Swastikas painted on German asylum seekers' homes

BERLIN, Aug 24 (Reuters) Neo-Nazis painted swastikas and racist slogans on two blocks of flats, including one used to house asylum seekers, police in the eastern German city of Cottbus said today.

''Foreigners out'' and ''no-go area'', and 23 large swastikas were daubed on the front doors of the buildings, a police spokesman said.

Last weekend eight Indians were attacked by a mob in the town of Muegeln, also in eastern Germany.

Stephan Kramer, general secretary of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, told the Netzeitung online newspaper the Muegeln attacks showed parts of eastern Germany were ''no-go areas'' for people who looked foreign.

Since German reunification, racist violence has been a recurring problem in the poorer east of the country. Last year violent crimes committed by neo-Nazis and other right-wing extremists reached their highest level since 1990.

Reuters PD RN1526