Protest letter by No Pride campaigners
09/03/2007
By
Juris Lavrikovs
Below is a translation of a letter written in Latvian by the Latvian “No Pride” organisation. As you might already know the London Pride and Mozaika (Latvian alliance of LGBT people and their friends) signed a partnership deal yesterday in Riga and hosted a media conference and a reception to announce our plans for this year Friendship Days (our version of pride in Latvia on 31 May -3 June with a march for Equality on Sinday 3 June).
Riga Friendship Days were also supported by Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, there was also a reception at the British embassy last Wednesday in honour of the partnership agreement between Mozaika and the London Pride.
Below is translation of the protest letter by “No Pride” to Tony Blair, Ken Livingstone and ILGA Europe
Leader of NoPride organisation
Igors Maslakovs
Indranu iela 4 -18
Riga LV1012 Latvia
Telephone: +371 26139111
To: Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London
ILGA-Europe organisation
8 March 2007
Open letter
Protest against interfering with Latvia’s internal politics
On behalf of the organisation “No Pride” I am expressing protest to the UK parliament, Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, for interfering with the Latvia’s internal politics, propagating and supporting foreign radical groups with totalitarian characteristics and therefore breaching constitution of a sovereign state of Latvia and the choice of their citizens to live in a free and democratic country.
Each nation’s citizens have a right to choice a way their country develops and it is unacceptable that civil servants of the United Kingdom interfere with the Latvia’s internal affairs. We consider unacceptable London Mayor Ken Livingstone’s alongside organisation ILGA Europe actions supporting and escalating the conflict in the Latvian society between traditional values and supporters of homosexuals’ rights, by stating their support for Riga Pride 2007.
We ask Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, ILGA Europe, LGTB people to respect the views of the Latvian society and their rights to self-determination and sovereignty. Propagating and supporting radical foreign groups with totalitarian characteristics you shamelessly breach the choice of citizens of the sovereign state of Latvia’s to live in free ad democratic nation. All such activities are criminally punishable in Latvia.
Article 99 of the Latvian constitution Charter VIII “Human Rights” guarantees us, the citizens of this nations:
“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.”
And Article 100:
Everyone has the right to freedom of expression which includes the right to freely receive, keep and distribute information and to express their views. Censorship is prohibited.
I also want to draw your attention that Charter I Article 2:
“The sovereign power of the State of Latvia is vested in the people of Latvia.”
We ask you to respect the choice of the Latvian people, family tradition, religious believe, views and not to try to impose again yet another totalitarian regime.
Latvian people have expressed their views by adopting changes to Article 110 of the constitution:
“The State shall protect and support marriage – union between a man and a woman, the family, the rights of parents and rights of the child. The State shall provide special support to disabled children, children left without parental care or who have suffered from violence.”
Latvian people are very tolerant towards people of any race, nationality, but are not tolerant towards foreign threats and aggression. Just few years ago at the barricades the Latvian people fought for their freedom and paid with blood, these events are still in our memories, is therefore necessary to create a situation to repeat such events in our country?
We express our disappointment, shock and protest again the fact that the United Kingdom has departed from the democratic ideals and slipped into totalitarianism. The United Kingdom has already shamelessly breached human rights in regards to the censorship, freedom of religion, speech and conscience.
With respect,
Igors Maslakovs
Board Chair
Organisation “No Pride”
Riga Friendship Days were also supported by Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, there was also a reception at the British embassy last Wednesday in honour of the partnership agreement between Mozaika and the London Pride.
Below is translation of the protest letter by “No Pride” to Tony Blair, Ken Livingstone and ILGA Europe
Leader of NoPride organisation
Igors Maslakovs
Indranu iela 4 -18
Riga LV1012 Latvia
Telephone: +371 26139111
To: Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London
ILGA-Europe organisation
8 March 2007
Open letter
Protest against interfering with Latvia’s internal politics
On behalf of the organisation “No Pride” I am expressing protest to the UK parliament, Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, for interfering with the Latvia’s internal politics, propagating and supporting foreign radical groups with totalitarian characteristics and therefore breaching constitution of a sovereign state of Latvia and the choice of their citizens to live in a free and democratic country.
Each nation’s citizens have a right to choice a way their country develops and it is unacceptable that civil servants of the United Kingdom interfere with the Latvia’s internal affairs. We consider unacceptable London Mayor Ken Livingstone’s alongside organisation ILGA Europe actions supporting and escalating the conflict in the Latvian society between traditional values and supporters of homosexuals’ rights, by stating their support for Riga Pride 2007.
We ask Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, ILGA Europe, LGTB people to respect the views of the Latvian society and their rights to self-determination and sovereignty. Propagating and supporting radical foreign groups with totalitarian characteristics you shamelessly breach the choice of citizens of the sovereign state of Latvia’s to live in free ad democratic nation. All such activities are criminally punishable in Latvia.
Article 99 of the Latvian constitution Charter VIII “Human Rights” guarantees us, the citizens of this nations:
“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.”
And Article 100:
Everyone has the right to freedom of expression which includes the right to freely receive, keep and distribute information and to express their views. Censorship is prohibited.
I also want to draw your attention that Charter I Article 2:
“The sovereign power of the State of Latvia is vested in the people of Latvia.”
We ask you to respect the choice of the Latvian people, family tradition, religious believe, views and not to try to impose again yet another totalitarian regime.
Latvian people have expressed their views by adopting changes to Article 110 of the constitution:
“The State shall protect and support marriage – union between a man and a woman, the family, the rights of parents and rights of the child. The State shall provide special support to disabled children, children left without parental care or who have suffered from violence.”
Latvian people are very tolerant towards people of any race, nationality, but are not tolerant towards foreign threats and aggression. Just few years ago at the barricades the Latvian people fought for their freedom and paid with blood, these events are still in our memories, is therefore necessary to create a situation to repeat such events in our country?
We express our disappointment, shock and protest again the fact that the United Kingdom has departed from the democratic ideals and slipped into totalitarianism. The United Kingdom has already shamelessly breached human rights in regards to the censorship, freedom of religion, speech and conscience.
With respect,
Igors Maslakovs
Board Chair
Organisation “No Pride”
