www.ukrweekly.com s f" о i. co aj ^ іа– - Jfc їл Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc.. a fraternal non-profit association! г я - o -c о —I z OO z-no' о О О -D огп rainian Weekly О х Vol. Llll No. 10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 1985 25 cents Overflow audience attends conference Rep. Оакаг gives Shcherbytsky on Ukrainians, Jews during war letter protesting rights violations by Nadia Odette Diakun World War II Ukraine: A Historical Overview," examined the political and TORONTO - Twelve experts, scho­ social conditions immediately before lars and lawyers gathered here on the outbreak of war. Prof. Orcst March 2 for an intensive one-day Subtelny (York University) said that conference to examine the question of Ukrainians and Baits really had only Jews and Ukrainians during the Nazi two options: Nazi Germany or the occupation of Ukraine, and to discuss Soviet Union. The Soviets were seen as both the Canadian and American ex­ the greater enemy at the time because of perience in investigating Nazi war their policies of land expropriation and criminals. collectivization which had led to the One of the primary aims of the Great Famine of 1932-33 that killed 7 conference was to assist the commis­ million and purges that eliminated the sion of inquiry headed by Justice Jules intelligentsia. Deschenes that was established on In discussing the plight of "Jews and February 7. Ukrainians under Nazi Occupation." Over 600 jammed the meeting halls at Prof. Taras Hunczak (Rutgers Univer­ St. Vladimir's Institute. In order to sity, New Jersey), said that in dealing accommodate the very large audience, with the problem of Ukrainian- video monitors were set up in the Jewish relations during World War II, adjacent hall. one really has to go beyond the In his opening remarks. Prof. Yury historical record. "A student Boshyk of the University of Toronto, of this highly controversial topic the conference program director, out­ has, it seems to me. to face two lined the purpose and procedure of the very difficult tasks... to master the conference. He noted that this was an rather incomplete and often contra­ Volodymyr Shcherbytsky makes a point with Rep. Mary Rose Oakar (D-Ohio) opportunity to learn from the ex­ dictory evidence, and...to deal cou­ and her senior aide, Andrew Fedynsky, after the congresswoman gave him a letter perience of investigating war criminals rageously and forthrightly with the protesting Soviet human-rights violations. Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin in the United States in order that mythology that both Ukrainians and is in the background. mistakes can be avoided in Canada. Jews developed and continue to culti- The first morning session, "Pre- (Continued on page 10) WASHINGTON - A letter protest­ improvement in East-West relations ing Soviet violations of human-rights difficult. agreements was given to visiting Polit­ The letter was the same one sent to War crimes allegations: buro member Volodymyr Shcherbytsky members of Congress by Americans for by Rep. Mary Rose Oakar (D-Ohio) Human Rights in Ukraine, in which the during a March 4 Capitol Hill recep­ Newark-based human-rights group how it all began tion in his honor. cited the recent deaths of several Ukrai­ In handing the letter to the 67-year- nian political prisoners as examples of by Nadia Odette Diakun the Canadian Jewish Congress several old first secretary of the Communist Soviet non-compliance with the 1975 months ago, was not made public until Party of Ukraine, Rep. Oakar said it Helsinki Accords, the Universal De­ TORONTO - It began with an Asso­ now. was the type of egregious human-rights claration of Human Rights and other ciated Press story that reported on the Justice Minister John Crosbie re­ abuses outlined in the letter that made (Continued on page 11) February 9 radio interview given by sponded to public concerns by esta­ Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal in Tel blishing a Commission of Inquiry under Aviv. Mr. Wiesenthal said during the Justice Jules Deschenes of the Quebec interview that he believes 218 former Superior Court to investigate the issue United Nations report condemns Ukrainian officers of Hitler's SS are of alleged war criminals in Canada and living in Canada, and that he had to examine whether any such persons received no answer from the Canadian are now resident in Canada. The Com­ Soviet abuses in Afghanistan government on an inquiry concerning mission of Inquiry must report its 28 suspects. findings and recommendations by JERSEY, N.J. — A report prepared might complicate efforts by U.N. On February II, the League for December 31. by the United Nations Human Rights Secretary-General Javier Perez de Human Rights of B`nai B'rith Canada Some Members of Parliament reacted Commission accuses Soviet forces in Cuellar to negotiate a settlement for the released a report titled "Bringing Nazi to the events quickly. In a statement Afghanistan of a "deliberate policy" of withdrawal of Soviet troops from the War Criminals in Canada to Justice," read to the House of Commons, Pro­ bombarding villages, destroying food country. which called for a new law that would gressive Conservative Alex Kindy (Cal­ supplies, massacring civilians and "Many lives have been lost," the broaden or replace the provisions for gary East), a doctor of Ukrainian disregarding the Geneva Convention. report says, "many people have been prosecuting war criminals under Ca­ descent, stated that "Should individuals The report was prepared by Felix incarcerated in conditions far removed nada's War Crimes Act. The revision of a particular ethnic group be accused Ermacora of Austria for the annual from respect for human rights and would provide for civilian trials rather of atrocities, it is imperative that the meeting of the commission, which is fundamental freedoms, many have been than тіІИату trials and allow for group as a whole not be treated in a taking place in Geneva in the first weeks tortured and have disappeared, human­ prosecution of crimes against huma­ manner which ignores its vital involve­ of March. itarian norms have been flouted in the nity in addition to war crimes. ment in, and contribution to Canada." Mr. Ermacora's report, which also conflict taking place, and the resulting "Canada is coming up against a dead­ Mr. Kindy echoed a plea made by fellow includes accounts of torture, the forced situation is fraught with danger for the line," said David Matas, Winnipeg Tory Don Blenkarn (Mississauga evacuation of civilians, the destruction population as a whole." lawyer and author of the report. "Soon South) that the Deschenes Commission of crops and the poisoning of wells by The report, in dry, often legalistic all the accused, all the witnesses, all the "should not be used to fan racial Soviet and Afghan government troops, language, lists a host of abuses during survivors of the Holocaust will be dead. prejudice, to stir up old hatreds, or to amounts to the first direct criticism of the more than five-year Soviet oc­ The chance for justice will disappear." settle old scores." the Soviet Union by a U.N. human- cupation, including the maiming of The report, which had been delivered to (Continued on page 11) ngnts inquiry. Some diplomats said it (Continued on page 12) THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 1985 No. 10 Georgian Helsinki monitor Kostava Soviet press says Badzio's mother declares hunger strike in camp rejects material aid from West FRAM1NGHAM, Mass. - Political JERSEY CITY, N.J. - The mother and sisters, said Mrs. Badzio did not prisoner Merab Kostava, a founding of Ukrainian political prisoner Yuriy plan to keep the package, the contents member of a Soviet Georgian citizens' Badzio reportedly rejected an aid pack­ of which they only identified as "some group to monitor Soviet compliance age sent from West Germany late last things." with the 1975 Helsinki Accords, has year, saying she does not need material "All the members of our family are recently declared an indefinite hunger support from abroad, according to a living well, work and are fully protect­ strike to protest inhumane treatment by Soviet publication. ed," the letter said in part. "Although labor camp authorities, reported Ke- A report in the December 1984 son Yuriy is serving a sentence for ston News. Ukrainian-language issue of Visti z breaking Soviet law, let not the so- The 45-year-old musicologist has Ukrainy (News fm"` "kraine) said that called foreign guardians think they are been the target of harassment by autho­ Mr. Badzio's mother, Hanna Yuriyivna, doing us any good with their unwanted rities in acamp near Angarsk, located in received a parcel mailed from West donations." central Siberia some 40 miles north­ Germany on September 28, and that she According to Visti correspondent west of Lake Baikal. According to and members of her family wrote a M. Rishko, the elder Mrs. Badzio, who fellow Helsinki group member Zviad protest letter on October 5 to the West lives in the village of Kopynivtsi in the Gamsakhudria, Mr. Kostava has been German Embassy in Moscow. Transcarpathian oblast of western denied family visits, his books have Visti z Ukrainy, which is published in Ukraine, said that she does not want or been confiscated and he has been placed both Ukrainian and English, is the need any help from foreigners. in solitary confinement several times. official publication of the Association Early last year, an amendment to Keston did not say when M r. Kostava for Cultural Relations with Ukrainians Article 7 of the USSR Code of Law, began his fast. , Abroad. It frequently contains articles "anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda," Mr. Kostava was first arrested in attacking dissidents and Ukrainian made it a crime for some Soviet dissi­ nationalists in the West, and is available dents to receive material aid from foreign 1977, the same year he helped establish МггаЬ Kostava the Georgian Helsinki Group.