Speech #990206782

To this day. the United States has consistently refused to recognize the Soviet Unions unlawful annexation of the Baltic States. Since 1940. the Soviet Union has pursued a policy of russiflcation designed to eliminate independent religious. political. and cultural activities in the Baltic States. While the Stalin1st practice of mass deportations and arbitrary murder has ended. the repression continues. In Lithuania. where Catholicism is deeply rooted. worshippers have been intimidated and harassed. and Catholic priests have been detained. brought to trial and convicted on charges of "antiSoviet agitation and propaganda." The Lithuanian Helsinki Monitoring Group. another target of the governments campaign. has been severely shattered by the imprisonment and involuntary exile of some of Its members. In Latvia and Estonia. in addition to individual cases of human rights violations. evidence of cultural repression is starkly provided by demographIc statistics. in both states. the proportion of native citizens continues to decline.