Speech #960130000

Mr. Speaker. to further the goals of the "Shatter the Silence Vigil 1979." I and many of our colleagues have put considerable efforts into obtaining freedom for the large number of Soviet dissidents. At times our efforts have met successvisas were issued. families reunited. and even some of the dissidents with the most notorious records of maltreatment were granted emigration. All of these cases required significant struggles and involved efforts at the highest official levels. Yet. at some point in time and after arduous negotiations. emigration is sometimes permitted. This year the number of visas the Soviets issued has increased substantially. However. this important movement of people cannot be interpreted as an improvement in the plight of most Soviet dissidents. The vast majority of people who wish to emigrate have almost no hope. Worse. there is a broad range of sanctions linked to the mere expression of the desire to emigrate. Applying for emigration is a costly. lengthy. complicated. and arbitrary process with uncertain results. It involves the risk of reprisals of which dismissal from employment if often only a first step. The Soviets justify their restrictive policies by citing economic concerns or the fear of losing highly skilled labor. But we all know that it is the political and ideological impact of giving people a choice. a kind of vote for or against the society which erodes the control of the regime. that compels that government to restrict emigration. There are few cases which underline the emptiness of these Soviet excuses more than that of Gennady Khassin. Gennady Khassin is a highly skilled mathematician and author of numerous articles and textbooks in his field. Until he expressed his strong desire to emigrate with his wife and his two children to Israel he was teaching as Associate Professor at the most respectable universities of his country. This application for emigration. however. resulted in his dismissal from that position. For 2 years. he was constrained to teach at a Moscow high school. When he renewed his application for emigration. he was stripped of the right to work at all. Gennady Khassin cannot dare to apply for a third time. For no one knows what would then be his punishment. Thus. whenever the issue of Soviet emigration policy comes up we cannot base our considerations on the percentage increase in granted visas. We have to look at the issue in all its complexity. We have to focus on the fact that a temporarily liberal emigration policy is in general closely interrelated to economic and political objectives the Soviet Union is pursuing. such as SALT II. mostfavorednation status. ExportImportBank credit et alia. Liberal emigration policies are the exceptions. denial of basic human rights and escalating deterrence from applying for emigration the rule. For this reason we must continue to apply pressure on the Soviet Government to redefine the basic principles of its emigration policy. It is our responsibility to constantly make the international community aware of the violations of human rights by the Soviet Union. It is our duty to give Gennady Khassin. and with him the large number of Soviet Jews and other minorities who have been waiting for the chance to emigrate. hope for a life of choice. I was moved to receive from Israel a letter from Dr. Z.