March 4, 2016, No. 197

To:

the honorable Algirdas Butkevičius
Government of the Republic of Lithuania
Gedimino prospect 11
Vilnius 01103

the honorable Remigijus Šimašius
Konstitucijos prospect 3
LT-09601 Vilnius

the honorable Visvaldas Matijošaitis
Laisves alley 96
LT-44251 Kaunas

cc:

Chancellory of the President of the Republic of Lithuania
S. Daukanto square 3
LT-01122 Vilnius

Statement
March 4, 2016
Vilnius

The Lithuanian Jewish Community proposes the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and the municipal governments of the cities of Vilnius and Kaunas take all possible measures to ensure the holiday to mark the 26th anniversary of the restoration of the Lithuanian state does not include neo-Nazi chants, marches and symbols and events of a similar nature.

We would like to underline the importance of this holiday for all of Lithuania’s citizens, including the Litvak community in Lithuania with its unique and long-standing traditions, and the importance of fostering in the international arena an image of Lithuania as a modern state based on democratic principles and celebrating a tradition of multiculturalism over many centuries.

We would like to remind you of the march held by the Union of Patriotic Youth and the Lithuanian National center on March 11, 2015 with permission from the Vilnius municipality. This march featured fascist and racist symbols and chants and slogans promoting ideas of segregation.

The Government and the municipal institutions should continue to make efforts so that neo-Nazi ideas do not become acceptable in Lithuanian society and especially that they shouldn’t be propagated under cover of state holidays and through manipulation of the concept of patriotism.

Sincerely,

Faina Kukliansky
chairwoman
Lithuanian Jewish Community