PM on Samudaripen: I reaffirm Gov't's commitment to continue its efforts to combat xenophobia, discrimination and hate speech
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu reaffirmed the Government's commitment to continue its efforts to combat xenophobia, discrimination and hate speech, to preserve the memory of the past and to support and protect survivors, in a message on the European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day - Samudaripen., told Agerpres.
"Romania and Europe commemorate today the Holocaust against the Roma - Samudaripen, another dark page in the history of the Second World War. Thanks to the courageous people who joined forces to document and expose the crimes against this community and the suffering endured during the Nazi regime, we know that more than 500,000 Roma in Europe lost their lives in forced labour camps, extermination camps or during deportations. Out of 25,000 Roma from Romania deported to Transnistria, 11,000 were killed by typhus, hunger and cold. Thousands of children were left orphaned, lives forever scarred and destinies broken. We have a duty to ensure that each new generation knows and keeps alive the truth, however painful, for self-reconciliation and reconciliation," said Marcel Ciolacu.
The PM also stressed the importance of reconstructing the truth based on the testimonies of the survivors or their direct descendants.
"As the reconstruction of the truth in all its facets is possible especially on the basis of the testimonies of the survivors or their direct descendants, I want us to be aware that if we do not intensify research and collection of testimonies now, we will never again have this opportunity. Romania and the other European states, aware of the need to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, treasuring unity in diversity, the value of individuality in universality, have understood their role to support the Roma community in all the ways vital to it, historically, culturally and socially," Ciolacu stressed.
At the end of his message, he conveyed to the Roma community his deepest sympathy for the suffering and losses it experienced.
"I reaffirm the Romanian Government's commitment to continue its efforts to combat xenophobia, discrimination and hate speech, to preserve the memory of the past, to support and protect the survivors, to promote education and research on this dark page of history. On this very important day, I convey to the Roma community in Romania and elsewhere all my compassion for the suffering and losses it has gone through, I pay homage to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust against the Roma - Samudaripen and I hope that the memory of such a failure of humankind and humanity will prevent it from ever being repeated," Ciolacu added.
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