Ottawa Forum Focuses on Ukraine's Trafficking Problem
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INSIDE: • Foundation aims to preserve Ukraine’s archives — page 9. • Hockey great John Bucyk honored by Bruins — page 11. • Australia’s Plast hosts international jamboree — centerfold. HE KRAINIAN EEKLY T PublishedU by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW association Vol. LXXV No. 9 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2007 $1/$2 in Ukraine Battle continues over Yushchenko’s Tymoshenko Bloc, Our Ukraine nomination of foreign affairs minister agree to forum united opposition by Zenon Zawada the support of 196 national deputies from Kyiv Press Bureau the Our Ukraine and Yulia Tymoshenko blocs. KYIV – As Viktor Yushchenko’s latest Party of the Regions deputies said they gambit in his battle with the coalition believe Mr. Ohryzko is not a serious can- government to select Ukraine’s next for- didate for the job, citing the president’s eign affairs minister, the Ukrainian presi- lack of lobbying in support of the candi- dent re-nominated Volodymyr Ohryzko dacy as well as the nominee’s lack of on February 28 – a week after his candi- experience. dacy was rejected by the Verkhovna Mr. Yushchenko’s motivation to re- Rada. nominate an already rejected candidate In re-nominating Mr. Ohryzko, has subtler, but just as weighty political President Yushchenko has no motives reasons, political observers said. other than selecting a highly professional The president needed to avoid setting diplomat and contemporary, experienced a precedent in which the parliamentary administrator, Presidential Secretariat coalition simply rejects candidates with- Chair Viktor Baloha said. out concern for the Presidential “That Volodymyr Stanislavovych Secretariat’s position, said Volodymyr [Ohryzko] was not approved by the Fesenko, chair of the Penta Center for prime minister proves the coalition is for- Applied Political Research in Kyiv, getting its words more and more easily which is contracted by major Ukrainian with every passing day,” Mr. Baloha said, political parties, as well as the claiming that Prime Minister Viktor Presidential Secretariat. Yevhen Orlovskyi/UNIAN Yanukovych had assured the president Had Mr. Yushchenko backed down Our Ukraine Bloc Political Council Chair Viktor Baloha and parliamentary earlier that he approved of Mr. Ohryzko. this time, he stood the risk of having opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko shake hands after signing an agreement to The battle to select the next minister future nominations to other government unite the opposition. of foreign affairs is among the key con- positions getting rejected without resist- flicts racking Ukraine’s bipolar govern- ance, he said. by Zenon Zawada larly in forcing pre-term elections. ment, with world powers closely watch- “This is a demonstration of consisten- Kyiv Press Bureau Other common goals include cancel- ing to see whether Ukraine will continue cy from the president’s side,” Mr. ing the December 2004 constitutional its Western integration course, and at Fesenko said, stating that the conflict has KYIV – Leaders of the Our Ukraine reforms, creating a parliamentary-presi- what pace. taken on a psychological level. “He is and Yulia Tymoshenko blocs agreed dential government, as well as upholding The Anti-Crisis Coalition government demonstrating that for him, it’s a matter February 24 to unite into an opposition imperative mandates on city council declined to support Mr. Ohryzko in a coalition in which they will cooperate to deputies, which would prevent them February 22 vote in which he received (Continued on page 8) achieve common political goals, particu- from abandoning a political bloc or party. “Today we see signs of the ruination of Ukraine’s statehood,” said Viktor Ottawa forum focuses on Ukraine’s trafficking problem Baloha, the Political Council chair of the by Roman Zakaluzny and groups. would never happen to us.” Our Ukraine bloc, who signed the agree- Special to The Ukrainian Weekly “The problem is very big, especially in The most popular destination, Ms. ment with opposition leader Ms. Ukraine,” said Alla Galych, an officer in Galych said, was Russia. Tymoshenko. OTTAWA – Jail time can now be the anti-trafficking division of the Parentless children are the majority of “Examples are the unconstitutional expected for those who traffic human Organization for Security and Cooperation those trafficked. Even the organization law on the Cabinet of Ministers, the cre- beings in Ukraine, Ottawa residents in Europe. that makes it its business to help ation of a republic in the name of the learned at a recent forum on the sex trade She is very familiar with the issue: she Ukraine’s orphans said there’s not much prime minister’s, personnel decisions in that country. used to do the same work with the it can do once orphans reach adulthood. and a fight against everything But the problem remains a serious one HUHTC. “Graduating orphans need information Ukrainian.” for Ukraine 16 years after independence Those vulnerable to trafficking are on what is out there,” said Ms. Zalucky. President Viktor Yushchenko voiced and more than two years since the Ukraine’s poor, residents looking for “(But) once our orphans graduate, we his approval of the Opposition Union on Orange Revolution ushered in a new employment or better employment to lose track of them. They disappear. We February 26. willingness to tackle societal ills. support their families or themselves. would love to stay in touch with them.” “I approve of the union of opposition Although the situation is improving, Ninety-five percent are female, she said. “We really quickly saw the orphans in forces in the Verkhovna Rada, an impor- human trafficking within and out of “Around 83 percent of the women Ukraine were in need of special atten- tant pre-condition for opposing the sys- Ukraine goes on, a panel of experts told a come from the villages,” she said. “Do tion,” said panelist Natalka Chaplynska tematic and flagrant violation of crowd of some 150 gathered in late they know what they’re getting into? Of of the Women’s Consortium Ukraine, Ukraine’s Constitution and acting legis- January at St. Paul’s University in course they do.” speaking in Ukrainian. “Many had few lation that we are witnessing in the Ottawa. The victims, she said, were naïve. family or none at all, so they were a spe- nation’s Parliament,” the president said. Especially worrisome, they said, was Only a small proportion of the women cial risk.” “I share your expressed concern the degree to which young orphans – believe they are going abroad to work as However, after Ukrainian Canadian regarding the serious threats that have which number some 120,000 in Ukraine – nannies or exotic dancers; most know journalist Victor Malarek’s much-publi- emerged in Ukraine’s political life and are the primary target group by traffickers. they will be used for sex. However, the cized 2003 wake-up call – the book “The create a real danger to the Ukrainian Panelists from three non-governmental women don’t foresee the degree to which Natashas” – the situation made it in state’s constitutional order, its safety and organizations participated in a January 23 many become virtual labor or sex slaves earnest onto Ukraine’s political agenda. stability, as well as the rights and free- roundtable titled “Building Bridges and beholden to their traffickers in foreign Combined with a regime change in Kyiv doms of Ukraine’s citizens.” Strengthening Ties.” The panel was countries. and the ongoing perseverance of non- The Opposition Union marks the sec- chaired by Toronto’s Halyna Zalucky of “We knew the problem (the potential governmental groups, the situation in ond occasion that Ukraine’s leading pro- Help Us Help the Children (HUHTC), of being trafficked),” one victim told Ms. and co-sponsored by six local businesses Galych’s group. “We also thought it (Continued on page 11) (Continued on page 4) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2007 No. 9 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Ukrainian gas distribution networks Yanukovych on U.S. missile shield President hails opposition unity DUSSELDORF, Germany – Ukrainian KYIV – President Viktor Yushchenko are eyed for swaps with Gazprom Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych said in has welcomed the unity deal signed by the by Vladimir Socor tions to Gazprom or to companies and an interview with the German business daily Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and Our Ukraine Eurasia Daily Monitor individuals fronting for Gazprom. Handelsblatt on February 27 that the United last week, the presidential press service These proposals are being accompa- States should have consulted Ukraine and reported on February 26. “I approve of the Since the law initiated by opposition nied by distracting suggestions emanat- Russia over its plans to establish a missile- unification of the opposition forces in the leader Yulia Tymoshenko and adopted by ing also from Mr. Boiko’s ministry as defense system in Poland and the Czech Verkhovna Rada as an important prerequi- the Verkhovna Rada on February 6 has well as from Prime Minister Viktor Republic. The interview appeared on the eve site to oppose the systematic and outright banned any form of alienating gas transit Yanukovych. These profess intentions to of Mr. Yanukovych’s official visit to Berlin. violation of the Constitution of Ukraine pipelines and other Naftohaz Ukraine- seek production-sharing agreements for “The deployment issue should have been and legislation in force that can be seen in owned assets, Russia’s Gazprom and gas and oil – including some offshore discussed with everyone in advance, includ- the country’s parliament,” Mr. Yushchenko officials in Kyiv seem to be adjusting projects – in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, ing Russia and Ukraine. Only after there has said in a letter to both opposition blocs. “I their approach. They now suggest trans- Egypt and Libya (Zerkalo Nedeli, been a comprehensive European discussion, share your concern over the serious threats ferring stakes in Ukrainian oblast-level February 17; ICTV Television [Kyiv], a dialogue between East and West Europe, to Ukrainian political life, which pose a and local distribution companies to February 19).