It includes Article 200, which punishes displays of public homosexuality. Helsinki Watch of Romania reported police brutality and beatings. There are cases of police brutality directed at the Roma and their complaints are less frequently registered or investigated than those by the general population. May 1999 saw the adoption of a civil service law requiring civil servants whose duties involve direct contact with the public, in areas where an ethnic minority constitutes 20 percent or more of the population, to be able to speak the minority s language. In July 1999, the government agreed to establish university departments offering courses in minority languages.
Corruption is endemic in the government bureaucracy, civil service, and business.
Property rights are secure, though the ability of citizens to start businesses continues to be encumbered by red tape, corruption, and organized crime. There are no restrictions on travel within the country, and citizens who want to change their place of residence do not face any official barriers. Women have equal rights with men, though violence against women, including rape, continues to be a serious problem.