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Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca urges, in a message sent on the occasion of the European Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Stalinism and Nazism and the National Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Fascism and Communism, to as many initiatives as possible for the establishment of places of memory that remind of the victims of totalitarian regimes.
"Romania needs, three decades after the collapse of the last totalitarian regime, many more places of memory that promote victims, pay tribute to resistance and dissidence, condemn criminals and give meaning to a narrative in which freedom, truth, democracy, equality, are values won through sacrifice for which it is worth fighting for every day. In this context, I encourage the institutions, leaders, politicians and those in relevant decision-making positions to support, promote and generate civic and political initiatives so that, at central or local level, we have in the next years more museums, memorials, public places, markets, streets or parks, ceremonies and public events that remind us of the victims of the totalitarian regimes that Europe and Romania have had. I do not think of a more useful and powerful way than this, to have as many such testimonies as possible that the young generations have as indisputable proofs of the evil ideologies that devastated the continent in the twentieth century," Ciuca said on Tuesday in the message sent to AGERPRES.
"In European history, August 23, 1939 coincides with the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, an apparent non-aggression pact between the USSR and Nazi Germany, but which consisted, in fact, in a protocol that divided vast territories of Romania, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland into spheres of influence and which produced millions of innocent victims. The barbarity of totalitarianisms spanned many decades, and the sufferings were terrible. The crimes, abuses, thefts and destructions produced by these regimes cannot be fully quantifiable. And the perpetrators, their accomplices and dictators did not really receive their punishment," Ciuca said.
"The traumas and crimes of the communist regime overshadowed Romania's history, left deep wounds in society and destroyed destinies. Fear, division and manipulation induced among the people, suffering, famine, torture and death, the blatant violation of human rights for generations of Romanians are painful testimonies and advocacy of history for the firm condemnation of the crimes and abuses of the communist regime. History must be known and honored by what we learn and pass on to future generations. A common understanding of the past is the basis of building our common future," added Ciuca.
The Prime Minister also recalls that on August 23, 1944, a historical event of significant importance in our history, the war was shortened by 6 months, probably hundreds of thousands of human lives being saved.
"We owe gratitude to King Mihai I for this, a foolhardy and saving act, performed at the head of a coalition of leaders and historical parties, a moment that ended the war against the United Nations and the alliance with Nazi Germany. The act of August 23, 1944 changed the fate of the war for Romania, the geopolitical orientation of the country, led to the partial reinstatement of the Constitution, to the establishment of a government of national union, to the release of the deportees and detainees, victims of the military dictatorship regime, as well as to the conclusion of an armistice with the United Nations," Nicolae Ciuca stressed.
The prime minister said that "we must admit today that the falsification of the meanings of the act of August 23, 1944 by the communist regime and the transformation into a 'founding act' for the Communist Party, through the Dej and Ceausescu regimes, was a crude operation of manipulation of the historical truth and a colossal lie'.
"Let us pray for the memory of the victims of the totalitarian regimes and to honour forever their sacrifice and suffering!" concluded Ciuca.
AGERPRES
