HITTING THE NAIL ON THE HEAD

Amid what we can imagine were rounds of handshakes and flashing cameras lighting his way into Estonia's "robust market place of ideas," Danish Prime Minister Poul Nyrup deviated commendably from the standard dialogue of European heads of state visiting the Baltics who close their eyes and declare how each country on the whistle stop is ready for the EU and NATO. Roughly what Nyrup said was that EU countries and aspirants may be focusing too much attention on developing economies to the neglect of democratic values.

That's a mouthful. Did Nyrup mean that the Baltics should concentrate as much energy on health care, integration and women's and children's issues as on banking reforms and the transition from communism to capitalism?

Western organizations, IMF, World Bank and OSCE have highlighted corruption as an issue sorely needing solution, but more emphasis is needed on tax dodges, secret deals, money laundering and bribery as erosive agents on funding for social services as rights and fruits of democratic society.

Other outside organizations have pointed out human rights violations in the Baltics, most recently the U.S. State Department report which noted exploitation of women and children in the sex industry and need for further reform in judicial systems.

But the Baltics know without a Greek chorus that there is work to be done in continuing to break with the past.

A human rights report released March 3 in Latvia by Latvians at Latvian Center for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies notes an urgent housing problem affecting the human rights of the most vulnerable people, those who are threatened with eviction or already homeless because of their inability to pay rising rents and utility costs.

The report finds also that while Latvia's controversial language law conforms to EU standards, it makes civil court trials less accessible to many minorities.

The report notes that a 1998 law on access to information actually restricts information further, codifying excuses for secrecy and denial of information from state institutions.

These are but a few examples. Meanwhile, the Baltics and their backers hold press conferences to display advances in economical reform to attract more money. What the international press grabs on the other hand, more than economic issues, are human rights violations and corruption as it affects social welfare and cheats the majority of enjoying the proceeds of reclaimed independence.

Getting down to cases, March 8 was International Women's Day - a day for flowers and chocolates for those who can afford it. Otherwise, maybe a day to ponder that Baltic women make less than men working the same jobs, even in Estonia, applauded as being the most ready of the Baltics for the EU.