
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, March 29, 1990                   TAG: 9003290600
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-16   EDITION: MATRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

PROUD LITHUANIA MOVES TO RECLAIM ITS SOVEREIGNTY

THE LITHUANIAN Parliament has proclaimed the restoration of the exercise of sovereign powers of the Lithuanian republic in Vilnius. It is not surprising to see that Lithuania was the first state to secede from the Soviet Union, considering the glorious history of the country.

Lithuania was founded during the 13th century. From the 14th century, her boundaries stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, she constituted a powerful medieval principality. Later, Lithuania was part of the Union of Poland-Lithuania up to her fall in 1795.

In 1918 the independence of Lithuania was restored. In June 1940, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were occupied by the Russian troops in accordance with the shameful agreement between Stalin and Hitler. Latvia and Estonia are also moving toward secession.

Soviet authorities grossly violated international law, carrying out in occupied Lithuania war crimes and crimes against humanity such as mass deportations, murders, and mobilization of Lithuanians into the Russian army. Practically all private properties were confiscated. The Soviet Union should pay a high reparation to Lithuanians, including those whose family heads were murdered and persons whose health was ruined in deportation.

It is expected that secession will be contagious for Georgia and other non-Russian republics. The Great Russians should learn to live and work as civilized peoples do, without colonial plundering and exploitation of peoples with far higher civilizations than the one in Russia.

DR. ALEXANDER V. BERKIS\ FARMVILLE

by CNB