Today and always on June 14 we remember all those tens of thousands of citizens of the Republic of Estonia, who at different times have been violently separated from their families and their fatherland and taken away to do slaves' work in a foreign land.

The word deportation turned overnight into a term of equal abhorrence as genocide or holocaust, marking the crimes against humanity that were committed on the Estonian territory by foreign invaders. The citizens of Latvia and Lithuania shared the fate of Estonians. As we mourn our compatriots today, we also mourn all the victims of Stalinism and Nazism, regardless of their nationality, religion or land of residence. Let the Mourning Day of 1998 unite us in strengthening the independence and rule of law in our fatherland. Secondly, let us think of the countries and governments, who, following the example of the United States, have for decades formally shared the mourning of Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians. And third and foremost: let us prove to ourselves on Mourning Day of 1998 that we have forgotten no-one; that these women, men, children, all our people of old and ancient times are with us; that we must fulfil their dreams and also their last wish. We will not leave them alone, as we ourselves have never been left alone.

No land is ever all alone.


Lennart Meri Toomas Savi Mart Siimann


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorog, June 14,1998

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