The Ukrainian Weekly 1990, No.50
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www.ukrweekly.com ubhshed by the Ukrainian National Association inc.. a fraternal non-profit association rainian Weekly vol. LVIII No. 50 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER i6,1990 50 cents Khmara's health deteriorates; 'internationalist' movement formed in Donbas deputy ends hunger strike Separatist forces make headway in southern Ukraine JERSEY C1TY, NJ. - Ukrainian visit his client for the previous two days, SSR People's Deputy Stepan Khmara, saying that he was under the constant by Dr. Roman Solchanyk the situation is an autonomous region within the republic," he said. who has been on a hunger strike since medical care of prison doctors. Mr. Radio Liberty November 26, on December 12 was in Ayvasian expressed concern that per– Another variant discussed as the the revivification ward ("reanimatsiyne mission was not being granted due to November 7 meeting was the possibility MUN1CH - The movement for of the Donbas seceding from Ukraine viddilennia") of the Lukianivka prison Dr. Khmara's critical state of health. Donbas autonomy or even secession hospital, reported the Respublika press Ukrainian SSR Deputy Procurator altogether. from the Ukrainian SSR has taken a Several days later, on November 10, a service. Anatoliy Bielik, who is charge of the step forward with the establishment of Respublika said news of Dr. Khmara investigation, told the Rev. group of USSR people's deputies con– the Donbas inter movement in Donet– vened a meeting in the Donetske Oblast Khmara's critical state of health came Lesiv on December 12 that he could not ske. Executive Committee to discuss the from the Rev. Yaroslav Lesiv, a Ukrai– grant permission for his visit because a The new organization, although it nian Catholic priest who that day was medical committee had forbidden any situation. The meeting was picketed by cannot claim to have a monopoly on local members of Rukh, which resulted denied permission to see the deputy. contacts with the hunger striker. politics in the region, is potentially a The next day, the Rev. Lesiv told According to the Rev. Lesiv, a prison in an altercation with the militia and the significant force given the historical detention of three Rukh activists. The Respublika that on December 13 Dr. official who heads the solitary confine– development of the Donbas region, its discussion at the meeting focused on the Khmara had ended his hunger strike ment unit, said that the committee, sizable Russian population, and the possibility of the republican govern– and that he had done so based on the headed by Prof. Anatoliy Treshchyn– continued predominance of the Russian advice of Metropolitan volodymyr sky, was deciding whether to transfer language and culture in everyday life. ment introducing a Ukrainian currency and the existing opposition towards a Sterniuk of the Ukrainian Catholic Mr. Khmara to the interior Ministry When asked recently if the emer– new union treaty. Church. hospital. gence of a Baltic-style lnterfront move– As it turned out, however, many local Dr, Khmara stressed that he was not The Rev. Lesiv, himself a former ment was possible in Ukraine, the leader ending his hunger strike in response to political prisoner, had visited Mr. of the republic's Communist Party, deputies apparently did hot share the doctors' demands or requests by the Khmara in the prison on December 6, Stanislav Hurenko, replied that he position taken by Mr. Boyko. When it Ukrainian Republican Party and the and then reported that Dr. Khmara's thought such rumors were unfounded. came time to vote on a resolution National Council, various other organi– health had deteriorated severely, but "1 think the lnterfront fits the pattern in proposed by the "internationalists," the zations or his constituents. that he had rejected appeals to end his the Baltic states," he said, "but not at all meeting was split with 71 voting for, 64 Dr. Khmara also stated that he hunger strike. Dr. Khmara had de– in Ukraine. Maybe we will have some against, and six abstaining, with the reserves the right to resume his hunger manded that the Rev. Lesiv, whom he kind of similar movement, but this - if result that the resolution was not strike if he feels such an action is has selected as his spiritual advisor, be anything — will not be an lnterfront." adopted. Although for the time being the dictated by circumstances surrounding allowed to visit him. The hourlong visit Less than a month later, Robitnycha his case. took place following protracted nego– Donbas intermovement cannot be said Hazeta reported that representatives to be master of the situation in the Dr. Khmara's lawyer, Yuriy Ayva– tiations with prison authorities. from various parts of Donetske Oblast industrial heartland of Ukraine, it sian reported on December 12, that recently convened a conference in Employees of the Zhovtneva mine in nonetheless represents a formidable the procuracy had not permitted him to (Continued on page 16) Donetske and resolved to form the Donbas intermovement. force that Kiev cannot ignore. (Continued on page 10) The new organization, which sees itself as a "movement of internationa– Congressional leaders urge review lists," adopted a statute and elected a' central council headed by two co- chairman, v.P. Zablotsky, a lecturer in Helsinki commissioners of Stepan Khmara's detention the department of politics at the Donet– WASHINGTON - congressional people s deputy in an incident involving ske institute of Soviet Trade, and D.v.' call for overseer leaders have begun to send letters to an officer of the interior Ministry forces. Kornilov, a schoolteacher. Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev Reps. William Broomfield, Gus Ya– The immediate origins of the Donbas of U.S. aid to USSR and Leonid Kravchuk, chairman of the tron, Benjamin Gilman and Tom Lan– intermovement can be traced to the Ukrainian SSR Supreme Soviet, urging tos wrote to Mr. Gorbachev on behalf November 7 meeting and manifestation WASHINGTON - sen. Dennis that the case of People's Deputy Ste– of the House Foreign Affairs Commit– in Donetske, when an "initiative group DeConcini (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Steny pan Khmara be immediately reviewed. tee and in their letter stated: "Although of internationalists" disseminated leaf- Hoyer (D-Md.) on December 12 sent a all of us are strong supporters of the letter to President George Bush urging Mr. Khmara has been imprisoned lets arguing the need for the formation remarkable changes which you have of a mass movement in defense of a that he designate a coordinator to since his arrest on November 17 on introduced in the Soviet Union, we are oversee U.S. efforts to deliver humani– charges of abusing his authority as a union treaty and retention of a single concerned that the arrest of Mr. Kh– all-union economic market. tarian assistance to the Soviet Union. mara, as well as the arrest of his Messrs. DeConcini and Hoyer, chair- colleagues, call into question the credi– Their spokesman is USSR People's man and co-chairman of the U.S. bility of your government's stated Deputy Oleksiy Mykolayovych Boyko, Commission on Security and Coopera– 1NS1DE: commitment to democracy and respect a department head and professor at tion in Europe (CSCE), wrote in the for human rights. Donetske State University and a mem– letter that the U.S. coordinator should Ш Conclusion of Dr. Roman Previously, letters had been sent by ber of the Communist Party of the concentrate on delivering supplies "to Solchanyk's interview with Sta– the Helsinki Commission (signed by Soviet Union. Mr. Boyko explained to a those in genuine need of help" by nislav Hurenko, first secretary of Sen. Dennis DeConcini, Rep. Steny correspondent from Molod Ukrainy working with republic and local offi– the Communist Party of Ukraine Hoyer and Rep. Don Ritter) and by that his main concern was the "growing cials in the USSR. - page 2. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato. nationalist itch" in the republic, which "Given the deteriorating distribution Both the National Council, the demo– he discerned in the economic policies system and infrastructure as well as now being pursued in Kiev. Ш Serhiy Holovaty, a leading cratic bloc opposition in the Ukrainian chronic corruption, every effort should Rukh activist and lawyer, speaks Supreme Soviet, as well as the leader- "if the economic union will indeed be be made to channel assistance directly on new developments in Ukraine ship of Rukh have issued appeals to broken, we deputies of all ranks of Left to those areas in the USSR most governments in the West to intervene on Bank Ukraine will begin our campaign. affected, working closely with republic — page 9. behalf of Mr. Khmara. There can be no one model for such and local officials," they wrote. (Continued on page 12) different regions! The easiest way out of (Continued on page 10) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER іб, 1990 r No. 50 A GLIMPSE OF SOVIET REALITY Ukrainian Human Rights Committee presses for release of Khmara interview with Stanislav Hurenko: by Olena Stercho Hendler nist Party of the Soviet Union over the Communist parties of the various WASHINGTON - Members of the republics, including Ukraine, investiga– the political situation in Ukraine Ukrainian Human Rights Committee tion of such matters has become far of Philadelphia (UHRC) devoted Hu– more complex as a tendency exists in by Roman Solchanyk in Ukraine, to pose the question in man Rights Day, December 10, to a Moscow to consider such cases a "local" terms of who is a friend and who is an host of actions in Washington, aimed at matter. Stanislav ivanovych Hurenko, first enemy is probably not entirely correct. securing the release of imprisoned secretary of the Communist Party of While at the State Department, Similarly, 1 think that to evaluate Ukrainian SSR People's Deputy Ste– UHRC members also met with officers Ukraine, was chosen Ukrainian party Shcherbytsky's role in exclusively black pan Khmara.