Wednesday, 20 October 1999

October 20, 1999

Op-Ed

Subj: Lat Chat mailer - Special Op-Ed Edition
Date: 10/20/99 9:01:19 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Sturgalve

Sveiki!

We hope you all had a great Lat Chat (or two) while we were away on vacation. Silvija is still there in Latvia for one more week, recovering from a cold and catching up with a couple of more relatives.

In the meantime, we wanted to share a couple of articles (op-ed pieces) we ran across, drawing parallels in history between the recent—and continuing—tragedy in Kosovo, and Latvia during the Soviet occupation.

First is an article privately placed in the New York Times Op-Ed section, Wednesday, September 8, 1999, Serbs in Kosovo—Russians in Latvia, by Aivars Slucis, equating Russian actions and results in Latvia during the Soviet occupation with Serb actions and results in Kosovo, noting traditional Russian support for their Serbian brethren.

Following that, an article appearing in the International Herald Tribune, May 14, 1999, Latvia Seeks to Reconcile the Past With a Multiethnic Future, by Valdis Birkavs, the Latvian foreign minister. He notes that initial Russian reaction after independence to Latvia's extension of offers of citizenship to post-Soviet immigrants was cooly received, demonstrating reluctance to promote integration. Furthermore, to date, Russia has taken no action to acknowledge crimes against humanity directed at Latvians (and others in Latvia) during the Soviet occupation. Birkavs believes admitting to the past is the first step to any meaningful reconciliation—and Russia is the one who needs to take the next step. [This week, Russia threatened that the current prosecution of former Soviet citizens in Latvia for humanitarian crimes was uncalled for "revenge" and would cause relations to deteriorate—indicating that the next step is still not forthcoming.]

See you on Lat Chat on the weekend! A reminder to you AOL Lat Chatters that the deadline for contest entries (the end of this month) is approaching... remember, it's better odds than the lottery and you could win REALLY NICE Latvian stuff!

Silvija sends her regards!

Ar visu labu,

Silvija Peters

Op-Ed

SERBS IN KOSOVO—
RUSSIANS IN LATVIA

Somewhere between Cheohnya and Kosovo, USA and NATO found a litte courage, a little morality, and a little justice. Or is it only that the latest Slav terrorist is smaller and weaker than the one who leveled Chechnya just three years ago? Anyway, this time the world was watching and the Serbs were able to kill “only” some 20,000 Albanians in Kosovo, most of them unarmed men 16 to 70 years old.

In 1938, however, no one was watching, no one cared, and therefore, from the 230,000 Latvians living in Russia at that time the Russians killed 73,000, almost all of the men age 16 to 70.

No one was watching in 1941, 1945, and 1949 when, after the Russian invasion and occupation of Latvia, the Russians killed, tortured, imprisoned, and exiled 500,000 Latvians—1/3 of the population.

The “politically correct” blame Slobodan Milosevich for Kosovo and Stalin for Latvia, but the truth is that the actual killing was done by the common Serbian men in Kosovo and common Russian men in Latvia, and was accepted and approved by the whole population and society of Serbs and Russians respectively.

If the Serbs overthrow Milosevich, it will be for economic reasons (rebuilding aid) and not because they disliked killing Albanians (or Croats or Bosnians).

The Serbs felt that they had to hurry in Kosovo for they were being watched. The Russians in Latvia, on the other hand, felt that they had all the time in the world to eliminate the Latvians for no one was looking. The Serbs tried to kill or drive out all of the Albanians while the Russians were content to eliminate only the most able 1/3 of the Latvians and then send in one million Russian colonists to finish the job.

Then began the relentless Russitication of Latvia and suppression of everything Latvian from language to culture. No one came to help, and the surviving Latvians began to lose their hopes and dreams of a Latvian Latvia. Then in 1991, Latvia theoretically regained its independence, but the one million illegal Russian civil occupants remained and Russification of Latvia continues. Most Latvians in Latvia have heard Russians say, “We should have killed more of you,” and today, in 1999, graffiti in Russian still appears on walls calling for killing of Latvians. USA and Western Europe, until now, have made no attempt to reverse this injustice and repatriate the Russian colonists back to Russia. In this way they tacitly approved Russian genocide against the Latvians which was begun under Stalin but has been continued by every Russian administration since then.

The Kosovo Albanians were lucky and NATO stopped the Serbs despite extensive attempts by the Russians to interfere. The Russian support of Serbs is understandable, for just three years ago they tried to do to the Chechens what the Serbs did to the Kosovo Albanians.

In 1945, there were a few farsighted Western leaders such as Churchill and Patton who understood the brutality of the Russians and wanted to liberate at least Eastern Europe from them, but didn't have enough support for this.

Now that the West has perhaps discovered morality and justice, there is another chance. It is hard for Americans, Canadians, and Australians to understand that elsewhere different people do not live happily together. Maybe the events in the Balkins over the last eight years will finally make this clear.

The solution, however, is very obvious and simple—separate the people and they can be reasonable neighbors. In the Balkans even more border adjustment is needed. The Hungarian part of Serbia (Vojvodina) needs to be taken from the Serbs and added to Hungary. The Serb part of Bosnia (Srpska) to be added to Serbia (after Milosevich goes and all those Serbs who served in Kosovo after February 1998 are tried for genocide). Artificial Macedonia to be dismantled and divided along ethnic lines and added to Serbia (A. M.), Albania, etc.

In the north, the population of Russia has been declining by one million people per year, so by repatriating the hated, destabilizing illegal one million Russian colonists from Latvia to Russia will only bring Russia's population back to where it was in July of 1998. This action is needed for the sake of justice and morality and to head off ethnic conflict in Latvia and the "mother" of all ethnic conflicts, i.e., Russians vs Asians in Siberia if Russia's population falls too low.

Diplomats don't have one original thought in their total heads. They are the obstructionists, the last to come around after the inevitable has happened. Examples are trying to preserve the Soviet Union (Russian empire)—President Bush's infamous speech in Kiev 1991; trying to preserve Yugoslavia (Serb empire)—U.S. Secretary of State Baker 1991; trying to keep Chechnya as a Russian occupied colony—all U.S. and European bureaucrats and functionaries 1995-97.

It is also flagrantly immoral that Kurds and Palestinians don't have their own independent countries.

Now that things may be changing and now that USA and Europe have done the right, moral thing in Kosovo, don't stop there. Many more injustices need to be corrected. Repatriate the illegal Russian colonists from Latvia (and Estonia), clearly recognize Chechnya's independence, develop independent Kurdistan and Palestine. Correct other borders in Europe along ethnic lines—Hungarians, Albanians.

Let's take the moral and just position on these problems before we experience more Russian and Serb crimes against humanity. The next freedom fighter may not carry a Kalashnikov, but rather a small flask or a petri dish.

Aivars Slucis, M.D. 820 S 4th Ave., Albert Lea, MN 56007

—Appeared in The New York Times, Op-Ed Section, September 8, 1999

Latvia Seeks to Reconcile the Past With a Multiethnic Future

Foreign Minister of Latvia

RIGA, Latvia

The people of the Baltic states can have great sympathy for what is happening today in Kosovo. We were also in the clutches of powers driven by a nationalistic myth. A pact between Hitler and Stalin relegated the Baltic states to isolation from the West. War crimes were committed. Every family was touched.

In 1943, Letts made up more than four-fifths of Latvia's population. But through deportations and ethnic cleansing, their numbers were reduced to about half of the inhabitants. Only on Aug. 31, 1994, the date of withdrawal of Russian troops, could Latvia begin, for the first time in five decades, to operate as a truly free and sovereign state.

In the wake of a regime that artificially assigned privileges to a certain class and ethnic group, social integration is a top priority. Recovery from ''ethnic engineering'' takes time and must be carefully managed. A national referendum last fall was the basis for a new law on citizenship that allows all immigrants who arrived during Soviet times to apply for Latvian citizenship. The new law is a cornerstone for development of a fully integrated multiethnic society.

The decision to extend citizenship to postwar immigrants was warmly welcomed by the European Union, the United States and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Russia's reaction, oddly enough, was cool and cautious.

The free flow of goods continues to be stifled by Russian administrative barriers that single out Latvia. These sanctions often cause more damage to Russian businessmen operating in Latvia than to others. Companies based in Latvia have diversified their markets. Latvia buys less from and depends less on Russia. In fact, total bilateral trade with Russia is down to less than 10 percent, while Latvia's trade with the EU has increased to 60 percent.For social integration to work, encouragement is the best catalyst. Latvia's recent agreements with the Schengen countries, which allow visa-free travel throughout Europe, help. So do encouraging words from European leaders. In January, Maciej Plazinski, marshal of the Polish Parliament, told a gathering of Polish immigrants in Daugavpils, a city in southern Latvia: “Apply for citizenship now! What are you waiting for?”

The enlargement of the EU and NATO is facilitating the integration process. Once membership is perceived as irreversible, noncitizens residing in Latvia will want to be included.

But as long as the Baltic states are left to fend for themselves on the frontier of Europe, not yet full members, Russia will continue to sow doubts about the security of their future. Clear inclusion of the Baltic states among Western nations would strengthen their ability to remain calm and collected in the face of provocation. All realize that support for the democratic development of Russia, which has nuclear and biological weapons, is a high priority, but the anchoring of the Baltic states should not depend on the speed of Russian reforms.

We need a legal and moral foundation for future bilateral cooperation with Russia. An acknowledgment of Russia's role in Latvian history in this century will defuse many of the sensitive problems related to naturalization of noncitizens.

Russia's recognition of Soviet crimes would set a basis for Latvia and Russia to address together opportunities in business, and also common issues such as international terrorism, organized crime and the environment.

Czech and German leaders set such an example by putting the past behind them to create a new footing for bilateral relations. The Nazi occupation of parts of Czechoslovakia, the establishment of a puppet government in Prague, the deportation of Sudeten Germans—all left scars on the conscience. But the Germans apologized for their acts, thus showing their goodwill toward a smaller neighbor. No such statement of contrition has been forthcoming from Moscow.

In war, it is rare when one side has exclusive responsibility for atrocities. The Latvian political elite was systematically eliminated by the Soviets in the 1940s. The Jewish population was also slaughtered during the Nazi occupation. Ethnic Latvians in general did not participate in the murders that took place during the Holocaust, but those who did collaborate with the Nazis were punished by the Soviet authorities.

Still, the examination of these crimes against humanity may be incomplete. Latvia is assembling an international historical commission that will address such questions, and the general prosecutor is ready to follow up on any substantive allegations of war crimes regardless of the nationality of the perpetrators.

There is no statute of limitations on human memory. Examination, acknowledgment and atonement are necessary in order to absolve crimes. The process of atonement has as much significance for large countries as for small ones. But when large countries face up to their past, the effect is felt around the world.

We in Latvia are not asking Moscow to build a giant memorial to fallen Latvians next to the Kremlin. We want Russia to look at itself in the mirror and Russians to accept the facts of their own history.

It is time for Russian leaders, who speak of Russia as part of Europe, to exhibit a spirit of reconciliation. This would show that they support Latvia's efforts to build an integrated society. It would be in the European spirit to admit past mistakes and crimes, creating a basis for united, multiethnic communities.

Latvia is doing its part. Now it is Russia's turn.

Appeared in the International Herald Tribune, May 14, 1999

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