Madam, - I see that Kevin Myers's finger has wagged belatedly in my direction (An Irishman's Diary, March 29th). I agree with him that Latvia suffered terribly in the second World War and that the authorities in post-Soviet Latvia were correct to prosecute Communist war criminals.
I reject, however, his attempts to minimise Latvian participation in war crimes such as the massacre of Jews in the forest of Rumbula, to give it its correct Latvian name - Kevin's insistence on the German "Rumbuli" is curious. In this respect, my views are closer to those of US ambassador Brian E. Carlson who excoriated Riga City Council for attempting to do precisely what Kevin has done.
Latvia's ambassador to Ireland, H.E. Indulis Abelis, made a strong and reasoned case for his country in his letter of March 16th. In doing so, he admitted with commendable frankness that there were Latvian war criminals, such as members of the Arajs Kommando. I find it easier to agree with him than with Kevin.
Attempts to set up a left-versus-right league table for mass murder serve only to make the atrocities of one side seem more acceptable than those of the other. - Yours, etc,
SÉAMUS MARTIN,
Dublin 8.