From: VIZNYUK@MPS.OHIO-STATE.EDU (SERGEI VIZNYUK)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet
Subject: Re: DEMOCRATIC Estonia
Date: 5 Sep 92 23:23:00 GMT
Reply-To: "soc.culture.soviet via ListServ" <SCS-L@indycms.iupui.edu>

> From: sommar@enea.se (Erland Sommarskog)
>
> Sergei Viznyuk writes:
>>As you noted yourself, the question in "TransDniester" republic is
>>HOW to teach Moldavian language, while in "democratic" Estonia the
>>question is "to teach or not to teach Russian at all".
>
>At least no one has even discussed the possibility of using a Latin
>script for Russian.

  As you may know, the ORIGINAL script of MOLDAVIAN
language was Cyrrilic, except for the time, Moldova was
occupied by Romania, i.e. during 20 years. Therefore,
the question is WHY Moldavians were FORCED to change
their script to Latin ? It doesn't mean, though,
that I'm supporting the return the script back to
Cyrrilic, as was supposely done (?) in TransDniestra,
except for the case when such move is supported by
Moldavians themselves. As the TransDniestra goverment
IS supported not only ethnic Russians and Ukrainians,
but local Moldovans too (the leader of TransDnietra
Guards is, BTW, Moldovan), I consider that the re-establishment
of original Moldavian (i.e. Cyrrilic) script is done
(is it really done ?) with the support of Moldovans
in TransDniestra.

>>Besides, whom do you call "old-timers who are fighting to preserve
>>their power" ?  I supposed you meant President of Moldova x-communist
>>Mircea Snegur ? Or his former Primer-Minister x-communist and x-KGB
>>officer Mircea Drug,
>
>Oh, come on don't tell me that Smirnov & co are zealous reformists
>who despise everything stamped with communism.
>
> I don't know many details about Smirnov & co, except that they
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So how do you know then that they are "old-timers who are fighting to
preserve their power" ? Familiar style - I didn't read, I don't
know, but they/he/she is bad... Instead, why don't you consider
President of Moldova x-communist Snegur, who used tanks
and terrorist gangs against population of its own country,
as that "old-timer who is fighting to preserve his power" ?

> supported the putsch and that's serious enough. But some months
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It could have been "serious enough" under certain
circumstances. But TransDniestra officials allegedly "supported"
August coup only because they hoped that strong central
goverment would be able to defend the population from
"democratic" Moldavian regime.

> ago I posted an article about the leaders in Narva. Basically
> they are the same people as before.

  Interesting... And all Estonians, apparently, are
newcomers from outer space ?

> Not extraordinary, as I understand, the same effect
> flourishes all over the ex-USSR.
> Everyone who is at the power wants to stay there, and in Narva
> it is probably a good idea to play the nationalistic card,
> and there's no reason that Transdniestra is different.

  The nationalistic card is being played by Estonian
goverment, and other "democratic" goverments, such
as that in Georgia, Azerbajdzhan and Moldova. Notoriously
enough, that Estonia stays in a row with them.
  Is seems the only argument which is left for Balts
is to accuse their opponents as "old timers", even
though those "old timers" are hundred times more
democratic than "newcomers".

> Except
> the means of course. Some use armes, others don't.

Yeah, some "democratic" goverments use tanks to subdue
the people (as in Moldova), others - police and fascist
laws, as in Estonia.

> (It is worth
> noticing while there are two break-aways republics in Moldova,
> it has only come to an armed conflict in one of them?)

  Usual ingnorance, Sommarskog. THERE WAS an armed
conflict in Gagauz republic too about 1.5 year ago,
but as the population of Gagauzia is much smaller than
TransDnieastra, they were not able to defend themselves,
and ceased the armed resistance. But it doesn't mean
that Moldovan goverment has taken a control over that
region - it's still mainly controled by Gagauz officials
which are getting some help from TransDniestra. The
"democratic" Moldovan goverment was sending terrorist
groups into Gagauz region to try to kill local officials
and disrupt the communications. If you were able to read
anything else beside your stupid and ignorant Swedish
newspaper (forgot its name -sorry), I hope you would
know this too. I could enlighten you somewhat more,
dear Sommarskog, on the actions of Moldovan goverment,
such as attempts to explode the hydroelectic damb on
Dniestr to cause the flood and, thus, bring a harm
to the left bank (even though it would bring no less
harm to the right bank), bombing the CIVILIAN population
by Romanian pilots, the terrorist acts, such as exposions
of electric power stations, etc. - all such feasts were
done by Moldavian goverment on the territory, it considers
its own !

> The fact that Snegur and others may have a dubious background
> doesn't excuse Transdniestrian leaders.

 They don't need your excuse, Sommarskog !

>>In particular, I'm still waiting for you answer on my
>>question, why do you consider the Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh
>>as having rights to seceede from Azerbajzhan, because
>>as you asserted, they voted for it, while apparently
>>you consider the people in e.g. TransDniester republic
>>as NOT having such right ?  What about honesty ?
>
>I'm sorry, you must be confusing with me someone else, as I cannot
>recall having being asked such a question, nor having made any
>statements of the kind you claim. In fact, I have said things
>of the opposite opinion.

OK, as I see, you have a short memory, Sommarskog. Here
is what you wrote some time ago:

> From: sommar@enea.se (Erland Sommarskog)
> Date: 29 Aug 92 19:11:20 GMT
> References: <172b5bINNh28@agate.berkeley.edu>
 <1747o2INNp1j@agate.berkeley.edu> <1992Aug24.085356.5736@cco.caltech.edu>
> Organization: Enea Data AB
> Lines: 11
> Xref: ohstpy soc.culture.turkish:21230 talk.politics.soviet:6073
>
> Behnam Sadeghi (bes@cco.caltech.edu) writes:
>>1.  It doesn't require a historian to know that Qarebagh (Karabak)
>>    belongs to Azerbaijan.
>
> Nagorno-Karabagh belongs to the people who live there. If the
> majority of them want to be part of Azerbaijan, Qarebagh also
> belongs to Azerbaijan. However, apparently people in Artsakh
> does not want to be part of Azerbaijan.
> --
> Erland Sommarskog - ENEA Data, Stockholm - sommar@enea.se
> F|rst till kvarn f}r f|rst vankiva

  Now, after reading what you wrote, dear Erland, may ask
you to repeat the statement above (but only if you consider youself
as honest person), but with some changes in names, as e.g.:

1. Narva region of Estonia belongs to the people who live there. If the
   majority of them want to be part of Estonia, Narva also
   belongs to Estonia. However, apparently people in Narva
   does not want to be part of Estonia.

2. TransDniestra region of Moldova belongs to the people who live there.
   If the majority of them want to be part of Moldova, TransDniestra also
   belongs to Moldova. However, apparently people in TransDniestra
   does not want to be part of Moldova.

3. The same with South Ossetia <-> Georgia
4. The same with Abkhazia <-> Georgia
5. The same with Crimea <-> Ukraine
etc, etc...

> For the record, I have several times presented my personal principle
> of self-determination which grants the right of secession of an
> area if this is the will of the majority of the inhabitants
> in that area. The principle also grants them the right to join
> another country, but only if that country accepts them.

So would you refuse this right to people in Narva, TransDniestra,
etc ? Note: I'm not disagreeing with your statement above, btw.
S.V.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet