- January 28, 2014
- 215
The Forum of Polish Schools’ Parents of Šalčininkai District: We have to strive for the freedom of speech for our children
Due to the reaction of the Forum of Polish Schools’ Parents of Šalčininkai District to the President Dalii Grybauskaitė’s statement after the speech of the Member of the European Parliament, Waldemar Tomaszewski, in the European Parliament, the chairperson of Forum, Renata Cytacka, experiences unpleasantnesses, one demands explanations from her.
With regard to ensuing situation, on behalf of the Forum of Polish Schools’ Parents of Šalčininkai District vice-chairman Antoni Bandalewicz issued a declaration, in which he stood up for the Forum’s chairperson.
“We don’t accept harassing the chairperson of the Forum of Polish Schools’ Parents of Šalčininkai District, Renata Cytacka, who submitted a list of international acts concerning transgression of ethnic minorities’ rights in Lithuania. It is unacceptable in a democratic country that a person, who unveiled a lie and expressed an opinion as a citizen and a social activist, is persecuted. The Prime Minister A. Butkevičius charges to conduct an investigation and exhorts to deposition. We are asking: why? For telling the truth and mouthing own opinion?” – in his declaration, the vice-chairman of the Forum does not hide the indignation.
We remind that the chairperson of the Forum, Renata Cytacka, expresses in her writing an approval for the Waldemar Tomaszewski’s speech in the European Parliament who from the tribune in European Parliament stood up for the national minorities’ rights. In the writing, R. Cytacka regrets the President Dalii Grybauskaitė’s decision, who, according to the author, misled national community. Because of that, the head of the Lithuanian government demands explanations from the Vice Minister of Energy.
The authors of the above-mentioned declaration evoked the history from before 150 years, reminding that one has to always strive for freedom for the good of future generations.
“We are just celebrating the anniversary of the January Uprising, our ancestors fought for “Your freedom and ours”. Let us remember, the freedom is not always given. We have to contribute to it. Today, we have to defend the truth and the freedom of speech and opinion, which a citizen utters. We have to care for our children to let them not be afraid to express their opinions about any subject, because they live in a free and a democratic country. Our obligation as parents is to set an example and a civic attitude” – we read in the Forum of Parents’ declaration.
The authors of the declaration expressed again an approval for the MEP Waldemar Tomaszewski’s operation and for the Chairperson of the Forum of Polish Schools’ Parents of Šalčininkai District, Renata Cytacka.
Tłumaczenie by Małgorzata Bigoraj w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Małgorzata Bigoraj within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.
