Speech #930191410

Whereas the U.S.S.R.s forcible incorporation of Estonia constitutes a violation of international treaties and of all principles of international law. the Soviet regime in these states lacks any legal basis and must be regarded only as a temporary military occupation. While instances of the Soviet occupation regimes oppressive policies and malfeasance are too numerous to be detailed. the Estonian World Council has drawn attention to a matter of the gravest concern: the systematic reduction of the native Estonian population. There is evidence that Soviet authorities had developed plans for the largescale extermination and deportation of Estonian nationals well in advance of the occupation of the Baltic Republic by the U.S.S.R. NKVD secret order No. 001223. entitled "Deportation of AntiSoviet Elements from Lithuania. Latvia and Estonia." was signed by General Ivan Serov. deputy chief of U.S.S.R. State security. and dated October 11. 1939. A copy of this infamous document was captured by Baltic partisans in 1941 and it has been published in its entirety in the Third Interim Report of the House Select Committee on Communist Aggression. Although sporadic arrests and summary executions by the NKVD commenced immediately after the Soviet occupation in June 1940. secret order No. 001223 was not executed until the night of June 1314. 1941. Under this particular order 11.157 Estonian civilians of both sexes and of all ages were slated for arrest and deportation. It has been established that at least 59.732 persons were either executed or deported from Estonia during the first year of Soviet occupation194041. When the deportation program ended in 1954. the estimate of those Estonians removed from their home country reached 140.000. More recently the Soviet occupation regime has come to depend upon different means to eliminate the national and ethnic identity of Estonia. these means involve the massive settlement of Russians in Estonia and a corresponding dispersal of Estonians over the hinterlands of the U.S.S.R. This systematic program of russiflcation has proven extremely effective and is being implemented without the overt application of KGB terror. but with the calculated and methodical application of administrative and economic pressures.