Don’t take Yanukovych at face value

 While many in the West celebrate the negotiation process between the government and the opposition in Ukraine, it is important to realise that virtually no compromise has been attempted by the authorities so far. Below I am providing a brief summary of the key ‘concessions’ made by President Yanukovych and explain what they really mean.

1. An offer to the opposition to join and even head the government.

This is a smart tactical step which pursues numerous goals. Reported by the Presidential Administration minutes after the negotiation round was over, it created a storm of indignation among the protesters who felt that even contemplating such an offer meant the opposition’s pursuit of power and betrayal at the expense of people’s expectations and sacrifice. As a result, the opposition leaders had to explain away to the people rather then present and discuss the negotiation results with them.

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Still don’t believe Tymoshenko? Her 2009 Prophecy Came True

Voices of Ukraine

29.01.2014   12:13  Conflicts and Laws
Конфликты и законы

Translated by Olia Knight
Source: http://k-z.com.ua/ukrayna/29429-i-kak-ne-verit-timoshenko-ee-prorochestvo-v-2009-godu-opravdalos?fb_action_ids=10152061248029300&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%2210152061248029300%22%3A1418526908385902%7D&action_type_map=%7B%2210152061248029300%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D 

We may hold many different opinions about Yulia Tymoshenko. But her words from 2009 are more than empty soundings to many of us today. We see all around us how much of her speech has come true today. Listen and think.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

Victor Yanukovych is not an independent leader. He is the person who cannot develop a country with his personal vision, intellect, and inspiration.

He is undoubtly a puppet who personifies the interests of oligarchs. Therefore, I treat his possible, hypothetical arrival to power as president with a number of things not acceptable for our Ukraine.

First, I am confident that with his presidency, Ukraine will start losing its independence. I want all the people who value the independence of Ukraine to think hard about it and to understand all the…

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A Crime against Humanity

On January 23-24, 2014 online resources and central TV channels published a video where a man was cruelly and publicly tortured by law enforcement authorities in Ukraine. The event consisted of the following actions: during the confrontation on Hrushevskoho street in Kyiv, “Berkut” riot police officers took one of the protesters, Mykhailo Havryluk, hostage. Havryluk is a citizen of Ukraine, from the Khotyn district of Chernivtsi Oblast. He was dragged through the snow covered street and taken to another part of Hrushevskoho Street which was controlled by the “Berkut” riot police and internal security troops, by whom Mykhailo was cruelly beaten. Afterwards, with the temperature at minus 10-15 Celsius, he was stripped of his clothes and beaten again while he was lying on the ground naked and helpless.

Daily digest of main Ukrainian news (Euromaidan focus) January 31

By Internews Ukraine

Kyiv, 31 January 2014

Yanukovych revoked dictatorship laws and signed PoR drafted amnesty law. President Yanokovych signed bills adopted by the Parliament on 28-29 January into law. The President revoked legislative acts of 16 January restricting citizens’ freedom and signed the amnesty law drafted and voted by government-loyal MPs only. Previously opposition already criticized the amnesty law naming it the law on hostages.

Automaidan leader Bulatov reappeared after being vanished for almost 10 days.  Dmytro Bulatov, a leader of Automadidan, reappeared after being vanished since January 22. Bulatov was kidnapped by unknown persons and tortured. One of his ears was cut while there are wounds from crucifixion. Commenting on the news EU Commissioner Štefan Füle called on authorities for swift reaction on kidnappings and torture. 

Anti-Semitism as a Weapon of Political Technology

Voices of Ukraine

Xenophobia and anti-Semitism

by Vyacheslav Likhachev
27.01.2014, Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, ANALYTICS

Translated by Uilleam Blacker
Source: http://eajc.org/page34/news42915.html

The Ukrainian political confrontation caused by the refusal of the government to take steps towards integration with the EU, and then the unprecedentedly cruel dissolution of peaceful protests, has reached its peak in January. At least five participants of the protests have been killed, hundreds, if not thousands of demonstrators have been wounded by the police and hooligans, while dozens of policemen have also been injured. The fact that there are among the protesters radical nationalists inclined towards violence, and that the authorities hire armed thugs to attach demonstrators – which has been proven numerous times and is no secret in Ukraine – creates the impression on the external observer of an uncontrolled, bloody chaos. Making any sense of the situation, separating rumours from facts and political technology fakes from reliable information is extremely…

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Automaidan damaged but not crushed

Despite the arrests and disappearance of its members, “Avtomaidan” has become even more united. According to one of its leaders, Aleksey Grycenko, it can be incorporated into civil society. Well-organized and supportive 150 Avtomaidan members protect citizens on the streets from roving gangs, deliver and protect injured people to hospitals, drive deputies to the hot spots and assist with practical issues of Maidan everyday life.

Фото: vk.com/koba_sergey

Jewish girl from Euromaidan: nationality plays no role here

VIDEO. There is a lot of gossip in the internet about the fact that “Right Sector” activists offend Jewish people. To find our what the Jews themselves have to say please watch the interview with this Jewish girl. This interview takes place at the tent where veterans of Afghan war made a hospital for injured activists. 

MPs from Party of Regions hit opponents as they try to prevent violation of law

Volodymyr Struk, deputy of the parliamentary faction from the ruling Party of Regions hit Lesya Orobets, deputy of the opposition faction BYuT (Block of Yulia Tymoshenko), while she was trying to prevent him from casting a vote with another deputy’s personal card.

The current procedure foresees casting votes by personal cards – one deputy can vote only once with a personal card only. Using someone other’s card is prohibited by law and unofficially called “button-pushing”.

The war against humanity

Poet Ivan Kulinskiy on freedom, existence and heat of humanity. For the longest time I’ve been trying to avoid expressing my own thoughts about the situation we found ourselves in, because anger and sadness are not the emotions I like to display publicly. Today was life-changing.

Feelings have vanished, understanding is all that’s left. If anyone with a clear mind still had any doubts as to what we’ve been dealing with, now those doubts are gone once and for all – we are dealing with a war. War against humanity. Against that very thing that gives you the right to say on your death bed: “Yes, I have been a prick and a jerk my whole life, but overall, my dear, after slushing through the murky waters of this world I have managed to hold on to the burning coal of what makes us human”. 

BEATINGS IN CHERKASY: BERKUT JUMPED TO BREAK RIBS. FLOOR SLIPPERY FROM BLOOD

Voices of Ukraine

January 28, 2014
Translated by Olia Knight
Source:http://censor.net.ua/video_news/268545/berkut_prygal_nogami_chtoby_slomat_rebra_pol_byl_skolzkiyi_ot_krovi_aktivisty_rasskazali_ob_izbieniyah

Cherkasy protesters revealed the actions of Berkut police after takedown of Regional Administration building, reports Censor.NET citing INTV.

“Berkut emerged to the left of the building and started running in our direction, shouting wildly. We moved to the right, where some “titushki” (hired thugs) were waiting for us in their cars”, protester Sergiy Sobko said about the violent beatings by Berkut after a titushki-provoked takedown of Cherkasy Regional State Administration.

“They threw us on the floor of their bus and continued beating us, jumping hard to break our ribs. The floor got slipper from all the blood”, said the activist.

VIDEO TRANSLATION TRANSCRIPT:

“We planned a peaceful protest; we did not have any weapons on us. And when we realized that it was a trap, when a crowd of Berkut ran from the left of the Regional Administration – about 100…

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