STATEMENTS AT 'REQUIEM 2002' RALLY: Rep. Bob Schaffer: the people will no longer yield to oppression (09/29/02)

STATEMENTS AT 'REQUIEM 2002' RALLY

Rep. Bob Schaffer: the people will no longer yield to oppression

Following is the text of a statement by U.S. Rep. Bob Schaffer at the meeting-requiem and candlelight vigil in Washington on September 15.

On behalf of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, I extend my greetings to those assembled today in Washington, D.C., on this anniversary of the brutal and tragic murder of Ukrainian journalist, husband and father, Heorhii Gongadze. Your presence at this important observance, and your individual participation sends a clear message about our common commitment to the unalienable right to life, our devotion to human dignity, our love for the freedom of speech and our hope that these qualities will one day be secured in Ukraine.

As a child of a Ukrainian immigrant, I celebrated Ukraine's independence in 1991 and its separation from the tyranny of Soviet communism. My heart swelled with pride as Ukrainians broke the shackles of communism and announced their desire to live free. This Ukrainian passion for liberty and justice is, in fact, why Ukrainians and our Ukrainian parents and grandparents came to America. August 24, 1991, was a great day, but today's gathering reminds us that Ukrainians, 11 years later, are still not completely free. The murder of Heorhii Gongadze proves this. I commend the organizers of this event and all participants for their civic and political consciousness. This is an important reflection of the gradual awakening of civil society in Ukraine. As the latest Ukrainian parliamentary elections vividly demonstrated, a democratic groundswell has started in Ukraine and the Ukrainian people will no longer yield to oppression of their liberty and human rights.

My colleagues in the United States Congress share our concern about freedom of speech and freedom of the press in Ukraine. If journalists are subjected to censorship in any form, and political parties are denied equal access to mass media, civil society cannot exist.

My heart aches for the spouses, children, parents and friends of Heorhii Gongadze and other journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of political speech. I call upon Ukraine's leaders to solve these cases of murder and render swift justice to the guilty. I urge Ukrainian investigators to fully utilize the talents and expertise of our Federal Bureau of Investigation, just as President [Leonid] Kuchma personally promised he would do.

There is no doubt the Ukrainian people are capable of developing a vibrant democratic society. Your peaceful demonstration and steadfast solidarity is proof of this, and I commend your compassion. Your sincerity inspires my colleagues and me in the Congress to pledge our continued and tireless support for a mature and durable democracy in Ukraine.

May God bless you all and may He bless Ukraine and the United States of America.

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