To the Editor:
Troubling news continues to flow from Ukraine. Even on Christmas Day there was more violence. A prominent journalist and activist who has challenged the corrupt regime of Viktor Yanukovych was brutally beaten just outside Kyiv.
The capital has been the focus of several weeks of demonstrations against the regime's rejection of negotiations with the European Union and closer ties with the West.
Instead, Yanukovych has shifted Ukraine more tightly under Russian influence. Protesters have been subjected to violent attacks by the government's secret police.
Such disturbing developments confirm the worries identified by our House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs which travelled to Ukraine in the spring of 2012 to assess that country's difficult journey toward freedom, democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and a more successful market economy.
The committee heard serious concerns about election irregularities, corruption, the misuse of the judicial system for political purposes (including the on-going imprisonment of political leaders), threats to freedom of the press, freedom of assembly and freedom of speech, religious and academic freedoms also under pressure, and a weak economy in serious trouble.
There was some hope for better results when Yanukovych opened talks with the EU. But his sudden deal with Putin, his recurring intolerance toward peaceful protests, and his intimidation of the media have dashed any sense of optimism.
Developments in Ukraine resonate in Canada. Since the first Ukrainian immigrants arrived on the prairies over 120 years ago, the number of Canadians who trace their family heritage to that country has grown to close to 1.25-million, including 13 per cent of the population of my home province of Saskatchewan.
Canada was among the first countries to recognize the independence of Ukraine in 1991, and in 2004 we were quick to applaud the "Orange Revolution" toward democracy. To assist in a tangible way, Canada sent a large delegation of "election observers" led by former Prime Minister John Turner.
But the heady days of the Orange Revolution are now in the past. Under Yanukovych, much hope has been lost. Going forward, in addition to being vocal about abuses (which will be on-going), what can be done to transform words of international condemnation into more effective action?
For one thing, Canada could help marshall a diplomatic effort engaging the United States and European countries to devise a set of "personal sanctions" aimed directly at Yanukovych, his key collaborators and their families.
Care would need to be taken to avoid sanctioning Ukraine as a country or the Ukrainian people. The problem is the Yanukovych regime and that must be the precise target.
The objective would be to freeze their personal money and assets outside Ukraine and prevent their foreign travel - sending a clear message of disapproval about abusive, anti-democratic behaviour. They should not be able to act against their own people with impunity and expect to avoid all consequences.
The regime needs to know the world is watching, and cares.
Ralph Goodale, MP, Wascana, SK.
