The recordings of the official cameramen of the police to flicker in an endless loop on the TV screens of the Romanians: dozens of cars of the Ministry of interior on the road in the village of Țăndărei in the southwest of the country. The vehicles in the column, flashing and honking, as if it were not obvious anyway, that they are in an important Mission. You are driving in the Roma quarters of the beaches of China, one of the poorest in the whole of Romania, in Western Europe as a stronghold of the so-called poverty migration is known. In Germany, migrants from Țăndărei came to the attention of the authorities, as they are illegally in crowded high-rise buildings in the former working-class quarters in the Ruhr area lived. In the UK, is Țăndărei notorious also: residents of the Romanian village were the protagonists of a spectacular festival, which led to the busting of a ring of child traffickers. Exactly 10 years ago, on may 8. April 2010, landed more than 300 masked Romanian and British security forces with helicopters in the Roma quarters of the beaches in China. The comprehensive investigations in the country of origin of these gangs, which brought children to the UK to Beg and Steal impelled, however, ended with an embarrassing Failure of the Romanian justice: after a year-long process delay were spoken all the accused free. The actions were time-barred.
In this context, additional measures to contain the Coronavirus epidemic in the locality Țăndărei, which was made on the last weekend in quarantine, seem to be also a good opportunity for the state to let his muscles play.
If the Virus of fear on the Internet is viral
According to the Deputy mayor Lucian Achimaș the Romanian Online platform Recorder quoted, are to be returned up to 5,000 people – almost half of the approximately 13,000 inhabitants of Țăndărei – in the past few weeks from abroad. Other sources which the management of the circle Ialomiţa nahstehen (belongs to the the place), to call a small number – around 800. The district administration reported a minimum of 56 Coronavirus infections and four deaths in Țăndărei in connection with the Corona-epidemic.
The quarantine was imposed after many of the Romanian Internet Users outraged over a Video of a funeral. The recordings are from a neighboring village. However, the Roma families were to be seen in the Video, are related to those from the quarter of a Stra China in Țăndărei, a young human rights activist who is close to the Roma Communities from both locations. On the epidemiological level, the position was advised for a week out of control because of the high infection numbers, but the authorities reacted only after non-dated video recordings on the Internet had become viral, followed by irate comments.
on the 26. March was it for the first Corona of a death in the small village. “There are very many people from Italy, Spain, Germany and the UK are simply returned,” says Roma activist in an interview with DW. Because he is often treated with hostility, he doesn’t want his Name to be mentioned in this article. “Many of the Infected that had no Corona symptoms, came from the ‘Red zones’, and had many contacts, especially since they were scattered all over Europe and each other had not seen in a long time. So everything went.“ The truth is somewhere in the middle, says the activist: “The people have not complied with the self-isolation and quarantine, but the authorities have not cared for adequately and observed. So the situation, at least seven people were killed, including at least a man who had previously been abroad deteriorated. That means that there was a local Transmission.“
Under the pressure of the television images and the insults on Facebook, the mayor of the locality called last Friday with the help of the army in Țăndărei. Now of uniformed soldiers belonging to the road image, to ensure that the inhabitants of the quarantine-keeping rules.
Who has the Say, spread the votes
The use of the security forces was almost as spectacular as those of ten years ago. Although they did not come with the helicopter, but the mood seemed just as threatening. The report of the representative of the Romanian Ministry of the interior mentioned, inter alia, that illegal weapons had been seized. Eye witnesses say that it was AK-47 machine guns of the same variety as those that were identified ten years ago by the police in Țăndărei confiscated. At the end of the process, you were given back to the owners – because it ended with the acquittal.
a year Ago, Petre Traian Drăgușin, a close Companion of Radu Constantin, the informal leader of the local Roma community in the beaches of China, each owner claimed at the time, confiscated weapons would have had legal documents. He also announced in that interview with DW and the British newspaper the Telegraph, each of the defendants would, because of the nine-year-old trial against the Romanian state.
Several NGOs represented in the talks with the DW of the opinion that these informal local leader from the beaches of China would bear a share of responsibility for the difficult situation of the Roma community.
for Example, had not been implemented, an EU-funded education project, because the Team that was responsible for this, with deserts threats such as chased had been. Also the local administration have also benefited from this influence of the leader of the Roma community – through many votes in local elections, admitted Petre Traian Drăgușin last year.
After the village was put under quarantine, circulated on the next day information about Abuses by the security forces. “Maybe there was an isolated case,” says Roma activist, the DW has spoken. The more you do not know. A similar opinion was also held by a health officer for the Roma community in the beaches of China.
a Lot of hateful comments in social media reflect the prejudices against Roma are widespread in Romania and Southeast Europe is still far: The so-called “Gypsies” are dirty and uncivilized, is no wonder that Țăndărei a Corona-Hotspot is.
“this is not an ethnic Problem, but rather the failure of state authorities”, says Gelu Dumitru in the DW-interview. He is one of the most famous sociologists in Romania, and itself belongs to the Roma minority, where he also enjoys a high Reputation. Representatives of the authorities were corrupt and would have made Criminals out of Țăndărei common cause, says the sociologist. In addition, the state have left the people of beaches, China is already 30 years ago, when the school was closed. People without education and opportunities in the legal labour market, see how others, who were formerly as poor, due to the criminal machinations of the Empire were, would also build more on this “model of success“, is Gelu to concerns Dumitru.
Still holding the rest, the is returns to the first days of the quarantine in Țăndărei in. Also in the district of the beaches in China. How to go to the Corona-crisis, white, today, no one.
author: Cristian Stefanescu (the)
*The article “Romania: The imported Virus in the Roma district, beaches China” published by Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.
Deutsche Welle
