From: f33012l@puukko.hut.fi (Janne Kivel{)
Subject: Re: treacherous Russians (Baltic boshevicks)
Organization: Helsinki University of Technology, Finland
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 08:33:08 GMT

ayr@gtech.com (Aleksey Y. Romanov) writes:

>Some people had remembered Algeria in this context. This is a future level
>of new Baltic states. I hope that they are able to calculate these simple
>equations and make a rigth desisions.
>
>>2) They omit mention of the ex-Soviet army still planted in these sovereign
>>countries--a rather truculent and hostile presence.
>It does not have any links to the rights of permanent residents.
>
>The only pupose of this posting is to clear following for myself:
>
>     1. What is the long term goal of minority policy in Baltic states?
>                a) drive out russian speacking minority out of Baltic
>                b) provide base for long term discrimination against
>                   russian speacking minority
>                c) provide a way for ultra fast assimilation of
>                   this minority into single nation
>                d) it is just an example of idiotism

It's evident that Baltic governments (mainly Estonia and Latvia) want
to reduce the number of 'immigrants' i.e. people who have moved 
there during the Soviet days for better standard of living. They want
to encourage those who haven't 'settled' yet to leave. Yet I have
not seen anybody providing a single example of a Russian that has been
deported from a Baltic country.

I understand the concern among the residents of Narva or Sillam{e, but
still the treatment of ethnic Russians in Estonia probably looks worse
in St. Petersburg than in Narva. Why isn't there any concern about
treatment of Russians in Tadzhikistan or Kazakhstan? Is it because 
ethnic Russians are treated so much better in these countries? Or is it
because the media never tell us how's life in Turkmenistan?

>     2. Can anybody imagine the sequences of cases 1.a and 1.b ?

The consequences depend more on what kind of regime has the power in
Russia than the way ethnic Russians are actually treated. 

You can always find 'discrimination' and 'harassment' if you look closely
and use a little bit of your imagination. 

I don't say, however, that citizenship laws of Estonia and Latvia are
perfect. Language requirement in Estonia can be discriminatory if enforced
very strictly. It's also a bit too much to require 16 years of permanent
residence for full citizenship status. Still, none of the injustices in 
the laws justify the presence of Russian military in the Baltics.

>I guess that if the goal of Baltic states is to drive russian speacking
>minorities out the best way to do so is direct negotiations with Russia,
>Ukraine, ... about deportation. Let us imagine the world reaction in the case.

I don't believe it's realistic or even beneficial to the Balts to drive out
the Russians. Who would do the work in the factories if great number of
workers were expelled?

The Russians have no business interfering with internal affairs of 
the Baltic countries. In this sense, the negotiations make no sense.
Tell me, who has mentioned deportation?

>Aleksey Y. Romanov

Janne Kivela"
Newsgroups: talk.politics.soviet