Veterans equalize Nazism, Communism

Aug 05, 2008
In cooperation with BNS

TALLINN - The Confederation of European War Veterans (CEAC) passed a statement drawn up by the EstonianFrontline Soldiers' Association in which two regimes, Nazism and Stalinist Communism are equalized.

Ilmar Aaviksoo, board chairman of the Estonian Frontline Soldiers' Association, told the Baltic News Service that the statement was endorsed unanimously and the war veterans would now send it to the European Parliament.

The statement declares that both Stalinist Communism and Nazism were criminal.

More than 20 foreign guests from Great Britain, Belgium, Spain and France, including the CEAC administration, took part in the CEAC conference.

There was a memorial ceremony in St George's Night Park on Monday evening honoring war veterans of the countries that fought in World War II irrespective of the side on which they fought. At the ceremony CEAC handed over an honorary medal of the Confederation to EstonianDefense Minister Jaak Aaviksoo.

Addressing the CEAC memorial ceremony, Aaviksoo underlined the similar face of fascism and totalitarian communism.

 "Europe, which suffered in World War II, has done a lot to avoid bloody conflicts and learn from its history. Thanks to your experience we have managed to do it to a large extent. But we have not learened enought -- the thousands of cictims of the Balkan conflicts and the frozen conflicts in several areas in Europe are witness of our today's concerns," Aaviskoo said.

He recalled the Estonians who fought on both sides of the front. "They stood at the defense of their people, their relatives and their families in the best knowlege how their fate permitted it to them. May this be a message of that dramatic oppostion in Estonia to all of those who best undersgand the mercilessness of war."

The defense minister said that for their victims totalitarian fascism and totalitarian communism were equally. "Estonia and its men fought on both sides of the frontline not for communism or fascism, but against both of them," the Defense Minister underlined.

The European War Veterans Confederation (CEAC) unites veterans who fought on both sides of the front in World War Two.

The organization has more than 600,000 members in 12 European countries.

The Estonian Frontline Soldiers Association unites Estonianswho fought on both sides of the front.

SOCIAL BOOKMARKS:   Delicious   Digg   Reddit   Ask   Facebook   MrWong   Netvouz