The failed Soviet coup that blew in like a storm swept open the door to genuine Baltic independence. Up until Aug. 19, the Communist Party hard-liners, the Soviet military and the KGB lurked in the shadows, sabotaging democratic processes, ordering bloody massacres of unarmed civilians and inciting ethnic hatreds. With their shameful attempt to overthrow Mikhail Gorbachev, these Soviet plotters came out in the open, hoping to block progress by force and to salvage their deteriorating base of power.
Lithuania knows the cold grip of Soviet hard-liners well. They made their presence felt at the Vilnius TV tower with the January massacre and at our borders with violent attacks on Lithuanian customs posts. One such raid ended with the execution-style murders of seven young men as President Bush was in Moscow meeting with Mr. Gorbachev. The perpetrators of these crimes have gone unpunished, and Soviet leaders continue to feign ignorance.Even though it is difficult to predict the consequences of the dramatic events in Moscow, the following is clear: The process of democratization will continue, nations will practice their right to self-determination and the ratification of the strategic arms agreement will not be abandoned.
With the threat of a military coup gone, the situation in the Soviet Union can stabilize, and a restructuring of the government in the Russian republic, and at the all-union level, is likely.
No doubt a new union treaty will be signed, with Ukraine probably declining to participate. New or re-established independent nation-states will emerge: the Baltic states for sure, with Moldavia, Georgia, Armenia and Ukraine in hot pursuit.
The West, specifically the United States, should follow in the footsteps of Iceland, Denmark and Russia and immediately recognize the non-Soviet republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Diplomatic recognition would help stabilize the political situation and dispel any remaining illusions that the Soviet empire can or will survive. This action would pressure the USSR and Russia to move more swiftly toward solving their own internal economic problems.
Ideally, the signing of the new union treaty should be followed by a revision of the election laws which to this day automatically guarantee one-third of all seats in parliament to the party nomenclature, both at the republican and all-union level.
It is in the best interest of the Soviet Union to begin negotiations with the Baltic states at once and to prepare an agreement within one or two months for re-establishing Baltic independence and furthering Soviet-Baltic economic ties. We must view the present situation realistically. Clear-cut conditions for Soviet troops stationed on Baltic territory must be set until complete withdrawal is possible. As Baltic citizens, we know the grave danger the Soviet military establishment poses personally to our families and our homelands. That is why this question needs to be resolved, and quickly.
The Baltic governments will continue running their own affairs, taking control of their borders, issuing their own passports and currency. These processes are already under way and continue to be of primary concern. They are followed by our desire to be integrated into the world community and admitted into international organizations, including the United Nations. We believe that a democratic Soviet Union can expedite and help resolve many of these complex issues.
Lithuania has shown great resolve and unity in time of crisis. Despite so many seemingly insurmountable obstacles, we survived and continued to govern successfully. Our peaceful approach to the Soviet Leviathan has borne fruit - sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet. We are determined to continue on this path, taking bigger and bigger steps along the way.
1991 New Perspectives Quarterly
Distributed by L.A. Times Syndicate