LITHUANIA: BACKGROUND FOR PRESIDENT'S HUMAN RIGHTS

UNCLAS VILNIUS 000647

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR G, DRL/SEA, AND NSC/DEMOC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL LH
SUBJECT: LITHUANIA: BACKGROUND FOR PRESIDENT'S HUMAN RIGHTS
ROUNDTABLE AT 2007 UNGA

REF: A. SECSTATE 125456


B. VILNIUS 611


1. SUMMARY. Lithuania actively promotes democracy in the
"new neighborhood," especially in Belarus. Post has good
relations with NGOs, but limited funding to support them.
The Ambassador and Post work with NGOs, with the GOL, and in
the media to promote tolerance and encourage the GOL to
address the historical injustices of the Nazi and Soviet
occupations. End Summary.

Lithuania's Democracy Promotion
--------------


2. The GOL has an active democracy promotion program, which
focuses on Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, and
Azerbaijan (ref B). The GOL's priority for human rights
issues and for promoting democracy is Belarus. The
Lithuanian MFA provides support to the families of those who
have been imprisoned for political reasons in Belarus and
organizes events such as a recent concert on the border to
promote contact between the people of the two nations. The
GOL's parliamentary exchange program helps to strengthen
democratic principles in new democracies in the region.


3. The National Endowment for Democracy provides financial
support for the activities of the International Republican
Institute (IRI) in Lithuania. USAID provides financial
support and computer equipment for the correspondence
education program at the European Humanities University
(EHU). Post maintains close contact with EHU staff.

Post's Support For NGOs
And Promotion Of Tolerance
--------------


4. Post maintains close contact with Lithuanian NGOs in
general, but financial assistance is limited. We coordinate
some training opportunities through programs such as the
International Visitors' program and we are in the final years
of funding through programs initiated several years ago. For
example, Support for Eastern European Democracy (SEED) money
supports training for judges, prosecutors, and police to
combat Trafficking in Persons.


5. Post works with NGOs and with the GOL to promote
tolerance and human rights and to encourage the GOL to
address the historical injustices of the Nazi and Soviet
occupations. The Ambassador spoke about tolerance and
antidiscrimination legislation at a GOL-hosted conference in
March. Post actively discusses the issue of Jewish communal
property restitution with Government officials and community
groups, maintains close relations with U.S.-based missionary
groups, and works with the Government and local and
international Jewish groups to encourage the GOL to research
the historical boundaries of a Jewish cemetery in Vilnius and
to protect it as a cultural heritage site. The Ambassador
publicly criticizes anti-Semitic statements in the media and
encourages GOL officials to do so. Over the last year, Post
supported the efforts of the Jewish museum in Vilnius to
teach local youth about the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, and
tolerance in schools across the country. We addressed, in a
leading daily newspaper, the importance of ensuring a
diversity of cultural treasures and guarding against
discrimination in the preservation of cultural heritage --
especially where a national, religious, or ethnic group is
unable to ensure adequate preservation on its own.
LEADER