To non-involved observers the debate about Estonia being “liberated” or occupied by the USSR would seem to be a historically obscure issue which shouldn’t influence current Russian relations with Estonia and indeed the European Union.
But it does, directly. Moscow’s ongoing tirades about non-citizens in Estonia lacking civil rights and the withdrawal of their signature from the recently signed border agreement stems from Russia’s categorical denial that Estonia was invaded and illegally occupied by the USSR. (For the record, non-citizens can vote in Estonian municipal elections – something that Canada and most of the world’s countries do not allow. Civil and human rights legislation in Estonia is enforced equally across the board, among citizens and non-citizens alike.)
That is why the Estonian Central Council held a press conference in Canada’s parliament on May 5th this year, four days prior to Moscow’s gala celebration of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, of the USSR’s “liberation” of central and east Europe.
Russia’s event had been promoted for at least one year as an international confirmation of the USSR as the saviour of central and east Europe, and to dispel the notion that half of Europe was a captive of the Soviet Union.
This was a compelling reason for the Council to organize the press conference, invite several parliamentarians to join the proceedings, to illicit a parliamentary statement of the actual historical facts and to convey the message via the parliamentary TV network.
The Council presented a resolution it had prepared which was affirmed by the Estonian World Council, translated into the many languages of the Estonian Diaspora’s countries of residence and submitted to the various governments.
It’s a formidable challenge for the Council to hold the attention of Canadian politicians, especially on issues considered distant and insignificant to Canadian media. Much larger ethnic groups have better access to both. To help improve the situation somewhat, the Council will urge all Canadians who can trace their ancestral roots to Estonian to identify their heritage as Estonian on the next Canadian census in 2006.
The above is only a partial account of the Estonian Central Council’s activities. Being pro-active, persistent and having a presence on the Canadian political scene demands sufficient financial resources.