www.ukrweekly.com ІізЬесІ by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal поП"profіГа550СІа1іоп| ШrainianWeekl Y Vol. LVI No. 13 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 27, 1988 25 cents Australian Parliament passes motion Legislators mark Millennium supporting Ukrainian Helsinki Group Pysanka hits Washington by Malta Kolomayets Ukraine and discouraging the official MELBOURNE, Australia - In whom she has been associated in WASHINGTON - Citing the participation of the United States in any October 1986, the Australian Fede­ monitoring the Helsinki Accords. recently passed Senate Resolution 235 official Millennium ceremonies in the ration of Ukrainian Organizations sent The motion, which was passed una­ denouncing the Soviet government's Soviet Union, Sen. Dennis DeConcini a draft motion expressing support for nimously, deplored the deaths of Ukrai­ suppression of religious freedom in (Continued on page 16) the Ukrainian Helsinki Group (UHG) nian Helsinki monitors at the infamous on the 10th anniversary of its founding, Perm Camp 36-1 and called on the to several Australian politicians in each Soviet government to release the still major party. That initiative has only imprisoned or exiled monitors and now come to fruition. Happily, it "allow them to return to their home­ coincided with the visit to Australia of lands, or if they wish, emigrate to the Oksana Meshko, a founding member of countries of their choice." the UHG. In 1983 an Australian Senate motion On Thursday, March 17, Oksana in defense of the group was proposed Meshko, 83, watched from the by Sen. Brian Harradine (Tas.) and also Visitors' Gallery as Member of passed unanimously. Parliament Philip Ruddock (Liberal, In his introductory speech, Mr. Dundas) proposed a motion in defense Ruddock emphasized the current plight of the group in the House of Repre­ of Ukrainian lawyer Lev Lukianenko, sentatives. who has just begun a five-year term of Referring to this as a "historic day," harsh exile in the Tomsk region after Mr. Ruddock, a long-time supporter of spending 25 years as a political prisoner; the Ukrainian and Baltic communities, While recognizing that there have introduced Ms. Meshko to the House been some signs of liberalization in the as a person with a "great spirit," who USSR, which "all people of goodwill desires to return to the Soviet Union to would want to acknowledge," he felt work for the freedom of those with that a "changed situation"could only be Sen. Dennis DeConcini (left) and Rep. William Lipinski receive their goose egg recognized when "those people who are pysanky. Also pictured: Judge Bohdan Futey, Viktor Sulzynsky and Larissa Smith. still incarcerated axe^jeleased and At the Demjanjuk trial allowed home to monitor the situation freely." Helsinki Accords monitors in Ukraine So that MPs could have direct access Court's dilemma: which to materials relating to the Ukrainian Helsinki Group, Mr. Ruddock tabled as confirm their membership in group survivors are correct? documents a booklet on Lev Lukia­ NEW YORK - Human and national Zisels, Yaroslav Lesiv, Olha Matu­ nenko published by the J Melbourne- rights activists in Ukraine have taken sevych and Vasyl Striltsiv. Special to Svoboda and The Weekly yet another step to revitalize the Ukrai­ Messrs. Lukianenko and Matu­ from UNCHAIN Observer based Committee for the Defense of National and Human Rights in Uk­ nian Helsinki Group by confirming the sevych, it should be noted, are both JERUSALEM - The Nazi war raine, as well as The Ukrainian intentions of long-time members to serving sentences of "internal exile" — crimes trial of John Demjanjuk re­ Weekly's special issue on the Ukrainian continue their activity in the group. Mr. Lukianenko in the Tomskaya sumed here for two days, Monday and Helsinki Group, published on the 10th In a statement dated March 11 and Oblast and Mr. Matusevych in the Tuesday, March 21 and 22, to allow the anniversary of its founding. released here by the External Repre­ Chitinskaya Oblast. defense to present recently obtained In his closing remarks, Mr. Ruddock sentation of the Ukrainian Helsinki The statement also lists the following evidence that casts serious doubt on the again urged that the Parliament seek to Group, the UHG's executive committee members of The Ukrainian Herald's prosecution's contention that the have Mr. Lukianenko released, "and — consisting of Mykhailo Horyn, editorial board as new members of the former Cleveland autoworker is "Ivan that we give to Ms. Meshko a mes­ Zinoviy Krasivsky and Vyacheslav Ukrainian Helsinki Group: Vasyl Bar- the Terrible" of Treblinka. sage of support, and strength and Chornovil — announced the following: ladianu, Bohdan Horyn, Pavlo Sko- On Monday, defense attorney Yoram encouragement which she can take back "The new social conditions in the chok, Vitaliy Shevchenko, Stepan Sheftel reviewed in detail the testi­ to her fellow citizens in the Soviet USSR, the release of a significant SapeUak and Mykola Muratov. monies of nearly 40 survivors of the Union as they work for the release of portion of political prisoners, and a The statement goes on to note that, Treblinka death camp who spoke with their friends and colleagues who have termination of criminal proceedings "Because of their isolation and other the U.S. Justice Department's Nazi- been involved in human rights." against human rights activists have reasons, contacts have not yet been hunting arm, the Office of Special The motion was seconded by MP made it possible to activate the Ukrai­ established with a few members of the Investigations. Roger Shipton (Liberal, Higgins) and nian Helsinki Group in Ukraine," group (Ivan Kandyba and Mykola He tried to make three principal supported by P.R. Cleeland (Labor, The first step in this re-activization, Horbal). But there is no reason to doubt points: that there are major discre­ McEwan) and David Charles (Labor, was the December 1987 announcement their desire to take part in the group's pancies in the testimonies; that memory Isaacs). that theindependent journal The Ukrai­ work." lapses are evident; and that survivors Mr. Shipton described Ms. Meshko nian Herald would be the Ukrainian It is underUned in the document that had a strong desire to identify war as "an inspiration" who "sits here to Helsinki Group's official press organ the Ukrainian Helsinki Group, which criminals, therefore their testimonies represent not only the people of Uk­ and that the journal's editorial board was founded November 9, 1976, "never are influenced by that mindset. raine but for Christians and Jews and all had been co-opted into the group. disbanded, as did the Moscow group, In one case, for example, a survivor people of all races who cry out for and never ceased to pursue its activi­ For the full text of the Ukrainian ties." said that he knew "Ivan," but then freedom in the Soviet Union today." He Helsinki Group's statement, seepage^. admitted that he was never in Treblin­ reported that when asked what keeps ''Unable to prepare and publish ka, but only at Maidanek. her going, Mrs. Meshko replied, "my In the March 11 statement, the collective documents owing to the mass Most of the witnesses described by love for human beings, a sense of duty UHG's executive committee listed the arrests during all these difficult years, Mr. Sheftel said they knew "Ivan of to the community and a sense of pat­ following persons as having confirmed the majority of the group's members Treblinka," but when shown the Traw- riotism." their membership in the group: Levko spoke out in behalf of the group indivi­ niki ID card photo and the defendant's Mr. Charles, who is the Govern­ Lukianenko, Oksana Meshko, Mykola dually," it states. 1951 visa photo were unable to identify ment's Chairman of the Caucus,Foreign Matusevych, Mr. Krasivsky, Mr. Chor­ The statement also points out that the either one. Affairs and Defense Committee, prai- novil, Mr. Horyn, Petro Rozumny, UHG "was subjected to a more de- (Continued on page 12) (Continued on page 5) Petro Sichko, Vasyl Sichko, Yosyf (Continued on page 13) THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 27, 1988 :: No. 13 A GLIMPSE OF SOVIET REALITY Former Soviet soldiers express concern about POWs in Afghanistan Opposition mounts in Ukraine ELIZABETH, N.J. - Former Soviet "We, former Soviet soldiers in Af­ soldiers, who served in Afghanistan and ghanistan, who no longer wanted to to nuclear energy program later defected to the West, recently sent take part in the war, welcome your a telegram to the U.S. Mission to efforts to end this senseless bloodshed. by Bohdan Nahaylo Robitnycha Hazeta published an inter­ Geneva, the Pakistan Mission to the After waging an exhausting battle for view with F. S. Temirov, the director of United Nations and the United Nations nine years, the Afghan people have CONCLUSION the All-Union Atomic Energy Planning expressing their concern for Soviet earned the right to live quietly and to be Institute "Atomenergoproekt." He prisoners of war, and Red Army defec­ free, but behind all of these truly By the end of last year it was be­ acknowledged that since Chornobyl tors in Afghanistan. momentous decisions which now face coming apparent that concerned Ukrai­ there had been considerable anxiety As talks about the withdrawal of you, there is one problem, which bears nian writers and scientists were, in about the use of nuclear energy. He even Soviet troops from Afghanistan conti­ on us directly, and has gone by un­ effect, forming a joint lobby. In Decem­ implied that local opposition had led to nue in Geneva, the possibility of the noticed: the fate of Soviet prisoners of ber, Literaturna Ukraina and the Ukrai­ the abandonment of plans to build a scheduled puUout on May 15 is impos­ war and Red Army defectors in Afgha­ nian party daily Radianska Ukraina huge nuclear power and heating plant sible, the Soviet Union said on Monday, nistan, of which there are several organized a roundtable discussioh on the western outskirts of Kiev.