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Jorma Hellevaara:
HAS THE JUSTICE OCCURED IN (THE FORMER FINNISH) KARELIA?
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President of the Finnish Republic
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OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF FINLAND
June 4, 1999
Mr. President
Martti Ahtisaari
FINLAND
HAS THE JUSTICE OCCURED IN (THE FORMER FINNISH) KARELIA?
I have a pleasure to congratulate You, Mr. President, of Your splendid international achievements in the Kosovo crisis. The results you have reached make it an act of the statesman for the reason that the peace will be obtained, but especially for the reason that a severe peoples� massacre and injustice will be reformed.
Today its proud to be a Finn as Finland internationally represents a will of peace and international justice. Or does it?
You, Mr. President of the Republic of Finland, represent honorably Finland in the international arenas. You were born in Vyborg. For this reason I ask you to answer, your hand on your hearth, have you driven the Karelia issue of the Finns which strongly pertain to the justice, with all the energy of your resources?
The international prestige and honor is an exquisite basis to administer of our own matters. But we shall not be short distance sighted. Also our own great issues shall be taken care of.
Has Finland started any constructive action with the Karelian issue after the era of Kekkonen (former President of Finland)? I have not seen any such action. Instead of that many of us still, almost competing with each other, look to listen the instructions of the current and former Russian diplomats and intelligence service men. Why are we still "finlandized".
The US Senate has in October 1998 unanimously condemned the dividing policy of Hitler and Stalin in the Baltic countries. The Senate has at the same time strongly advised President Clinton and the State Secretary to announce this matter to the Russian leaders. In this context also Finland should have told of its own destiny.
Has the Government of Finland set the restitution of the ceded territories as its target program? Has Finland used its international diplomacy to stand for its own matter? Is Finland prepared to this when the EU chairmanship period starts?
One million Kosovo people will, partly because of Your trenchant operations, be able to return to their native country. Are those over 410.000 Karelian people and their hairs able to return to their home area? How this huge injustice can be solved?
The restitution of the ceded areas is not only a matter of the Karelian people. It is the matter of total Finland. Its a question of our identity. Lieutenant-general Meri� who is standing up to the EU Parliament, says: "Karelia is an area of strong feelings. But we love it! Now it is decaying in front of our eyes. The current poor state of Karelia is a shame."
You have traveled quite a lot and have surely seen the decay of Karelia. Its commercial and industrial life is collapsing. The companies are vanishing. People have no work. People are short of everything, only the decay can be divided. The substance of Karelia is today almost zero as its great natural resources can not be benefited. The master of Karelia, Russia, will invest nothing in the development of the area.
Is the value of Karelia only a historical memorial and spuming of feelings and are the speeches of the restitution only the dreams of the past times? Karelia can be compared with a prosperous company which under a poor management has submerged unprofitable and is decaying.
Why was Karelia prosperous in former times? Its prosperous time was made possible by the steady political state and the work made by people which also was blessed by the Almighty. The Karelian people have been very assiduous and talented. But in addition to this the Karelia was developed by the Finnish and foreign businessmen. Its no miracle that Karelia, and especially Vyborg, has been a city of international trade and culture.
First of all a Finnish entrepreneurship in steady political circumstances is missing in Karelia. The key words of the development are entrepreneurship and management. To rise the company in crisis requires a strong and resourceful management to whom the shareholders and investors give their full support. We can�t find this kind of management or background in Russia.
Only a thorough redevelopment which penetrates to the real heart of total Karelia can save it from its current spinning dive. The investors are not ready to invest in the development of Karelia so far Russia is the master tehre. The former and current acts of Russia do not create such confidence what the investors are waiting for. And there is no sense continuing any contribution without compensation with Russia.
People are afraid of the immoderately high expenses of the restitution of Karelia to Finland. Its evident that a strong redevelopment has its costs and requires lots of work. But the heart of Karelia to be redeveloped is still sound enough that the redevelopment can be successful.
The great value of Karelia for the Finns is in the huge potential which Karelia still has. Under the proprietorship of the Finns the current zero substance of Karelia can again be raised very high. The development can be started again. A new spin starts, but up this time.
It is possible to draw together an international investor group which starts to invest in the development of the business and industrial life of Karelia in order to promote it to its feet again. The economic geography position of Karelia is very interesting. It would also be spectacular if EU would not grant a significant funding for this operation. It is a question to rise a large area from poor situation back to an European welfare county. EU will help Kosovo. Why not our former Karelia?
After redevelopment of Karelia it will have a great effect for the business life of the Eastern Finland. It will have a huge effect for the total economy of Finland. It will be such a stimulating factor which our economy needs to brake the unemployment and to ensure the continuous growth.
The total balance sheet of the Karelia development plans is strongly positive for Finland. When the positive development is running, the zero substance will change to a strong plus value. In addition to the positive substance also the new incomes will further rise the value of Karelia. This all with the facilities that Karelia is a part of Finland.
It is a reasonable question why should Russia surrender Karelia, if it finally has a great value and big possibilities. The last decades have unambiguously instructed us that the prosperousness of Karelia will not happen under Russia, but the exploitation will increase. Its better for Russia to abandon this area even by giving a part of its huge natural resources together with Karelia to disengage of one problematic area. In that case its not only question of correcting old injustices but it is an effort of statesman which will emit great effects also to many other issues.
The restitution of Karelia will return to the foreign investors the respect and trust on Russia as a proper contracting party. It is presumable that the development of St. Petersburg will get a completely new stimulating effect when the business with Karelia increases. It is probable that the international investors are ready to invest also to the redevelopment of St. Petersburg, and other Russia.
This can affect a new positive trend which reflects light and prosperous development to total Russia. A consequence can be that the substance of total Russia starts to rise as the world�s biggest natural resources can be exploited better than earlier. When this new positive development is strongly used for the benefit of the total nation, not only for the benefit of some prerogative groups, a new prosperous economic period may find its way to Russia.
Mr. President. I apply to You as the leader of Finland and as an internationally honored statesman. Please, use Your statesman�s know-how to get back our beloved Karelia and the total ceded territory. We the Finnish entrepreneurs and citizens are again ready to invest our work, time and resources to raise Karelia as a prosperous rendezvous of the East and the West.
Sincerely Yours
Jorma Hellevaara
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