But Nils Muiznieks, director of the non-governmental Center for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies, said the OSCE and its parent organization, the Council of Europe, had themselves over-inflated the significance of the book "Don't Give Latvia to Anyone," in response to complaints from Moscow.
Boriss Cilevics, MP in the For Human Rights in a United Latvia faction, which is associated with Latvia's Russian-speaking minority, said a statement by Latvia's Foreign Ministry criticizing the book was inconsistent, given that the book expressed sentiments which were shared by MPs in the ruling coalition, two of whom – Juris Vidins and Roberts Jurdzs - participated in its launch.
The book was assembled by the Vieda publishing house after it held a competition in which young people were asked to write essays on such subjects as the need to expel Latvia's large Russian speaking minority from the country. Parts of the book were published in Jauna Avize, Lauku Avize, and Latvietis Latvija newspapers. Vieda's Director Aivars Garda defended the publication. "It is miserable for politicians from Latvia's Way, the People's Party and the Social Democrats to condemn this book. They should be supporting our national independence. We will only be free when those people (the Russian-speaking minority) have left this country."
Neil Brennan, deputy head of the OSCE's Latvia mission, acknowledged that his office had produced an internal report on the book. But he rejected the idea that statements it contains laid the ground for ethnic cleansing, as suggested by Russia's Foreign Ministry.
"The contents and the competition by which the essays were selected are in appallingly bad taste but don't reflect the official view of the Latvian state," said Brennan. "We look at everything connected to relations between different groups, but this shouldn't be taken out of proportion and is not indicative of progress toward integration of society, or of government support for that process."
Mark Neville, executive secretary of the Council of Europe's department responsible for the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, said the council was looking into the matter. "Questions of this nature are of concern. Latvia has not ratified the Framework Convention for the Prevention of National Minorities. The Russians have brought this up and we are looking to gather what information we can."
Muiznieks' response was blunt: "It is ridiculous for the Russian Foreign Ministry to put to work the Council of Europe and the OSCE to draw attention to such an inconsequential matter. If the council and the OSCE took an interest in every intolerant book that came out in the OSCE region they could not do any real work. Similar books and far worse come out in Russia five times a day.
"This is a fringe group engaging in nationalist gibberish. The book is full of negative stereotypes and nationalistic romanticism, but it does not cross the line into incitement to hatred. It is a convenient pretext for Russia to stomp on Latvia. We will see these attempts with increasing frequency as NATO membership approaches."
Cilevics said media criticism of the book, which has been led by the Russian-language newspaper Chas, was adding to publicity already generated by an explosion which damaged the front door of Vieda's Riga office on June 26.
"The book is nothing unique - there are extreme nationalists in all countries," he said. "What bothers me is the inconsistent reaction of the Latvian establishment, which is very selective in its condemnation. Such things are said quite loudly by some members of at least one of the ruling parties (Fatherland and Freedom), but this doesn't prevent parties which consider themselves liberal and modern from cooperating with them. Palimira Lace, Juris Dobelis and the others are never blamed for holding these kind of views, but when Russia complains they have to react."
Garda confirmed his close links to a group of MPs formed to raise money to cover the resettlement costs of members of the Russian-speaking community who want to leave Latvia. "I highly respect the MPs who work on this issue. I support them and they support me."
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