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Indybay Feature

"Create Two, Three, Many Maidans"

by jabber
18 February 2014 is one year anniversary of the violent clashes in Kiev. This article was written shortly after these tragic events, but wasn't approved for publication in the official media.
67 people were killed in a shoot out with the police in Kiev, including the murdered journalist of the Ukrainian newspaper "Vesti", more than 1,000 were injured. If we consider the situation from the outside, what is happening there can be called a civil war. Unfortunately, not only forces of President Yanukovych and the opposition are interested in the conflict. There is also the political influence of the West and Russia upon Ukraine, which is being used as a field for confrontation. Newspaper New York Times, for example, describes what is happening there in terms of the "Cold war".

The protests began in November 2013, when President Yanukovych instead of economic and trade agreement with the European Union accepted financial support from Russia. Yanukovych's resignation would mean the loss of huge profits for his family and clientele. However, Yanukovych is not the only Ukrainian billionaire, intoxicated by power. Victor Pinchuk, a Ukrainian steel magnate, was one of the main investors of the Fund family of former US President Bill Clinton. After the bloodshed, the European Union spoke about the verification of investments from Ukraine and economic sanctions, while Washington announced that 20 Ukrainian officials responsible for human rights violations are banned from entering the United States.

Many Belarusians believe that Belarusians have not necessary express their views on the events in Ukraine, while it is a foreign country. However, it is no longer possible to ignore or not to comment the historical events in Ukraine. Because the situation develops in an unpredictable scenario. In their post-Soviet history of Belarus and Ukraine have much in common, primarily the struggle for democracy and independence. Therefore solidarity with Ukraine - a step towards political change in Belarus.

If Russia and NATO countries will place their troops in Kiev to reconcile the armed groups of the government and armed demonstrators, it will simply too late to comment. The Balkanization of the region will begin.

Today there is a day of mourning in Ukraine, but a real disaster will happen, if the government finally "stabilizes" the situation. Signs of preparation for a large-scale clean-up were seen in early February.

On February 18, 2014 demonstration near the Verkhovna Rada was surpressed by the law enforcement units and the supporters of the current government. The Maidan protest movement entered a new phase, because the sides used firearms. The Police, along with government armed groups staged a massacre in the government quarter, an unknown number of demonstrators were killed. MPs from the ruling Party of Regions and the Communist Party fled the Parliament. Amendments aiming at limiting the power of the president have not been adopted.

The demonstrators retreated towards the Maidan square. By 18:00 the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Security Service of Ukraine presented an ultimatum to the demonstrators. The authorites commanded that the demonstrators must disperse. By 20:00 riot police and armed groups of the government stormed the barricades using water cannons and armored vehicles. Police, special forces of the political police (SBU) and the pro-government paramilitary troops used military weapons. Armed protesters managed to burn BTRs, which was smashing the crowd.

The negotiations with the opposition, assigned on February 19 did not take place. The authorities failed to clean up the Maidan, and a number of residents of the western regions seized police stations and government buildings in the western regions - Lviv, Uzhgorod, Lutsk, Khmelnytsky and the eastern city of Poltava. The central authority not only lost the trust of the diplomats, but also de facto the control over the country for less than one day.

"The anti-terrorist operation", announced by the authorities, is the evidence that they lose the loyalty of the population. Prosecutors opened criminal cases against 4 divisions of self-defense by the demonstrators at the Maidan as illegal paramilitary groups. For the participants of these structures sanction of the article number 260 of the Criminal Code provides from 2 to 15 years in prison. Thus, the authorities intend to use repression against 10 thousand people. In the regions and in the capital there are not only pro-government armed groups active, but also death squads. Today, many Ukrainians forced to flee the country because of war, threats and harassment.

February 20 in 2014 has been declared a day of mourning in Ukraine.

I was able to connect with Pavel Zubyuk, civic activist and correspondent of the Belarusian service of Svoboda.org in Ukraine.

- For who are the snipers working who shot today the medical staff?
- It is unknown. According to rumors - it's not the police, but the criminal killers, who carry out the order of those in power.
- Can you confirm if there is shooting from Kalashnikov assault rifles?
- Yes, there's video about that. These are the people most likely from the the SBU
http://www.radiosvoboda.org/media/video/25270710.html
- Are there any weapons in demonstrators disposal?
- There are military weapons in the hands of protesters - but not many. There are also the trophies captured from "titushki ", or sport / hunting weapons .
- Please rate the level of destruction in the city center.
- One block building was destrucuted (the effects of arson) in Hrushevskoho street - opposite the stadium and one block in Downtown - the House of Trade Unions. In addition, on the Khreschatyk street and Hrushevskoho street bus stops, fences, garbadge bins and paviments are destroyed. The rest of the city is not destructed.
- Can you list the regional administrations captured by the residents?
- Lviv, Uzhgorod, Frankivsk, Ternopil, Rivne, Lutsk, Poltava , Kiev (city) ... Maybe somewhere else.
- Please indicate the reason, why the meeting with the ambassadors of the EU countries failed.
- I do not know :(
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