Hungary’s Gypsies targeted in deadly attacks

TISZALOK, Hungary - Hundreds of mourners attended Wednesday’s funeral of a fifth Hungarian Gypsy shot dead in a series of killings police saidmay have been committed by the same group.

While police do not rule out racism, police have not yet determined a motive.

There have been at least seven similar attacks since July 2008 against Roma – as Gypsies often prefer to be called. All involved shotguns and firebombs and were carried out on the edge of small villages near a major highway.

Roma make up about 6 percent of Hungary’s 10 million population, and many are among its poorest and least educated citizens. Poverty among Roma has increased since the end of communism and the closure or privatization of the large state companies that guaranteed work.

But with unemployment and economic problems on the rise among all Hungarians and small but vocal extreme right-wing parties like Jobbik focusing on public security, Roma are becoming the scapegoats for Hungary’s economic woes.

Police are offering up to 50 million forints ($225,000) for information about the killings and have boosted the number of officers working to solve the attacks from 70 to 100.

“These are professional killers,” Justice Minister Tibor Draskovics said. “But neither I nor the police will rest until we catch them.”