As it is routine for the Soviet system to seek to shackle the minds of their citizens. it is hardly surprising that the Soviets have virtually destroyed the book fair by increasing levels of censorship and abuse of writers. Indeed. Moscow has gone so far as to deny visas to American publishers of Soviet dissident writers and Americans who have views on publishing that annoy the Soviet Government. As a result. many American publishers have lost interest in the Moscow Book Fair. The Soviets have been imprisoning and exiling prominent authors at an alarming rate. Meanwhile. the rate of Soviet Jews who are given permission to leave the U.S.S.R. has reached its lowest point since the start of the Soviet Jewry movement a decade ago. only 430 Soviet Jews were permitted to emigrate in the month of August. This trend represents a 92percent decline from 1979 levels of Soviet Jewish emigration. It is imperative that the Reagan administration protest this disturbing trend more forcefully than it has to date. I profoundly hope that Secretary of State Haig addresses the issue of Soviet Jewry in his meeting today with Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko.
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emigrate emigration visas