President. the independence of the people of Lithuania was proclaimed on February 16. 1918. and I am rroud to join in the observance of the 44th anniversary of that historic day. For 21 years after that date the Lithuanian people enjoyed the reestablishment of their freedom. but shortly after the outbreak of World War II. their country was overrun by the Soviet armies. Conquest by the Kremlin was followed by deportations. imprisonment. religious persecution. labor camps. and other repressive measures. but the spirit of the people could not be broken. and the hope of regaining their liberty continued to burn brightly in the hearts of the Lithuanian people. The right of the oppressed people of this unhappy country to liberty and independence is upheld by the principle of selfdetermination which the United States has championed. This principle applies to Lithuania as well as to all other captive peoples who are striving to keep alive the light of liberty and the hope of independence.
Keywords matched
deportations