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Statement by the President of the Republic on the 55th Anniversary of the March 1949 Deportation on 25 March 200425.03.2004
Dear fellow countrymen,
Fifty-five years ago, the occupying authorities deported from Estonia thousands of people. That was the next but unfortunately not the last in a series of violent acts. The occupying power trampled on Estonia's independence, tens of thousands of people were arrested and deported. Thousands of our countrymen had to leave their homes and flee. Countless families were destroyed, which meant the end of civil society in Estonia. Violence changed the life of all Estonians. Those hard times even today concern all of us - the majority of us have among their loved ones those who were deported, fell in World War II, or escaped from the occupations to the West.
We must not forget the sufferings of the past. It is our duty to do our utmost lest such violence ever recur. For the sake of that, we have chosen the way of democratic development. With our daily purposeful work we must consolidate our democratic institutions and strengthen civil society. The best guarantee for our security is participation in international networks. We are not alone any more. At the same time, we must not lose vigilance because threats will never disappear from the world - they only change and may unexpectedly reappear.
Today, bowing our heads, we remember all those who perished or suffered under occupying regimes.
Arnold Rüütel
The President of the Republic
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