V. Yushchenko calls Holodomor 1932-1933 in Ukraine as one of world's largest humanitarian catastrophes

The Holodomor 1932-1933 in Ukraine became one of the largest humanitarian catastrophes in the world history by its scales, President Viktor Yushchenko emphasized while speaking at the International Forum "My Nation will Live Forever" that was held at the National Opera and Ballet Theater in connection with the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor.

In his speech the President noted that tens of other nations of the former USSR suffered from the Stalin executioners, but annihilation by the famine in Ukraine was of a particularly terrible and large-scale character. "The Famine 1932-1933 was the most large-scale and refers to the world's largest humanitarian catastrophes", V. Yushchenko noted.

He particularly underscored an artificial character of the Holodomor. "This famine has been planned, organized and controlled, it is its main peculiarity and essence", the Head of State noted.

He illustrated his words by data about the fact that the crop yield in 1932 in Ukraine made up over 12 million tons. It was enough to have 10 million tons in order live without the famine, and another two million tons - in order to sow a new yield. "Therefore, the 1932 yield was enough in order to be fairly well-to-do", the President stated. At the same time he noted that over half of that grain, 6.7 million tons of grain, has been confiscated with the farmers by the Communist authorities, at the same time, every third ton of confiscated grain has been sent to exports.

V. Yushchenko also underscored that such an inhuman measure as a "black board", an official ban on movement of the people from the famine zone, trade and exchange of products, has not been applied in a single country that suffered from the famine in its time. "Almost all Ukraine was included into the "black board". It is also one of indications that the famine was artificial. It is the ghetto set up with the only aim to annihilate my nation", V. Yushchenko emphasized.

He explained it by an attempt of the authorities to exterminate the Ukrainian farmers as the most rebellious class of the Ukrainian people, frightening the Stalin regime by its all-sufficiency and striving to national independence. The President cited Stalin's words about a need to suppress the Ukrainian farmers as the basis of the national-liberation movement. Ukrainian party and Soviet leaders Kosior, Chubar and Postyshev calling to exterminate the Ukrainian farmers as a counterrevolutionary center repeated and put into life criminal directives of the Soviet leader.

"We, the Ukrainian people, were the counterrevolution. Such a way of thinking is an answer to that tragedy that was artificially planned with the aim of annihilation of the people. The famine has been chosen as an instrument for suppression of the Ukrainian people. Those crimes by its large scale, aims and methods undoubtedly fall under the definition of genocide provided by the UN Convention of 1948", B. Yushchenko underscored.

In his speech he also expressed gratitude to Georgian President Mikhael Saakashvili, Latvian President Valdis Zatlers, Lithuanian President Valdis Adamkus and Polish President Lech Kaczynski, as well as to delegations of 44 world countries, European Parliament, UNESCO and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, who arrived to Kyiv to participate in the events to honor the memory of the Holodomor victims.

UKRINFORM