estosite

The riots and looting by Russians in Tallinn and elsewhere in Estonia, which arose in conjunction with the relocation of the Bronze Soldier Memorial, and the lies and arrogant behavior of the Russian government toward the Republic of Estonia, the Estonian Embassy in Moscow, and against all Estonians, need to be examined and condemned. The EANC calls upon all Estonians to write letters to newspapers, as well as to your representatives in the U.S. Congress, to the U.S. President, and to the State Department. The letters should clarify the current situation, and demand a strong statement from the American government in reaction to Russia’s arrogant behavior. Below are important addresses and English-language information which you may selectively use in your letters. Please especially mention the difficult situation of the Estonian Embassy in Moscow.

This critical situation needs the quick support of every Estonian!

Marju Rink-Abel
President

Addresses:

U.S. Senate: www.senate.gov
Office of Senator (Name)
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Telephone: U.S. Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121.

Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus members: Senators Richard Durbin (IL), Gordon Smith (OR), Joseph Lieberman (CT), Dianne Feinstein (CA), Charles Grassley IA), George Voinovich (OH), Barbara Boxer (CA) , Debbie Stabenow (MI), Barbara Mikulski (MD), Ben Nelson (NE), Robert Bennett (UT).

Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Senator Joseph Biden, Chair; Senator Richard Lugar, Ranking Minority Member

U.S. House of Representatives: www.house.gov
Office of Representative (Name)
U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515
Telephone: U.S. Capitol switchboard – 202-224-3121.

U.S. House Baltic Caucus: Rep. John Shimkus (Illinois) and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (Ohio), co-chairs.
President:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
Email to: comments@whitehouse.gov

State Department:
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
202-647-4000

Information for use in letters:

• In 1940, Estonia was occupied and illegally annexed by the Soviet Union for more than 50 years. As a result of this occupation and massive deportations, Estonia suffered great human losses. During this time, large numbers of Russians were moved to Estonia, most of them remaining there after Estonia regained its independence. The Bronze Soldier Memorial was erected by the Soviets in 1947 as a memorial to the Red Army. The celebration of Second World War victories and liberations is therefore highly controversial in Estonia. To Estonians this statue symbolizes a 50-year Soviet occupation of repression, deportations, bloody murders, and the attempted annihilation of the Estonian people and the Estonian language.

• The Bronze Soldier Memorial was erected in the center of the capital city of Tallinn. The Estonian government’s aim in moving it was to place the memorial in a cemetery, which is a more fitting location for the commemorations held by the Russian population in Estonia. This action has been used as a pretext for the extensive rioting and looting in Tallinn by Russian protesters, starting on April 27.

• The Memorial and remains buried with it have been relocated with due honor and respect. The statue was opened to the public on April 30, and was already visited that day by a few hundred people.

• Russia has used the relocation of the memorial to a military cemetery to launch a misinformation campaign aimed at discrediting Estonia. Russian diplomats in Estonia have also actively led and organized the activities of political fringe groups. The Estonian security services have ascertained that the memorial is being used as a pretext for inciting hatred.

• The upper house of Russia’s parliament called on President Vladimir Putin to break off diplomatic ties with Estonia, and the Kremlin has warned of “serious consequences.” Some of the 1,000 rioters arrested arrived only in recent days from Russia.

• The Estonian ambassador to Russia, Marina Kaljurand, has ordered Embassy workers in Moscow not to come to work, as their safety is not guaranteed by the Russian police. The Embassy has been surrounded for several days by Russians who block its entrances. Russian youth organizations are attacking the embassy building in a variety of ways. Embassy staff is effectively being held hostage inside the building. Estonia sent a strongly worded note to the Russian government demanding that it fulfill its responsibilities to protect Estonian diplomats and the Embassy.

• Attacks against Estonian government web servers beginning on April 27 are coming from Moscow government IP-addresses. Estonian Minister of Justice Rein Lang stated that the attacks are meant to impede the work of Estonian government agencies, and because of that, the home pages of government organizations cannot be accessed from outside of Estonia.

• An underground terrorist group under the name “Kolivan,” Army of Russian Resistance, asked on the internet on April 28 for president Vladimir Putin to send the Russian army into Estonia….”Our purpose is to create an independent Russian state on the territory of Estonia … We call on all Russian men living in Estonia … to follow our example, and to begin to form independent groups of that Army. We will strike blows on all communication systems, electric, gas, and gasoline supply lines, on rail communications, airports, and water systems of large cities. We will burn houses and property.”

• Since the restoration of its independence, Estonia has been the object of an extensive long-term Moscow-led misinformation campaign aimed at discrediting and destabilizing Estonia. Russia’s unconstructive policy towards Estonia has unfortunately impeded the development of pragmatic and good neighborly bilateral relations.

• Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen has spoken out against Russia’s demands that Estonia’s government resign. He stated that should pressure such as the demands of the Russian Duma be addressed to Estonia, it would be natural for Finland and all the other European Union nations to show solidarity and support for Estonia. Several other countries, including Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, have also condemned the riots and expressed support for Estonia. European Union’s Javier Solana told President Toomas Hendrik Ilves that the European Union understands and supports Estonia, and condemned the violence in Tallinn.

We strongly urge the United States to demonstrate firm support for Estonia at this critical time; in particular:
• to protest Russia’s deliberate inaction and lack of protection against attacks on the Estonian embassy in Moscow, thus endangering the lives of Estonian diplomats there;
• to openly condemn Russia’s misstatements, disinformation, and actions regarding Estonia’s rights as a sovereign nation; and
• to reiterate, as a member of NATO, its commitment to protect Estonia in the event of any threat to its sovereignty.