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Cold war era rhetoric slams Estonians in Canada – Old, Soviet-style disinformation aims at EKN and ÜEKN


Consider this quote: “In the 1960’s, the USSR revealed that some Estonian collaborators, including several Estonian Central Council in Canada (ECC/EKN) leaders, had been Nazi collaborators. Labeling this a “soviet propaganda barrage” and “smear campaign”, the ECC said all the Estonians were innocent victims and had become the “target of a Russian … attack” Canada’s media, the RCMP, top government officials and politicians like Lester Pearson all rallied to defend the Estonian allies and to vilify the Soviets for exposing war criminals who were still hiding in Canada.”
Lester Pearson, 14th Prime Minister of Canada (Photo 1957, www.wikipedia.org)

It’s from the spring issue of “Press for Conversion” magazine, published by the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT). The 64 page issue carries fully 41 articles attacking Central- and Eastern European organization mainly in Canada who have exhibited a determination not to be bullied by the current regime in Russia. .

Two of the articles directly target the Estonian Central Council in Canada and the Estonian World Council (EWC/ÜEKN). These two submissions were written by Richard Sanders, associated with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, a group that is considered by some to be a typical left-wing lobby, but which the organization, with charitable status, describes itself as a “progressive” research and public education organization.

(Read more: Estonian Life No. 15 2021 paber- and PDF/digi)

Laas Leivat, Toronto


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