Veterans equalize Nazism, Communism

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

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

The statement declares that both Stalinist Communism and Nazism werecriminal.

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 honoringwar veterans of the countries that fought in World War II irrespective of theside on which they fought. At the ceremony CEAC handed over an honorary medalof the Confederation to EstonianDefense Minister Jaak Aaviksoo.

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

 "Europe, which suffered in WorldWar 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 wehave not learened enought -- the thousands of cictims of the Balkan conflictsand the frozen conflicts in several areas in Europe are witness of our today'sconcerns," Aaviskoo said.

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

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

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

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

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