June 16, 2008

 

Commemorations in honor of the victims of Communism

 

The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOCMF) held its annual commemoration events on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 the second anniversary of the dedication of the Memorial in Washington, DC.

 

Dr. Lee Edwards, President of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation

 

(Courtesy of Photographer Peter Alunans)

 

The VOCMF is a „non-profit, educational organization authorized by the U.S. Congress to build and maintain a memorial in Washington, DC to the more than one hundred million victims of communism.” The Memorial was dedicated on June 12, 2007 by President George W. Bush. (Click here to read more on the  dedication.)

 

Former United States Ambassador to Estonia Aldona Wos

 

(Courtesy of Photographer Peter Alunans)

 

During the wreath laying ceremony in the morning, speakers included - among others - Dr. Lee Edwards, President of VOCMF, Aldona Wos, former Ambassador of the United States to Estonia, and Dr. Yang Jianli, Tiananmen Square Activist and Harvard University Fellow.

 

Imre Lendvai-Lintner, John Lauer, Bishop László Tőkés, Edith Lauer, Max Teleki

 

Representatives of the embassies of former Communist states, as well as several ethnic American groups, including organizations of the Hungarian Americans, laid their wreaths at the Memorial. On behalf of the Republic of Hungary, Ambassador Ferenc Somogyi placed the wreath of commemoration of the Embassy of Hungary.

 

Ambassador Ferenc Somogyi laying the wreath of the Embassy of Hungary

 

(Courtesy of Photographer Peter Alunans)

 

The Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom Award Ceremony of the Foundation was held at noon in the United States Capitol Visitor Center.

 

Interior of the United States Capitol Visitor Center

 

The 2009 Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom was presented to Hungarian Bishop László Tőkés, Hungarian Reformed Church in Romania, Member of the European Parliament; Congressman Steny Hoyer, United States House of Representatives Majority Leader; and (posthumous) the late Congressman Jack Kemp and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

 

Bishop László Tőkés delivering his acceptance speech for the Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom

 

(Courtesy of Photographer Peter Alunans)

 

The award and laudation was presented to Bishop Tőkés by Edith Lauer, member of the board of VOCMF, Honorary President of the Hungarian American Coalition.

 

Ambassador Adrian Vierita welcoming guests to the commemorative reception

 

Ambassador of Romania Adrian Vierita gave a reception at his residence on the night of the commemorations, during which the Online Global Museum on Communism was launched, which will serve as a portal for a global network of universities, museums and citizen associations that study and publish information about the crimes and victims of communism.

 

Bishop László Tőkés saying grace before the concert

 

(Courtesy of Photographer Peter Alunans)

 

Bishop László Tőkés said a prayer, remembering the 51st anniversary of the execution of Hungarian Prime Minister Imre Nagy and his fellow martyrs, and the 20th anniversary of their reburial.

 

Vladimir Tismaneanu, Head of the Romanian Presidential Commission for the Study of the Romanian Communist Dictatorship

 

Speakers of the night included Dr. Lee Edwards, Ambassador Adrian Vierita, Professor Vladimir Tismaneanu, Head of the Romanian Presidential Commission for the Study of the Romanian Communist Dictatorship;

 

 

John Fund, Journalist of the Wall Street Journal

 

John Fund, Journalist of the Wall Street Journal; and Chinese-American Human Rights Activist Harry Wu, Director of the Laogai Research Foundation, who was imprisoned by the Chinese authorities for 19 years after making a statement as a university student, saying that the Soviet invasion of Hungary in October 1956 was a breach of the international law (he was presented the Hero of Freedom Medal of the President of the Republic of Hungary at the Embassy of Hungary two years ago:

http://www.huembwas.org/B_News/VOCMF/2007/VOCMF%20reception.htm).