LITHUANIA: EXTREMISM IS CONTAINED, BUT INTOLERANCE

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 VILNIUS 001029

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/NB, R AND P

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2014
TAGS: PREL KDEM KPAO EAID PHUM KMPI LH
SUBJECT: LITHUANIA: EXTREMISM IS CONTAINED, BUT INTOLERANCE
ISN'T

REF: A. STATE 159129


B. VILNIUS 706

C. 04 VILNIUS 1402

D. VILNIUS 574

E. VILNIUS 959

Classified By: POL/ECON OFFICER GREGORY L. BERNSTEEN FOR REASONS 1.4(B)
AND (D)


1. SUMMARY. (U) Manifestations of extremism in Lithuania are
infrequent, mostly localized, and rarely virulent.
Extremists exist, but their political clout here is minute.
Expressions of intolerance, including anti-Semitism, are more
common than acts of violence or vandalism, although
infrequent acts of violence do occur. Promoting tolerance
and acceptance of diversity is a top Mission priority. We
strive to raise awareness through formal programs, and stress
tolerance as a theme in press opportunities and public
speeches. The GOL usually takes a strong stand against
intolerant expressions and acts, and sponsors programs and
organizations that promote cross-cultural understanding. END
SUMMARY.

Extremism in Lithuania
--------------


2. (U) Extremism is rare in Lithuania, a racially and
religiously homogeneous country that is 98 percent Caucasian
and over 85 percent Christian. Religious minorities,
including various pagan groups, Muslims, and Jews, together
constitute less than three percent of the population. These
minority communities are mostly secular and their members are
well integrated in society. Acts of intolerance against
racial and religious minorities sometimes occur. Such
incidents most often reflect a current of anti-Semitism that
runs through all levels of society. The most troubling
recent episode of anti-Semitism occurred when the second
largest daily paper published a series of editorials,
complete with cartoons reminiscent of Nazi propaganda,
claiming that Jews and homosexuals "rule the world" (ref B).
High-level GOL officials immediately denounced the
editorials.


3. (U) Several nationalist groups exist in Lithuania,
although their numbers are small. Their leaders periodically
make public statements, often virulently anti-Semitic in
nature. These groups have virtually no political power.
Unabashedly racist groups like the Siauliai United National
Workers Party rarely even come close to winning an election,
and racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric is the exclusive refuge
of minor and/or disgraced politicians.

Embassy Initiatives
--------------


4. (U) One of the central elements of our strategy to
strengthen democracy and human rights in Lithuania is to
promote tolerance. This commitment is emphasized in our
Mission Performance Plan. Significant recent Mission
initiatives in this regard include the following:

- The Ambassador regularly speaks out against intolerance and
includes material supporting tolerance in virtually every
public speaking engagement.

- We monitor the press and political scene for incidents of
hate speech and intolerance. We proactively respond to these
incidents, where appropriate, by raising them with the GOL
and by making public statements supporting tolerance and
condemning anti-Semitism and other manifestations of
extremism.

- The Ambassador hosted an Iftaar dinner in 2004 celebrating
Ramadan for 20 prominent members of the Muslim community (ref
C).

- We organized a tolerance program for high school students
to discuss diversity and the lessons learned from World War
II (ref D).

- We award small Democracy Commission grants to organizations
that support tolerance-related issues. In FY 2005, we
implemented several programs for NGOs working with minority
groups in Lithuania, a program to increase intercultural
understanding in rural regions, a seminar to teach
kindergarten teachers about gender equality, programs to
publish books on the Roma and Jewish communities, and a
seminar and a radio program on prevention of ethnic hatred
and xenophobia.

- We coordinate an annual Holocaust teacher-training program
in cooperation with the United States Holocaust Memorial
Museum. This summer, three high school teachers traveled to
the United States for a week of training in Holocaust
education.

- We organized an interfaith memorial service for victims of
terrorism at a Lutheran Church in Vilnius on September 11,
and recruited the Russian, British, Turkish, and Spanish
embassies to co-sponsor the event. The event was the first
large-scale interfaith service ever held in Lithuania.
Representatives of six different religious groups and over
175 attendees, including President Valdas Adamkus,
participated. National media covered the event, and it was
the lead story on several television news programs (ref E).

GOL Efforts
--------------


5. (U) The GOL attempts to reduce intolerance through
education programs and support of racial and religious
minorities. No groups overtly incite violence in Lithuania,
although some people may make more extremist comments
privately.

-- (U) Lithuania is a functioning democracy with a lively
press and burgeoning Internet usage. Spaces for open
intellectual debate are freely available.

-- (S) The GOL, through its law enforcement entities,
regularly works to identify and monitor persons who might
incite violence. Law enforcement agencies track the
membership of mosques and monitor the actions of certain
individuals and foreigners present in Lithuania.

-- (U) Lithuania has universal public education, with equal
access for females. Lithuania's higher education system is
fully integrated as well, with a recent Statistics Department
report finding that females now comprise 60 percent of
students pursuing higher education.

-- (U) The GOL developed a formal Holocaust curriculum in
2000, addressing the history of Jewish culture, Jewish life
in Lithuania, the Holocaust, and the role of Lithuanians in
the Holocaust. All students study the Holocaust in three
different grades.

-- (U) Senior GOL members speak out publicly against
anti-Semitic and other acts of intolerance when they occur,
but occasionally we need to prompt officials to do the right
thing.

-- (U) Just this week (September 26, 2005),the Lithuanian
Parliament amended the Lithuanian Administrative code to
impose financial penalties on those found guilty of
discriminating by age, religion, sexual orientation,
disability, race or ethnic origin. Previously, the code only
penalized gender discrimination.

-- (U) The GOL materially and financially supports
quasi-governmental "public institutions" whose goals are to
promote tolerance, including the Department for Ethnic
Minorities, the Tolerance Center, and the Commission for the
Evaluation of the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes.

-- (U) Lithuanian universities are strong in engineering and
science. The GOL promotes scientific learning, and Lithuania
is becoming a well-known center for laser technology.

Comment
--------------


6. (C) Extremism remains confined to the squalid fringes of
Lithuanian society. The country's ethic and racial
homogeneity means that most Lithuanians see people from other
cultures as curiosities rather than threats. Although
immigration is increasing, most immigrants come from other
countries in the region, such as Belarus and Ukraine, and are
unlikely to import extremism. Because intolerance and
anti-Semitism remain persistent problems here, however, the
importance of tolerance will continue to feature prominently
in the Embassy's public diplomacy efforts and bilateral
dialogue with the GOL.
MULL