There is a lot of intolerance in society regarding the erased, and people's approach towards this issue is not very far from the pattern present in Hitler's Germany about the rights of Jews. With this comparison Slovenian Ombudsman Matjaz Hanzek responded to some criticism of his views at Tuesday's presentation of his office's newsletter on human rights.

Hanzek had been criticised, especially by MP Pavle Rupar of the opposition Slovenian Democracy (SDS), because he had recently stated that certain actions concerning the issue of the erased - former Yugoslav citizens who were erased from Slovenia's population register in 1992 - were fascistic.

While explaining his point at today's press conference, Slovenia's ombudsman wondered on how it would have looked if a referendum had been called in 1937 Germany, asking the nation whether Jews should be deprived of their citizenship. The majority would have backed the proposal, but that would not have made Nazism a democracy, Hanzek noted.

Comparing Slovenia and Hitler's Germany would of course be an exaggeration, but there is a pattern in the mentality of today's society that can be reminiscent of the rise of Nazism, which is quite alarming, Hanzek pointed out.

"It is true that people's will is one of the greatest achievements of our civilisation, but there are certain values such as human rights of individual persons or minorities. Decisions about these cannot be made by a majority through a referendum," Hanzek explained.

Moreover, the ombudsman said to be quite disturbed by the fact that President Janez Drnovsek's opinion about the erased has never been heard, although he of all people should make it clear what is behind the whole issue.

Hanzek gave the press conference as the MPs are discussing today whether to call a referendum on the technicalities bill on the erased. Opposing the bill stipulating that the erased must have their permanent residence status reinstated, the demand for the referendum was backed by MPs from the ranks of the opposition SDS, NSi, SNS, and SMS, and the junior coalition SLS.

At today's press conference, the ombudsman's office also presented a newsletter on how to protect one's human rights, which the office will be publishing three to four times a year.

The newsletter will contain information on why, when and how one can seek the help of the human rights ombudsman, and which are the instances in which the ombudsman can actually intervene. It will also serve to inform people - especially those who have not many opportunities to come in touch with such information - about their own rights and how they can protect them.

Matjaz Hanzek touched on the advertising campaign for children's rights, which his office is to launch on Wednesday, the Human Rights Day marking the 1948 adoption of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The campaign is meant to make the public more aware of the main problems causing the violation of children's rights.

The ombudsman's publication will be coming out in 25,000 copies and will be distributed free of charge on several spots, including municipality administrative units, social work centres, prisons, employment offices, pensioners' houses, non-profit organisations, hospitals, barracks, police stations, student residence halls, faculties and libraries.