LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (05/05/96)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Weekly is much appreciated in Oman

Dear Editor:

I have been one of your "on and off" subscribers for a number of years, having moved between several Middle East countries since 1980. It is always a treat to get The Weekly, though it does come in quite irregularly - often in bunches.

All in all, I am quite happy with your product and always look forward to getting the latest news about Ukrainian life, both in Ukraine and in the diaspora.

It may come as a bit of a surprise to you that here, in the Sultanate of Oman, we do get fairly good coverage of things Uk-rainian, together with excellent worldwide news coverage by the two daily (English-language) newspapers and the local Arabic TV, as well as satellite TV coverage, both the BBC World Service and CNN.

I have tried my bit to popularize the Ukrainian cause here in Oman, both at work and in government circles. When Leonid Kuchma, who was then the prime minister, came here on an official tour in the spring of 1993, the local news media gave the event unusually broad publicity, with many people first becoming aware of Ukraine. This applies primarily to the various expats living here, mainly the British. Unfortunately, the Ukrainians did not follow up with the great contacts they had made and later also fumbled the various expected diplomatic protocols, thus showing themselves to be a very inexperienced, "third world" country.

For the time being, best wishes in your very important work. I hope nobody thinks of stopping publication of The Weekly, similar to the closing of the UNA Washington Office.

Bohdan Trylowsky
Al Khod, Sultanate of Oman

A relevant question regarding Ukraine

Dear Editor:

Although I did not intend to write again on this subject, the many comments that were made as a result of my initial letter obviously show that I touched a raw nerve within the Ukrainian Canadian community. I am grateful for the support of Prof. D.H. Struk, who clearly understands the situation.

Many readers subsequently commented that there is a significant difference between Quebec and Halychyna under Poland or Quebec and Ukraine under Russia, because Quebec "is permitted" to do a lot of things that Ukraine "was not permitted" to do. However, in both cases, somebody (a master) gives or withholds such "permissions." A bird in a gilded cage is still a bird in captivity.

I have only one question for those who so strongly objected to my and Prof. Struk's opinions, namely: If Ukraine were permitted by Russia to do all the things that Quebec is permitted to do within Canada, would they then logically agree that, under such circumstances, Ukraine should be reunited with Russia?

This question is quite relevant today, since Belarus has just concluded a close union with Russia and, as is the case of Quebecers within Canada, the majority of Ukrainians would probably have a better standard of living in such a union with Russia than they have in independent Ukraine.

George Primak
Pierrefonds, Quebec

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