Latvia's top officials honor victims of Deportation

RIGA- Tuesday in Latvia, top officials laid flowers at the Freedom Monument in Riga to honor those deported toSiberia during the Soviet era.

After a short ceremony the Latvian national anthem,Latvian President Valdis Zatlers, Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis, ForeignMinister Maris Riekstins, Defense Minister Gaidis Berzins, andrepresentatives of the parliament and the Riga City Council laid flowersat the Freedom Monument.

Gunars Resnais, head of the Latvian Associationof Deportation victims, also took part in the ceremony.

About 200 people joined the commemorative event in Riga center.

March 25 is the day for commemoration of Communist genocidevictims who were deported to Siberia in 1949.

In compliance with a secret government decree, 43 families, includingelderly people and small children, were deported from Latvia from March25-29, 1949.

The Occupation Museum of Latvia also unveiled a new documentary film in a continued effort to raise awareness of Communist crimes in Latvia.