Human Rights Record of the Baltic States to Top Russian-European Agenda

The Bronze Soldier in Tallinn. Extremist Estonian nationalists in the government impiously dug up the bodies of Russian soldiers and took the statue of the Soldier-Liberator out of town. Shame on them!

As it has granted the right to visa-free travel to Russia to the foreign residents of the Baltic republics, Moscow intends to raise the question of the record of the Baltic states in the field of human rights at the upcoming Russian-European summit. Konstantin Kosachov, the chairman of the international affairs committee in the RF Gosduma, said in a one-on-one interview with the Voice of Russia that Russia would concentrate on the rights of the Russian-speaking residents of the Baltic republics as long as citizenship rights are denied to ethnic Russians in Latvia and Estonia. 

Mr Kosachov understands why Riga and Tallinn pursue that sort of policy in relations with ethnic Russians. However, understanding something is different from accepting and justifying something. Mr Kosachov sees that Riga and Tallinn have fenced off ethnic Russians in their desire to pretend that Latvia and Estonia are mono-ethnic countries, and, because it would be naïve to expect them to revise this stratagem, he would rather pin his hopes on foreign pressure. He spoke about discrete efforts to put pressure on Tallinn and Riga and is confident that the combined power of the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and, since it describes itself as a democratically-oriented bloc, the North Atlantic Alliance should also be put to work in this field. That is why, Mr Kosachov said, the human rights record of the Baltic republics deserves as much attention as the preparation of new agreements, the gradual elimination of red tape in cross-border travel, power production, and other economic problems. 

Almost half a million ethnic Russians are considered residents, but, not citizens, of the Baltic republics. Their unemployment rate is over three times that of the Latvians and Estonians. The few Russians who are citizens of the Baltic republics are denied the right to vote. Moscow, which is doing its best to encourage cultural and humanitarian contacts between ethnic Russians of eastern Europe and the motherland, is worried very much about the situation in the Baltic republics. President Medvedev granted the right to visa-free travel to Russia to the Russian residents of Latvia and Estonia. All Russians living in the Baltic republics may soon be considered compatriots officially. When they are, more effective moves to settle their problems shall be made by the government commission for the affairs of ethnic Russians abroad. 

19 June 2008

Voice of Russia World Service

http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=28607&cid=56&p=19.06.2008 (in English)

Editor’s Note:

It is a shame that the USA supports some of the nations that were the most enthusiastic supporters of Adolf Hitler. Croatia murdered over 600,000 Orthodox Christians, the Waffen-SS raised three divisions amongst Kosovar Albanians and Bosnians (they were disbanded because the SS considered them too thuggish… hmm), and Latvians, Estonians, and Galicians were willing and eager volunteers under the swastika. In all of these countries, veterans of the SS (and in Croatia, its Ustashi analogue) are given pensions and honours.

Is the hatred of Russia so deep amongst certain factions in the American leadership that Nazis and their spiritual descendents are preferable? It does make one think…