J I I Hh published by the Ukrainian National Association Incc,^ a fraternal non-profit association! ramian Week! У Vol. LIX !o. 17 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 28,1991 „ cents Discrepancies abound in figures Students and miners march in Kiev; of Chornobyl accident's victims fail to inspire citywide strike JERSEY CITY, N.J. - Victor A. Institute of Biophysics, told reporters by Marta Kolomayets The columns did alert the Kiev Gubanov, chairman of the national that two people died immediately in the Kiev Press Bureau militia, as well as the OMON, the special Chornobyl clean-up commission, told a explosion, one from radiation burns riot police, armed with truncheons, who press conference in M oscow on April 17 and the other from injuries. An addi­ KIEV - More than 400 students waited for the demonstrators as they that the Soviet government has re­ tional 28 people exposed to high doses joined striking coal miners in a march rounded the corner at Lesia Ukrainka gistered 576,000 people contaminated of radiation died within 3 months of the down Khreshchatyk, Kiev's main bou­ Boulevard, on their way to the Arsenal by radiation as a result of the 1986 accident, and two more have died in the levard, in an attempt to agitate the Factory, one of the largest businesses in Chornobyl explosion and is providing past five years, she said. masses to come out and strike on Kiev with over 44,000 employees. medical care to 300,000 of them each Ms. Guskova put the casualty toll Tuesday, April 23. year, reported the Associated Press. from radiation at 31 and the total Here, the students and coal-miners, as Although the columns — some 1,500 He also said that the Soviet govern­ number of Chornobyl deaths at 32. well as scores of Kievans, had hoped to She also refuted Scientific Director of people strong — marching down the talk to the workers and encourage them ment has spent 16.3 billion rubles (S35 main thoroughfare and stopping traffic billion at the official exchange rate) to the Chornobyl exclusion zone Vladimir to support their political demands, Chernousenko's April 14 charge that gained the attention of numerous by­ which include the release of People's date in Chornobyl clean-up and re­ standers, they were ineffectual among settlement. the explosion and subsequent clean-up Deputy Stepan Khmara, who is con­ claimed between 7,000-10,000 lives the workers of Kiev who remained at tinuing his hunger strike, now back at Soviet officials at the press confer­ their workplaces throughout the day. ence held in advance of the fifth and stated that 7,000 people would have the Lukianivka Prison. (He was return­ anniversary of Chornobyl maintained, been expected to die in the region The students and miners chanted ed to Kiev from Sumy on Friday however, that only 32 people have died regardless of the accident. "Freedom for Ukraine" as they walked ^ening, April 19.) as a direct result of the explosion. Ms. Guskova did acknowledge that down the streets of Kiev. Other slogans The miners and students also want Angelina K. Guskova, a Chornobyl the leukemia and thyroid cancer rate in voiced by the strikers included: "Gorba­ the Ukrainian Declaration on State specialist at the Health Ministry's Byelorussia has risen in the past five chev to the Mines!" "Shame on the Sovereignty to gain constitutional years, but added that, "cancer rates all CPU" (Communist Party of Ukraine), status and have called for the resignation of Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorba­ over the world are rising andr..in and a new poem, which loosely trans­ (Continued on page 7) lated states the following: "Hey Kie- chev and the dissolution of the Supreme House members introduce vans, you've slept enough, it's time to Soviet of the USSR. Nine republics fight for freedom!" However, the columns, which were Chornobyl resolution Two of the students had begun a led by students and striking miners hunger strike on April 22, in comme­ walking with linked arms, never reached on anniversary eve conclude pact moration of Lenin's birthday, and Arsenal. As they walked down the JERSEY CITY, N.J. - Vitold P. during this march on April 23, they street, the militia asked them to get on NEWARK, N.J. - Reps. Frank Fokin, prime minister of Ukraine, along brought out their headbands from the sidewalk and stop interfering with Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) and Don Ritter with Boris N. Yeltsin, the president of October 1990, when the students were traffic in Kiev. In order to enforce this (R-Pa.) introduced a Chornobyl reso­ the RSFSR and representatives of victorious in ousting Ukrainian Prime command, the OMON formed a human lution in the House of Representatives seven other Soviet republics, concluded Minister Vitaliy Masol from office. (Continued on page 10) on Thursday, April 25, reported Ameri­ a surprise pact in Moscow on April 23 in cans for Human Rights in Ukraine. accordance with which the nine republics Rep. Pallone is well-known for his will enjoy a "radical enhancement" of stand on the protection of nature and their role in governing, reported The Bill supporting Soviet republics ecology, and Rep. Ritter is co-chair­ New York Times. man of the Ad Hoc Committee on the The secret meeting held at a dacha sponsored by Sens. Dole, Simon Baltic States and Ukraine in the U.S. outside of Moscow is significant in that Congress. the leaders of the Russian, Ukrainian, WASHINGTON - Sens. Robert do we believe that our desire for conti­ This congressional action coincides Byelorussian, Uzbek, Kazakh, Azer- Dole (R-Kansas) and Paul Simon (D- nued bilateral progress with Moscow with the fifth anniversary of the Chor­ baidzhan, Kirghiz, Tadzhik and Turk­ 111.) introduced legislation, S. 860, on requires us to compromise on our nobyl nuclear catastrophe which oc­ men republics met with Mr. Gorbachev April 18 to "support democracy and commitment to freedom and the sup­ curred on April 26, 1986, at 1:23 a.m. outside the Federation Council as self-determination in the Baltic States port of those seeking their freedom. The equals, and that the joint declaration and the republics within the Soviet future of the Soviet state is up to the The resolution will serve as a reminder people of the Soviet Union." for mankind to be wary of the unhar­ they issued marked the first serious step Union." An identical bill, H.R. 1603, nessed atom. toward a compromise after months of had been introduced in the House of These words were echoed by the political and economic instability. Representatives on March 22 by Reps. legislation's chief co-sponsor, Sen. In the resolution Rep. Pallone states The pact, in which both sides yielded David Bonior (D-Mich.) and Jerry Simon, who stated that "it is clear that that more that 4 million people continue on points of difference, called for an end Lewis (R-Calif.). there are some strong independence to live in the "dangerously contami­ to the coal miners' strikes in Ukraine In his introductory remarks, Sen. movements that will continue to gather nated Chornobyl region" causing and Byelorussia, a reformation of the Dole stated that "among the most momentum whether we act or not, "serious health problems" for people in treaty of national unity, and the revision remarkable struggles for freedom and Ukraine, Byelorussia and Russia. whether we support democrats and of a national constitution within self-determination are those still on­ reformers with technical training and He cited the Soviet government's the next six months. going in the Baltic States, and in so advice or not." continued policy of concealing salient many of the constituent republics of the President Gorbachev conceded that He went on to say: "a better United facts and inaction regarding the health the price increases and taxes ordered by Soviet Union itself. The fundamental problems of the people exposed to the purpose of this legislation is to put the States-Soviet relationship is clearly the Soviet government were ill-con­ dependent on an improved human continued radiation problems. ceived, and that the five percent sales United States squarely, and unequivo­ The resolution states that it is the cally, on the side of those engaged in rights situation, progress on Baltic tax on consumer goods that are in independence and progress on self- sense of congress that President George "everyday demand" is to be canceled these historic and courageous struggles." Bush use the power of his office to push While he stressed that "none of us determination for the Russian and non- within a week, with a narrower tax list Russian people within the Soviet for scientific research and to identify to be worked out. The price rises are to wants to undermine President (Mikhail) Gorbachev; none of us seeks to split Union. It is our intention that this "radioactive hot spots" of the Chor­ be reconsidered by both sides within legislation will encourage positive nobyl fallout. two weeks with "coordinated decision." apart the Soviet state," Senate Mino­ (Continued on page 13) (Continued on page 10) rity Leader Dole went on to say: "Nor (Continued on page 13) 'L THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 1991 No. 17 РНЬТО FOLLOW-UP: Historic Easter in Lviv Newsbriefs from Ukraine 9 KIEV - On April 18 the Ukrai­ nian Parliament approved a fundamen­ tal reform of the government structure by introducing a cabinet form of go­ vernment, transforming the Council of Ministers into a much smaller Cabinet of Ministers chaired by Vitold Fokin. Mr. Fokin was confirmed as prime minister and will be given unspecified additional powers.