www.ukrweekly.com їкЬей by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association! rainian WeeklУ Vol. LIX Ш THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 21,1991 50 cents No. 16 Scientist says Chornobyl Miners, workers protest in Kiev claimed 10,000 lives Republican strike leader is arrested JERSEY CITY, N.J. - Vladimir explosion and that, "Three months ago by Marta Koiomayets arrived from all coal-producing regions Chernousenko, the scientific director in one of the people who participated in Kiev Press Bureau in Ukraine - from Volyn to Luhanske charge of the 20-mile exclusion zone limiting the damage of the accident died — on April 15 and 16 to demand that surrounding the Chornobyl nuclear in Kiev." KIEV - Dmytro Poyizd, the legal their government guarantee them and consultant for the newly formed the citizens of their republic a better power plant, said that the Chornobyl He further stated that "Some of the disaster claimed between 7,000 and Republican Strike Committee, was future — a future that includes free­ people involved in limiting the damage arrested early in the morning on Thurs­ dom for Ukraine. 10,000 lives, far more than the Soviet to Chornobyl received (radiation) doses government's official figures, reported day, April 18, just hours after he Angered upon learning the fate of one above the maximum...in fact 145 people organized a miners' and workers' sit-in of their leaders, the miners began the April 14 edition of the British came down with acute radiation newspaper Independent on Sunday. along the Khreshchatyk boulevard, planning anew strategy on Thursday sickness." Other scientists contacted at reported Bohdan Ternopilsky, vice- morning. Wearing their bright orange The Independent quoted Mr. Cher­ the conference were also skeptical of nousenko as saying that the fatalities chairman of the Political Council of hardhats, many of which identify the Mr. Chernousenko's claim of thou­ Rukh. region and mine they work in, the included miners and military men sands of deaths, reported Reuters. exposed to radiation during the clean­ Mr. Poyizd has been instrumental in miners began chanting "Shame to the up and that he had come forward, in (Continued on page 13) organizing the hundreds of miners who (Continued on page 10) part, because he himself was given two to four years to live because of his exposure to radiation. Ukrainian deputies study American democracy On April 16, at an international conference on the lessons of Chornobyl by Chrystyna N. Lapychak held in Paris, Leonid Ilyin, director of the Soviet Institute of Biophysics, WASHINGTON - "The history of refuted Mr. Chernousenko's claim and r your democracy in the United States is stated, "That does not correspond to truly a history. We are only creating our facts," reported Reuters news service. history as a democracy and we would like to make full use of all the best that Mr. Ilyin said that only 28 people was created by different Parliaments in died of high radiation doses or radia­ different countries," declared 01ek- tion burns in the two months after the sander Moroz, leader of the Communist majority in Ukraine's Parliament, last week in Washington. Stepan Khmara Mr. Moroz was one of a delegation of 13 deputies of the Ukrainian SSR Supreme Soviet who participated in an is rearrested unprecedented nine-day "Conference on the American System of Governance in Donetske for Ukrainian Legislators" that brought them to Indiana and Washington, D.C. by Marta Koiomayets on April 4-13. The seminar, as well as Kiev Press Bureau meetings with national, state and local officials was arranged by Indiana KIEV - Outspoken Ukrainian University and NKM Associates of People's Deputy Stepan Khmara was Washington, under the auspices of the rearrested as he arrived in Donetske to United States Information Agency. meet; with striking miners in this south­ "This conference has provided new eastern coal-producing region on Fri­ reasons for us to work more dynami­ day morning, April і 2. He was taken to cally and more rapidly to break Ukraine prison in the city of Sumy, northern out of its isolation and to enhance the Ukraine, and immediately declared a image of our state and of Ukrainians hunger strike on Saturday, April 13. outside its borders," said Ivan Zayets, a It was unclear why Dr. Khmara was deputy from the democratic opposition rearrested just one week after the in the Ukrainian Parliament, during a Supreme Court of the Ukrainian SSR break from one of the many panels. released him on Friday, April 5, until Most of the participating deputies, 12 his court appearance, which had been men and one woman, represented the scheduled for April 29. That date has democratic opposition organized into now been postponed until May 14. the Narodna Rada with 125 members. However, Dr. Khmara's defense Only Mr. Moroz represented the Com­ team, Rukh lawyers Yuny Aivasian and munist majority, known as the "Group Viktor Nikazakov, issued a statement of 239," while Ivan Pliushch, vice- on April 16 which discloses that Dr. chairman of the Supreme Soviet, repre­ Khmara was rearrested based on evi­ sented the "center." Six participants dence provided by Gen. Volodymyr were members of the Ukrainian Parlia­ Nedryhailo from the Ministry of the ment's Presidium, including Messrs. Interior, who chronicled every move Pliushch and Moroz, Pavio Movchan, Natalie Sluzar made by Dr. Khmara from the moment Volodymyr Pylypchuk, Oleksander Ukrainian Parliamentary delegation visits Taras Shevchenko monument in of his release on April 5. Yemets and Dmytro Pavlychko, who Washington during USIA-sponsored conference on the American system of (Continued on page 2) (Continued on page 8) governance. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 21, 1991 . No. 16 ment for the fact that he expressed his Stepcm Khmara... opinions. (Continued from page 1) Another question that remains un­ According to the lawyers, Di\ Kh- answered by the Supreme Court is why Newsbriefs from mara and the deputies under whose Dr. Khmara was taken to Sumy instead recognizance he was released guaran­ of being returned to Kiev's Lukianivka Ukraine, USSR teed only that Dr. Khmara would Prison, where he spent his first five appear in court on April 29; thus Dr. months awaiting trial on charges Khmara did not disobey any orders. stemming from a November 7, 1990, scuffle with a plainclothes officer. ^ NEW YORK - Ukrainian State ecological association) and the Kiev City People's Deputy Khmara has been Television and Radio will conduct a Council; Chornobyl hearings, April 22- accused by the Supreme Court, which Demoratic leaders, as well as citizens tele-radio-thon on April 26 called "Bells 25, sponsored by Zelenyi Svit and the issued the warrant for his rearrest, of Ukraine and striking miners who of Chornobyl" to commemorate the Chornobyl Union; and a seminar on of "espressing opinions aimed at have included Dr. Khmara's release as fifth anniversary of the Chornobyl "The Humanitarian Aspects of the creating a negative impression among one of their demands, view this case as a nuclear disaster and raise funds for its Chornobyl Catastrophe" to be held the public of the judicial system, which political set-up to silence this radical victims. concurrently with the hearings by will create obstacles to the normal opposition leader in today's Ukrainian Citizens of Ukraine, various organi­ Zelenyi Svit and the Ukrainian Peace disposition of his case." Supreme Soviet. zations in the republic and individuals Committee. As The Weekly was going to press, from throughout the world are invited Also during Chornobyl Week in Thus, the lawyers add, this rearrest of no news was available on the state to participate in the action by contri­ Ukraine, there will be what is billed as a Dr. Khmara can be viewed as a punish­ of Dr. Khmara's health. buting to a special fund set up at the "Rock Requiem," organized by the Kiev branch of the Foreign Economic Kiev City Council and Zelenyi Svit; a Bank of the USSR (Account No. conference on alternative energy sources 000700620 MFO 805119). For informa­ whose main sponsoV is Zelenyi Svit; and Khmara, at press conference, tion, interested persons may call 228-25- a conference on "The Chornobyl Ques­ 34 in Kiev; or contact the tele-radio- tion: A Global View," sponsored by the thon organizers via fax, 228-28-89, or Chornobyl Union and the Ukrainian demonstrates fighting spirit telex, 131359 Radio, also in Kiev. Academy of Sciences. (Permanent Mission of the Ukrainian April 26 has been designated a day of by Marta Kolomayets nid Berezansky and Oleh Batovkin, SSR to the United Nations) national mourning. Church services will Kiev Press Bureau who were arrested with him and be held throughout Ukraine, as will remain imprisoned at Lukianivske. demonstrations and vigils. Citizens of KIEV - "The striking miners arfe People's Deputy Khmara also ф KIEV - The 29-year-old son of Ukrainian SSR Supreme Soviet Vice- Ukraine are being asked to place can­ on the front line in the struggle to stated: dles in the windows of their homes in build an independent state," said ^ Those who had participated in Chairman Ivan Pliushch was found murdered in his Kiev apartment on commemoration of the Chornobyl Deputy Stepan Khmara, five days the Supreme Court's decision were tragedy. (ECOLOS) after his release from the Lukianivka motivated not by the law or justice, April 13. According to unofficial re­ Prison. but acted in keeping with traditional ports, Valeriy Pliushch was found dead ^ MUNICH - As of January 1, During a press conference or­ totalitarian practice. of multiple stab wounds. There were no there were nearly 10,000 registered reli­ ganized by Rttkh and the National ь The so-called criminal case signs of burglary.