Mr. Speaker. I am introducing in the House today. along with my colleagues Senators BYRD and DOLE in the Senate. a resolution exposing the Soviet Unions deceptive new emigration regulations and demanding Soviet observance of internationally recognized human rights. Few nations embody the denial of individual human rights so clearly as does our major adversary in the world arenathe Soviet Union. I am sure each of us know of several cases where the Soviet Union has and continues to deny basic internationally recognized human rights. In my own area of southeastern Michigan. there is a young attorney. Keith Braun. who has been separated from his wife. Svetlana. for several years because the Soviet Government chooses not to grant her the exit visa she has requested on numerous occasions. I have been fortunate to meet Mrs. Braun. and they have not lost hope. They continue in their efforts to have Svetlana emigrate to the United States. but theirs and the many other cases cry for assistance from those who are free to speak. It is for this reason that the democratically elected representatives of the American people must make it an important priority of the new Congress to condemn continuing Soviet human rights abuses and to dedicate themselves to supporting the full provision of human rights to all Soviet citizens. As many of my colleagues know. the Soviet Union recently. and without much fanfare. announced that a more liberal emigration law would go into effect. The Kremlin. in a clever disinformation effort. tried to trick the world into believing that Soviet Jews and other prisoners of conscience who want to leave that country would be allowed to go. The truth. however. is that new procedures will be tighter. not looser. than existing regulations.
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration visa