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“ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S5282-S5283 on June 10, 2002.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
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ESTONIA'S ROLE IN THE HOLOCAUST
Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I ask that an article written by the U.S. Ambassador to Estonia, Joseph M. DeThomas, be printed in the Record. Ambassador DeThomas outlines important steps for the Estonian government to undertake to address Estonia's role in the Holocaust.
The article follows.
Past, Present and Future
(By Ambassador Joseph M. DeThomas)
In every interview I have had with the press since I arrived in Tallinn, I have been asked in one form or another,
``What has surprised you about Estonia?'' I have always answered by noting that some aspect or another about Estonia was even more positive than I expected. Early May, however, I was surprised in a different way. A report in a Russian weekly claiming that Simon Wiesenthal advocated a boycott of the Baltic States and Ukraine produced a firestorm of comment from the press, political circles, and some members of the public. The comments were angry, defensive, and--with regard to my government's position--erroneous. The Wiesenthal Center has categorically denied that Mr. Wiesenthal ever even gave this interview. I did not intervene in this discussion. Since arriving here, I have learned a very useful Estonian proverb,
``Think nine times, speak once.'' I have used the intervening days since the story broke to think nine times about the past and what would be useful to do about it in the present. I would like to share my views.
First, let me make clear my own government's position. We believe there is more for all of us to do to deal with the crimes of the past, and the Holocaust is a crime of unique proportions. A prominent political leader here implied last week that the United States is satisfied that Estonia has done all it needs to do to deal with the Holocaust. Just last month, however, Heather Conley, the Department of State's senior official responsible for the Baltic States called on the Baltic States to do more to deal with the damage from the Holocaust. The same is the case for the U.S. Senate. For example, recently, Senator Biden, the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made a very strong statement about his concern about the resurgence of anti-Semitism in Europe and called on all countries aspiring to NATO membership to ensure that ``the very ugly remnants of war-time fascism . . . be totally and permanently suppressed.''
Estonia's World War II past was uniquely painful. The country and its people were not given the freedom to choose between good and evil. Terrible choices had to be made. Estonia suffered terribly under two periods of Soviet occupation as well as the Nazi German occupation. The fact that the Soviet occupation did more direct harm in Estonia, however, does not negate the fact that the Holocaust happened here too. As the conclusions of the Estonian International Commission for Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity demonstrated, some Estonians bear responsibility for participating in this evil. I believe all countries that lived through the nightmare of the last century need to deal with their crimes honestly and completely so that they cannot be repeated in the future. We must face history, not hide from it.
What does this mean with regard to Estonia's approach to the Holocaust? I suggest the following very modest steps:
1. Do justice where justice is needed. Since reindependence, no Estonian has been prosecuted for crimes committed during the Holocaust. In part, that may be because many were prosecuted during the Soviet period. But, there are still Estonian candidates for prosecution. These individuals should be pursued with the same vigor with which the state still pursues those suspected of Soviet crimes. And the time for this is now. The World War II generation is passing from the scene. Witnesses to the crimes are dying. Both the victims and the victimizers should see justice done before it is too late.
2. Recognize the Holocaust is part of Estonia's history. Compared to the other Baltic States, the states of Central Europe and even some neutral states during World War II, the Holocaust is less recognized as a part of the national history in Estonia. The Holocaust took place here. About one thousand Estonian Jews and even more non-Estonian Jews were murdered in this country. Yet, the day of remembrance for the Holocaust, Yom Hashoah, receives almost no notice in this country. Many sites involving Holocaust crimes here are not marked or remembered. A few sites have recently been commemorated. This should continue.
3. Teach our children about the past. I have been told Estonian school textbooks treat the Holocaust in about one-and-a-half pages. If this is true for most of Estonia, I would suggest that history texts on this subject already in other states in this region be translated into Estonian for use here. I understand such a step is already under consideration by the government. I hope that the Estonian Government follows the call of some Estonian NGO's to be more involved in the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research, to which 11 nations belong.
The evil of racism and anti-Semitism does not grow again and again because the decent majority advocates it actively. It returns because it is ignored or trivialized by the majority until it reemerges in a new generation. Estonia has emerged from a desolate past into a present full of promise, thanks to the work of its people. But, to ensure a positive future, I believe it essential that the country address all aspects of the past soberly, respectfully, honestly and with justice.
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