Ukrainian Movement "Fight" Appeals to European Political Organisations and Institutions on the Day of 70th Anniversary of Volyn Massacre

KYIV, Ukraine, July 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

11th July 2013 marks the 70th anniversary of one of the darkest pages of WWII - 70 years ago the squads of the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), operating in the Volyn region in Ukraine, attacked 150 villages populated by Poles, burning houses and killing those who refused to be forced to immediate deportation to Poland. Operation "Map" carried out in Poland has identified the names and places of death of over 36 000 civilians. The circumstances of death of a further 13 500 to 23 000 Poles have not yet been clarified. These events were called the "Volyn Massacre".

During the last two decades, since the independence of the Ukrainian state, there has been no acknowledgement of the ethnic cleansing during the war, let alone condemnation of it. By not recognising the "genocide", the Ukrainian government is protecting the propagandist and ideological foundation carefully built by a whole generation of politicians and historians directing their efforts to the glorification of Nazi collaborators.

The current Ukrainian government, although indicating some concern over growing right-wing extremism in the Ukrainian society, has been afraid to take any political responsibility and to make any political decision similar to that recently announced by the Polish Parliament - the Senate has recognised the Volyn events as "ethnic cleansing with elements of genocide."

This gives ground to some political parties like Ukrainian party "Freedom" to openly proceed with their anti-democratic and chauvinistic agenda, to present the Ukrainian nation as pathological xenophobes, stubbornly referring to the crimes of the past and trying to complicate the reconciliation process between the Ukrainians and Poles. 

Movement "Fight" is one of the political forces that are at the forefront of the anti-nationalist fight in Ukraine. We support the principles of democracy and refuse any manifestation of racism, fascism, nationalism and xenophobia. We address the leaders and the Parliaments of European countries, EU institutions and the European public and media to support independent and historic judgement on the crimes committed by the OUNs seventy years ago.

"Fight" Movement is a Ukrainian socialist party. The political organisation was founded on 2^nd May 2011 and on 2^nd May 2013 the movement became a political party promoting socialist ideology.