FOR THE RECORD: Ukrainian Canadian Congress statement on the current situation in Ukraine (09/10/06)

FOR THE RECORD: Ukrainian Canadian Congress statement on the current situation in Ukraine

The statement below was issued by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress on September 5.

Recent developments in Ukraine have not only been dramatic and full of surprises, they have raised concerns about the future of Ukraine's young democracy. The hopes of millions of Ukrainians, along with their fellow countrymen and kinsmen abroad, have been severely tested by the political turmoil and brinksmanship that has followed in the wake of the even more tumultuous events of what has become popularly known as the "Orange Revolution."

Of course, it is up to the voters of Ukraine to determine the nature of their government and the political direction that their country takes. It is their responsibility alone to hold their political elites accountable and responsive to the popular will. It is equally true that Ukrainians should be able to peacefully resolve any conflicts among themselves without the interference of foreign powers or threats to undermine the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of the Ukrainian state.

Nevertheless, Canadians of Ukrainian descent are not indifferent to what happens in Ukraine. While the Ukrainian Canadian Congress does not endorse any particular political leader or party, it unequivocally supports the creation of a fully democratic and tolerant society, firmly based on the rule of law, that allows all Ukrainian citizens - regardless of their ethnicity, religion or where they happen to live - to achieve their full potential and to enjoy prosperous and happy lives.

It should be remembered that functioning democracies are the product of slow, difficult and generations-long processes marked by occasional setbacks and periods of heightened tension and instability. It also needs to be recognized that the attempt to establish a democratic culture in Ukraine has obviously been complicated by the fact of Ukraine's long and often bloody legacy of corrupt and authoritarian rule, as well as Ukraine's relatively short-lived experience of independent statehood.

Consequently, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress believes that it is important to vigorously defend two very real gains of the so-called Orange Revolution regardless of the make-up of any government in Kyiv. The first is the hard-won freedom of the Ukrainian media, which must be maintained if the citizens of Ukraine are going to make informed choices about their destiny and overcome their regional and historical differences. The second is the safeguarding of free and fair elections, which were achieved thanks to the courage and determination of the Ukrainian people but could be easily sabotaged by the return to power of some of the same politicians who remain steeped in the habits of one-party dictatorships.

It is no less important to continue the struggle for an impartial and professional judiciary that is capable of bringing to justice those individuals who seek to thwart the evolution of civil society or abrogate the protection of human rights. And, finally, the development of a healthy civic identity is also essential if Ukrainian society is going to develop harmoniously and withstand the pressures from those who would like to bring about the failure or partial dismemberment of the Ukrainian state.

These four pillars of a democratic culture must be preserved and strengthened whenever and wherever they are threatened by a return to the former status quo.

At the same time, it must be understood by all of the citizens and supporters of Ukraine that the Ukrainian language and culture need to be protected and nurtured if Ukraine is to shed the burden of her colonial inheritance. For instance, while the Russian language and culture enjoyed preferential treatment under the tsars and the Soviet Communist regime, and have never been oppressed in Ukraine, Ukraine's native heritage has been deliberately weakened by systematic discrimination and an aggressive policy of Russification pursued for more than two centuries. Indeed, the survival of the Ukrainian language and culture, and the very existence of a distinct Ukrainian nation, has been under almost constant jeopardy throughout the modern history of Ukraine. Arbitrary policies and secret decrees; artificial famines, deportations and sweeping purges; mass arrests and executions of artists and cultural leaders; as well as large-scale re-settlement strategies, have all been used to prevent the normal evolution of Ukrainian society and to ensure the hegemony of distant capitals.

In fostering the use of the Ukrainian language by granting it exclusive official status in the government sphere, Ukrainians are not in any way denigrating or devaluing the Russian language or the ethnic Russian minority in Ukraine, but are merely trying to correct a longstanding injustice. And whereas the Russian language and culture continue to flourish over the vast territory of Russia, as well as in Ukraine, Ukrainians still must struggle to win linguistic and cultural equality in their own homeland. This is why the Ukrainian Canadian Congress strongly opposes Russian being made an official language of Ukraine and deplores the efforts by those Ukrainian politicians who seek to violate the Constitution of Ukraine and to provoke societal discord over the question of language.

Although the last six months have been full of anxiety, and the months and years ahead can be expected to be fraught with some uncertainty, it is crucial that Ukraine's friends not submit to cynicism or indifference in the face of these challenges. Because a democratic, independent and prosperous Ukraine is vital not only for the stability of Eastern Europe, it is in the best long-term interests of democracy in Russia and all of the former republics and client states of the USSR.

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress, therefore, urges the government of Canada to not break faith with Ukraine notwithstanding the latest political upheavals. For cultural and historical reasons, and because of similar geo-political realities, Canada enjoys a unique relationship with Ukraine that was forged with our recognition of Ukraine's independence and strengthened by the leading role that Canadian observers played in the disputed presidential elections of 2004. Furthermore, as Canadians are highly regarded in Ukraine for their sense of fairness, their moderation and their strong commitment to the world community, Canada's continued support for Ukraine sends a powerful signal to Ukrainian citizens that they are not alone in their efforts to achieve a genuine democracy.

Specifically, Canada can help Ukraine in the following ways: 1) by facilitating Ukraine's early accession into the World Trade Organization; 2) by encouraging Ukraine's integration into Euro-Atlantic structures and the adoption of accepted European practices, standards and values; 3) by insisting that Ukraine not be subjected to energy blackmail; 4) by actively supporting the development of civil society in Ukraine through the work of CIDA [Canadian International Development Agency]; and 5) by promoting the expansion of bilateral trade with the establishment of a permanent trade commission office in our Kyiv Embassy.

Although the years of Ukraine's independence have been accompanied by many painful changes forced by the collapse of the totalitarian Communist state, the Ukrainian people have stoically borne these indignities and privations while taking many positive steps to gradually improve their lives. Just as they showed great patience, discipline and determination in their conduct during the contentious presidential elections of the fall of 2004, so too must Canadians now demonstrate the same virtues by standing with Ukraine as it grapples with the burden of its past and seeks its way forward to a brighter future.

- Ukrainian Canadian Congress

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