Congressional resolution marks 65th anniversary of Ukrainian Famine
by Michael Sawkiw Jr.
Ukrainian National Information Service
WASHINGTON - On the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the Great Famine in Ukraine, U.S. representatives and senators have brought before their respective chambers a resolution initiated in the House of Representatives by Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.), co-chair of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, recalling the brutality of Soviet policies toward Ukraine. Co-chairs of the CUC have joined Rep. Levin in co-sponsoring the resolution.
When asked why he had sponsored the concurrent resolution, Rep. Levin replied: "For years, the truth concerning the famine was covered up officially and denied by the government of the former Soviet Union ... It is important that we remember the Ukrainian Famine and its victims. We must remember and do everything we can to prevent similar tragedies from happening again, whether in Ukraine, or Kosovo, or anyplace else. Government-induced famine is never justified."
Rep. Levin was publicly lauded for his dedication to this issue at the recent Capitol Hill reception commemorating the seventh anniversary of Ukraine's independence.
As of mid-September, more than 60 members of the House of Representatives have declared their support as co-sponsors of House Concurrent Resolution 295.
In the Senate Carl Levin (D-Mich.) is the leading sponsor of the resolution, and 16 senators have joined him as co-sponsors. (A list of the congressional co-sponsors appears at the end of this article.)
The congressional resolution refers to the brutality inflicted upon the Ukrainian people by the Soviet authorities: "... when Ukraine was famine-stricken, the government of the former Soviet Union exported 1,700,000 tons of grain to the West, while offers from international relief organizations to assist the starving population were rejected on the grounds that there was no famine in Ukraine and no need for the assistance."
The resolution also acknowledges the work of the Ukraine Famine Commission, established in 1985 by an Act of Congress to "conduct a study with the goal of expanding the world's knowledge and understanding of the famine, and to expose the government of the former Soviet Union for its atrocities in the famine." These findings, along with volumes of archives and other relevant material, were formally presented to the Ukrainian government in 1993 during the government's official observance of the 60th anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine.
Members of Congress are expected to vote on the resolution before the congressional break beginning in early October. The resolution provides a "sense of Congress" that 1) solemnly remembers the victims of the 1932-1933 famine; 2) strongly condemns is disregard for human life and liberty; 3) recognizes that a democratic independent Ukrainian state is the best guarantor of human rights and thus it is necessary to continue U.S. assistance to achieve these results; and 4) calls for additional material about the famine to be compiled and made available to the world to study the devastating effects of the famine.
Yuri Shcherbak, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, provided his personal comments on the famine and its effects on the Ukrainian nation. "The man-made famine," noted Dr. Shcherbak in a written statement, "is unprecedented in the history of the world as a political slaughter of millions of people. The state unleashed a war against its own people - peasants, who provided for the whole country." "We must commemorate this date and the 65th anniversary of the famine is not an exception to the rule," he emphasized.
Following is the complete list of resolution co-sponsors.
Senate co-sponsors: Spencer Abraham (R-Mich.); Sam Brownback (R-Kansas); Thad Cochran (R-Miss.); Alfonse D'Amato (R-N.Y.); Mike DeWine (R-Ohio); Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.); Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.); John Glenn (D-Ohio); Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.); Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.); Carl Levin (D-Mich.); Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.); Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.); William Roth (R-Del.); Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.); Robert Torricelli (D-N.J.); and John Warner (R-Va.).
House of Representatives co-sponsors: Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii); Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.); James Barcia (D-Mich.); Howard Berman (D-Calif.); David Bonior (D-Mich.); Robert Borski (D-Pa.); Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio); Donna Christian-Green (delegate, D-Virgin Islands); Eva Clayton (D-N.C.); William Coyne (D-Pa.); Philip Crane (R-Ill.); John Dingell (D-Mich.); Michael Doyle (D-Pa.); Vern Ehlers (R-Mich.); Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.); Phil English (R-Pa.); Lane Evans (D-Ill.); Jon Fox (R-Pa.), CUC co-chair; Martin Frost (D-Texas); Benjamin Gilman (R-N.Y.); Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.); Lee Hamilton (D-Ind/); Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.); Steny Hoyer (D-Md.); David Hobson (R-Ohio); Stephen Horn (R-Calif.); Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), CUC co-chair; Sue Kelly (R-N.Y.); Barbara Kennelly (D-Conn.); Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.); Jerry Kleczka (D-Wis.); Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio); Tom Lantos (D-Calif.); Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio); Sander Levin (D-Mich.), CUC co-chair; Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.); Thomas Manton (D-N.Y.); Jim McGovern (D-Mass,); Michael McNulty (D-N.Y.); Marty Meehan (D-Mass.); Carrie Meek (D-Fla.); Robert Menendez (D-N.J.); Joe Moakley (D-Mass.); James Moran (D-Va.); Constance Morella (R-Md.); Sue Myrick (R-N.C.); Richard Neal (D-Mass.); Michael Oxley (R-Ohio); William Pascrell (D-N.J.); Frank Pallone (D-N.J.); John Porter (R-Ill.); Jack Quinn (R-N.Y.); George Radanovich (R-Calif.); Ciro Rodriguez (D-Texas); Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.); Steve Rothman (D-N.J.); Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.); Bob Schaffer (R-Colo.), CUC co-chair; Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.); Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), CUC co-chair; Chris Smith (R-N.J.); Brad Sherman (D-Calif.); Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.); James Traficant (D-Ohio); Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.); James Walsh (R-N.Y.); Henry Waxman (D-Calif.); and Robert Wexler (D-Fla.).
Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, September 27, 1998, No. 39, Vol. LXVI
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