Affairs Meglena Kuneva commenting the incident.

Whoever breaks the rules must be equally and seriously
sanctioned, Kuneva said, adding that every country in which
there is order, is a stable and economically prosperous state.

Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) Chairman Mihail Mikov said the
government had no clear analysis and comment on the developments
in Orlandovtsi. He told a news conference at the BSP
headquarters on Monday that interethnic consequences were often
considered in isolation from the socio-political environment.
However, the socio-economic problem was the major one and
Orlandovtsi was part of it. He said the reaction of the
authorities showed misapprehension of the problem.

Mikov added that the big problem was that some Sofia
neighbourhoods were ghettoes, and that a retreat from the
European democratic state was perceived amid the crisis.

Sergei Stanishev, President of the Party of European Socialists,
noted that the latest resolution of the European Parliament
urged for a monitoring mechanism for the standards of democracy.
He added that the European Socialists have always been against
any form of discrimination.