Activists: hands of Tartu Peace traitors not to be shaken

Photo: Peeter Langovits / Postimees

A miscellaneous, marginal, yet vociferous bunch of activists are raising their voices against the Estonian-Russian border treaty signed in Moscow today.

Ruggedly rhymed ditties are being composed, ironically advising folks to sell the Tartu Peace Treaty – trash, no longer needed – and go settle down in Brussels.

As well as printing the Traitor Song (lyrics by Tõnu Kalvet, sung to a well-known old tune), the Tallinn Nationalists Club website also features a declaration demanding that the Estonian politicians behind border treaty should receive pariah treatment. «Refuse to service them!» they call. «Figuratively speaking: may the Earth burn under their feet!»

As stated, yesterday, by Aare Pällin, a lawyer and an author of the declaration, the hands of those giving away land against the will of the people should not be shaken, if met in the streets. Rather, why not cross to the opposite sidewalk. «Those who plan to sign the treaty as it now stands ought to be totally excommunicated,» added the lawyer. «Politicians, ignoring the majority will, should no longer be worthy of their posts in Riigikogu and government.»

Mr Pällin, a member of the Conservative People’s Party, explains his stand thus: Estonian politicians lack the people’s mandate to sign the border treaty as it’s currently agreed. «This is an issue substantially altering our constitution. The border, in the constitution, is specified by Tartu Peace Treaty and other international agreements. Now, this small bunch of politicians wants to, hurriedly, change that.»

Seaman Mart Saarso, earlier a Green Party member – but no longer – wrote in an opinion article published by Postimees and Saarte Hääl that what is happening in Moscow, today, «et least equals selling one’s kids as guinea pigs to a lab involved in human experiments». He claims: «By the new border treaty, we are voluntarily and irrevocably giving away a big piece of our small state and will nullify the result achieved by Tartu Peace Treaty achieved in the hardest way – at price of blood.»

Mr Saarso’s stand, wherein he also demanded the stepping down of the government and new parliamentary elections, was much more widely read than an ordinary opinion article in Postimees’ portal. Yesterday, its sharing via Facebook was approaching a thousand. The story’s success coincides with the fact that Postimees’ opinion desk has been receiving a constant flow of readers’ pieces denouncing the border treaty; its supporters, however (politicians excluded) haven’t been that active writing to the desk.

In the state apparatus, the best known opponents of the treaty is the IRL council chairman, agriculture minister Helir-Valdor Seeder. In yesterday’s Postimees, he affirmed he remains true to his stand.

Last spring, Mr Seeder caused a small sensation, voicing his contrary opinion at the government meeting which approved the text of the treaty. That approval was prerequisite for foreign minister Mr Paet to be able to sign the treaty in Moscow, today, with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov; thereafter, parliaments of both countries will have their say.

Mr Seeder’s contrary opinion, however, didn’t mean he voted against the border treaty, in the government. «The government decision was based on consensus; at that, the contrary opinion of the agriculture minister was apprised of,» explained Liina Kersna, prime minister’s bureau chief. «In his opinion, entering into border treaty in its current wording does not correspond to Estonia’s interests and the treatment of corresponding drafts, at governmental meetings, as urgent measures, wasn’t substantiated.»

Mr Seeder’s party, IRL, however, is for the treaty, as also confirmed at their recent general assembly by IRL chairman, defence minister Urmas Reinsalu: «Agreeing the border line is in the interests of our security; therefore, guided by Estonia’s national security interests, we deem it pragmatically expedient to sign the borderline treaty.»

At the same event, Mr Seeder only mentioned the Russian border treaty as to say that, in IRL, there has been an open debate regarding the issue – unlike other parties, as far as he could see.

«The good reputation acquired by Estonia with Tartu Peace Treaty is now being squandered, with the approval of IRL,» somewhat unexpectedly, Centre Party’s Lääne County leadership reproves the dealmakers. In their declaration, arrows of criticism fly at the power coalition politicians – Urmas Paet, Marko Mihkelson, Ene Ergma –, not a word, however, about Centre Party’s own initiatives regarding relations with Russia.

Both in 2005 and 2013, the anti-border treaty activists have had recourse to Prosecutor’s Office,  for them to initiate investigations regarding activities by foreign minister Urmas Paet in singing the treaty. No need to initiate criminal proceedings, they were answered on both occasions.

According to Tõnis Saarts, political scientist at University of Tartu, those opposing the border treaty are mostly nationalistically minded people, including such as supported Pro Patria Union, a forerunner of IRL.

«As shown in Estonian elections practice, not more than a tenth of votes are garnered by a programme built on national foundations alone,» he noted. «This is not a niche one could build a separate political force, today.»

Amounts of explicit supporters and opponents of said treaty, among the people, are difficult to assess, there being no public opinion polls regarding that recently. Neither have studies regarding support towards border treaty been ordered by foreign ministry nor defence ministry, the latter meanwhile regularly measuring the nation’s will to defend.

On the streets of Tallinn and Tartu, anti-treaty activists will probably be visible. In Tallinn, their event is scheduled at mid-day, in front of foreign ministry.

Today, foreign ministers of Estonia and Russia are again signing land and sea border treaties between the countries. The borderline was indeed agreed in 2005 already; even so, Russia didn’t like the preamble referencing Tartu Border Treaty, added afterwards by Riigikogu, so they withdrew the signature.

In the new version of the treaty, it is stated the parties have no territorial claims towards each other, and that the treaties only treat issues to do with the borderline.