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Ukraine opposition urges West to act
Senior Ukrainian opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk calls for the West to give more support to help solve his country's political crisis.
Ukrainian opposition leaders are due to meet the United States' top diplomat, John Kerry, a day after the US condemned the apparent torture of a protest leader who claims unidentified abductors "crucified" him.
Dmytro Bulatov, 35, who re-emerged on Friday after being missing for a week, said unidentified kidnappers beat him, sliced off part of his ear and nailed him to a door during his time in captivity.
"There isn't a spot on my body that hasn't been beaten. My face has been cut. They promised to poke my eye out. They cut off my ear," he said on Friday. "They crucified me by nailing me to a door, and beat me."
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Opposition leaders were due on Saturday to meet Kerry, the US secretary of state, in Munich after the Obama administration said it is "appalled" by signs of torture against Bulatov. Jay Carney, the White House spokesman, said the US administration was concerned by increasing reports of protesters disappearing and being beaten and tortured, and by attacks on journalists. Carney also said it is "especially concerning" that some of the reports suggest that Ukrainian security forces have been involved. The Interior Ministry dispatched investigators to Bulatov's hospital to interrogate him, saying that besides being a kidnapping victim, he was also suspected of organising mass disorders in the protests. Attempts to arrest him were repelled by other opposition activists. The Ukrainian opposition urged Europe and the US to go beyond vocal support for their fight for more democracy and demand a halt to violence they blame on the president, Viktor Yanukovich. Opposition leaders held a meeting in Munich, Germany, on Friday with Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German foreign minister, and Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief. Ashton said she was "appalled by the obvious signs of prolonged torture and cruel treatment" of Bulatov. "What we need is not just declarations but a very clear action plan - how to fix the problem and fix the violence, how to investigate all these killings and abductions and tortures," said Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the leader of Batkivschyna. He added: "Ukraine desperately needs a Marshall Plan and not martial law in order to stabilise the political and economic situation in the country." Bulatov's group, car owners known as Automaidan, started out by picketing the residences of top government officials and their allies, but soon took an active part in the protests that have rocked Ukraine. The group, which took its name from Kiev's Independence Square - known as Maidan - blocked streets and monitored police cars. Bulatov went missing on January 22, prompting his friends to organise a campaign for his release. He was dumped in a forest on Thursday night after eight days in captivity and made it to a house outside Kiev where he got help and was able to call friends, according to an Interior Ministry statement. The reported beatings and intimidation have stoked speculation that special security teams were roaming Ukraine and hunting down opposition activists. The government has faced two months of major protests that started after Yanukovich reneged on an agreement to deepen ties with the EU in favour of Russia. The demonstrations quickly grew into discontent over heavy-handed police, corruption and human rights violations. |
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The most sensible help the West and the EU can give to
Ukraine is: wait for the next election in a year's time and resolve your problem with your vote. You are now living in a democratic world with democratic held elections.If now,a dangerous situation is emerging where a democratically elected government will be brought down from the squares,like happened in Egypt to be replaced by a regime with the blessing of the West can lead to serious repercussions.If what is happening in Ukraine was happening in the USA the National Guards would have sorted this in days.
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If the EU wanted to ACT, they would have acted like they acted against others. I honestly believe that the Ukrainians should not trust the EU. Look what is happening to Malta which is being used as a skip. I believe that what certain powers didn't get through wars they are getting through EU, i.e to DOMINATE other Countries without the need to shed blood. The Ukrainians should fight to be a Democratic Country with anyone interfering in their way of living and the way they run their Country. I also believe that Malta my Home Land should do the same. I don't believe in the brotherhood they try to impose on us and others smaller countries. If this wasn't true why are the British holding a referendum about the EU?? If they brotherhood really existed in this rotten club everybody should be on the same footing. Everybody should have an equal say. This DOMINATION by EU should STOP once and For ALL
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No one is denying that this guy was not mistreated,but the manner he claimed he had been through,crucified,cut off his ears,tortured.nailed and even cut off his ears(quoting yesterday another English newspaper.On yesterday BBC on line was a picture of this guy speaking to reporters,and it looks what a quick miraculous recovery he made,even his ears are still in place.
