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The President's Roundtable of National Minorities about holocaust
11.06.2002


The President's Roundtable of National Minorities discussed how to keep in remembrance the systematic extermination of Jewish people in Estonia and elsewhere in the world, constituting an exception in European history.

The Chairwoman of the Jewish Community of Estonia, Cilja Laud, the Chairman of the Jewish Community of Ida-Virumaa, Aleksander Dusman, and the Members of the Board of the Jewish Community invited to the discussion underscored that commemoration of the holocaust, in the first place, meant consequent condemnation of crimes against humanity and was aimed at preventing such acts and ideologies they were resulting in from happening or recurring ever again. The representatives of the Jewish community also indicated that commemoration of the days and sites connected with the holocaust in no way played down the sufferings of the Estonian people before, during and after World War II.

At the roundtable, the Chief Expert of the General Education Curricula Unit of the National Examination and Qualification Centre, Mare Oja, and the Director of the Jaan Tõnisson Institute, Agu Laius, spoke about reflecting the holocaust in history textbooks, about publishing supplementary materials and organizing supplementary training for the teachers of history and social studies.

An overview of investigating crimes against humanity in Estonia was presented by Toomas Hiio, member of the relevant commission and Adviser to President Lennart Meri. He noted that this representative international commission consisting of renowned experts had done a remarkable work which, however, was far from having been completed. Subsequently, the commission will try to identify crimes committed on the territory of Estonia by totalitarian regimes and their henchmen. It is not possible to right the wrongs already done, but we can and must ensure that such atrocities never again could recur. It was observed by the roundtable that just the small nations, the Estonians among them, which had fallen victim to totalitarian violence, were capable of paying particular attention to these issues.The roundtable of national minorities suggested President Arnold Rüütel that he should discuss the issues connected with the holocaust together with the representatives of Jewish community, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture.
The Head of State accepted the suggestion.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, June 11, 2002


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