Date: 1981-12-10
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. It was announced on December 9 that iza Alexeyeva would be allowed to leave the Soviet Union In order to join Andrei Sakharovs stepson. to whom she was married by proxy. The stepson resides in the United States. Although a date certain has not been set for her release from the Soviet Union. this is welcome news. coming as It does in the third week of fasting by Dr. Sakharov aind his wife. However. while this is a welcome development I believe an editorial appearIng In the December 9 Washington Post places the plight of the Sakharovs In its proper perspective. As the Post noted: The ostensible reason for the tes tthe Kremlins retusal to allow Liza Alexeyeva to leave the Soviet Union in order to join Dr. Sakharovs stepson. to whom she was married by proxyis not all that this struggle concerns. The Post editorial pointed out there Is every indication that He (Sakharov) feels driven to the point where he has little else left to live for. He has been systematically deprived of contact with family. friends and work. He is cut off from the Issues lie cares passionately about. concerns that won him the Nobel Peace Prize. When he triest.Q practice physics. a field In which he Is one of the worlds towering figures. the KGB tears up his papers. He has been surrounded by walls of silence and so. It appears he has chosen this desperate means to resolve his own fate. one way or the other. - Mr. President.. Andrei Sakharov and his wife were not committing suicide as the Post editorial so poignantly notes. The Soviet system is murdering them. The Soviet system is murdering them because they fear the Andrei Sakharovs of their nation. -The Soviet. Union i one of *the worlds two superpowers. Yet. for all their vast arsenal of strategic weapons. for all their tanks. guns and planes. the leaders of thie Soviet Union. are. not secure. They ane insecure not because the December 10l 1981 greatest threat. is some military force beyond their - borders. ..The greatest threat to the Soviet leadership is the Andrei Sakharovs within their own borders. It. is the threat of the exercise of fundamental human liberties. it is the threat of differing opinions. and the threat posed by the freedom to emigrate. The plight of the Sakharovs has exposed the true nature of the Soviet system for the entire world to see. It is a system based upon tenets so vulnerable that the Soviet leadership cannot stand the test of debate from their own people. SA .nation whose leadership fears Its own people is not a strong or secure nation. The plight of the Sakharovs Is striking evidence that little has changed from ~he days of the czarsthat the Russlin revolution replaced one despot with a collective leadership of despots. Mr. President. the S viets are wise in allowing Lisa. AleXeyev. t.o leave the Soviet Union. The leaders of the Soviet Union would be equally wise if they allowed the Sakharovs to emigrate as well. Dr. Andrei Sakharov Is a veole of conscience which is heard and because of this he is a symbol of conscience as well. To continue this outrage only demonstratesto the rest of the world that the leaders of the Soviet Union fear their own people so much they will go to any extent to still their voices. Yet..- Andrei Sakharov will never be stilled. even in Gorki. I1 ask unanimous consent that the editorial be printed in the RECORD. .There being no objection. the editorial" was ordered to be printed In the RzcORD. as follows: IFrom the Washington Post. Dec. 9. 19611