Mr. Speaker. on March 25. 1991. we will commemorate the 42d anniversary of the deportation of Latvian citizens to Siberia. Over 42.000 residents of Latvia were forcibly relocated under Joseph Stalins collectivization of farmland policy. The small nations population had already been appreciably reduced because of Stalins first deportation in 1941. coupled with the ravages of the war. The trials of the Baltic Nations have not ended. While communism has broken down in the Eastern bloc nations of Europe. the Baltics are still struggling to regain their independence. The United States has always recognized their right to independence and we must continue to do what we can to see that this goal is realized. The commemoration of the 1949 deportations serves as an opportunity to keep the history of Latvia alive in the West and to signal to our friends in Latvia our unwavering support.
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deportations deportation