HOLODOMOR 1932-33

Watson, Graham

Dear Mr Mowatt,

Thank you for your email of 28^th March regarding Written Declaration 04/2007 which calls for international recognition that the Great Famine in Ukraine (1932-33) was an act of genocide.

Generally speaking, as a Party leader I usually follow the convention that Party leaders do not sign written declarations (similar to the convention in Westminster where Early Day Motions are concerned).  There are a great number of them and I do not feel that I could do them all justice.  However I will certainly read the declaration and decide whether to make an exception in this case.

Yours sincerely,

Graham Watson MEP

Member of the European Parliament for South West England and Gibraltar andLeader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament

Ludford, Sarah. Baroness

Thank you for your email of 2nd April 2007. You will be pleased to hear that
Baroness Ludford has already signed Written Declaration 0004/2007 on
recognising the Great Famine in Ukraine as genocide.

Thank you for contacting us on this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Sarah Steele
Political Assistant to Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP

Chichester, Giles

Dear Mr Mowatt

Thank you for your letter with regard to Written Declaration 0002/2007 on the EU-wide ban on bullfighting.

I believe that this is an issue for Spain and the Spaniards to decide for themselves. I view the demand the League against Cruel Sports to "compel" me to sign this declaration as unwelcome and illiberal interventionism.

I regard the right of Robert Evans (a fellow vegetarian as it happens) and the others to hold their views opposing bull-fighting but I expect them to respect my right to differ.

So I am not prepared to join in this particular piece of pressure politics.

Yours sincerely,

Giles Chichester MEP

 

Newton Dunn, Bill

Beckett, Margaret

No response

Brown, Gordon

No response

Corbett, Richard

I will look at the Written Declaration next week and I will almost
certainly sign it.


You are quite right that the tragic events of 1932 - 33, and especially
the famine, are not known by many people.  To contribute to greater
awareness, the European Parliament hosted last week an exhibition
"Execution by Hunger: Unknown Genocide", which attracted considerable
interest.

In the House of Commons, my friend John Grogan, who is the Labour MP for
Selby, and Chair of the all-party Parliamentary Ukraine Group, is going
to table an "Early Day Motion" supporting international recognition of
this issue.

Best wishes,

Richard Corbett MEP
Labour Member of the European Parliament for Yorkshire and Humber

Dover, Den

I will be signing this

Duff, Andrew

Thank you for your recent email. I have received others identical.

I am aware of this issue, and of the written declaration – which is one
of very many asking for MEPs to support a wide variety of causes, most
of them worthy.

My policy is not to sign written declarations unless they may decisively
contribute to a resolution of a problem or the advancement of a
particularly valuable contemporary cause.

While I have every respect for your point of view, and that of your
colleagues in the CU Ukrainian Society, my own view is that Ukraine’s
interests are best served by concentrating on establishing itself on the
path to European integration. Europe is moving on fast, and while we
should continue to respect the legacy of the past – both barbarian and
civilised – I do not share your view that to focus on this particular
Stalinist atrocity will help contemporary Ukraine in its new
relationship with either Europe or Russia.

I also do not support the diminution of the official UN term of
‘genocide’: historically, genocide refers to the Holocaust and I believe
it sharpens our sense of history to maintain that distinction.

The European Parliament has a very lively exchange of opinions on the
future (and the past) of Ukraine, and you can be assured that this new
level of activity is strongly supported by the Alliance of Liberals and
Democrats for Europe (ALDE) to which I group I belong.

Sorry, however, not to be able to oblige with my signature on the
written declaration.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Duff

Note: Sadly Mr Duff reveals that he is ignorant of the meaning of the term genocide. It does not refer solely to the holocaust. We were also unhappy to note his dismissal of E mails and the fact that the Liberal Democrat Leader in the European Parliament appears to support the continued neglect of Stalin's crimes.

Hoon, Geoff

The Government recognises the scale of this tragedy and its importance in Ukraine's history. The famine needs to be better known and better understood. We welcome efforts by Ukraine to educate people about it both domestically and internationally. This has been highlighted by an exhibition for the KGB archives that has been put together by the security service of Ukraine (SBU) for an international tour.

The radio documentary of the famine produced by the BBC Ukrainian Service in 2004, shows that the UK continues to be interested in helping Ukraine achieve its aim of improving imnternational understanding of the famine as many are still unaware of the full effects of the famine.

Note: We acknowledge, and are grateful for, the Minister's response. It does not explain, however, why it would appear that Britain continues to block a decisive resolution on the famine at the United Nations. If you look at the page on the Joint Declaration you will note that Britain both insisted on a diluted text for the Joint Declaration which avoids categorising the Holodomor as a genocide- and then did not actually sign up to the Joint Declaration. 

 

Roger Knapman has asked me to thank you for your email and to reply as he is travelling today.  He does not in fact ever sign WDs as he believes they are a flawed process which do not produce results.  He prefers to use other methods on campaigning issues.

 

Having said that, he does not really consider that the issue you raise is a matter for the European Parliament.  This is an historical event which the EP cannot change or influence.  It is best left to historians to discuss, debate and define, which is by far the most effective way of enabling the full truth to emerge.  Involving politicians is probably not the best way of establishing the truth.

 

Roger is well aware of the impact of Soviet Communism, Stalinism and enforced Russification in many parts of Europe and, despite his views on the relevance of the EP, you would find him extremely sympathetic and supportive of the point you make about the sheer horror of what happened in the 1930's in the Ukraine. 

 

Best wishes

 

Piers Merchant

Assistant to Roger Knapman MEP

Mcavan, Linda

I think that the Minister's reply shows that the Government does acknowledge the level of the tragedy that struck the civilian population of Ukraine during the 1930's. I note that there will be an international tour of an exhibition about the famine and I am sure that this will help to focus attention on what happened.

Note: Kali Mountford is referring to the response from Geoff Hoon above. While we have to be grateful for the effort she made to provide the response it does beg the question of why it would appear that Britain continues to block a decisive resolution on the Holodomor internationally and to avoid recognising the Holodomor as a genocide at government level.

Parish, Neil

Thank you for your e-mail about the Ukranian famine and the written
declaration currently before the Parliament.

The more information I hear about this, the more shocked I am by it and
the sheer scale of the loss of life that occured as a result of it.
Please therefore be assured that I do intend to sign this declataion.

Simpson, Brian

Thanks for your email. My colleague Arlene McCarthy MEP is the Labour MEP
for your area and I am sure she will respond fully on behalf of the Labour
MEPs in due course.

However, I should point out that was aware of the famine and appreciate
that people feel strongly about it, however, the Ukraine is not part of the
EU and therefore it is not part of my jurisdiction. However, I will take a
look at the Declaration when I am next in Strasbourg w/c 23rd April and
then make my decision.

Hope this is helpful.

Note: Sadly the 23rd is too late Brian. The Declaration will lapse on the 15th if it is not signed by half of the Parliament's MEPs

Titford, Jeffrey

Thank you for your email addressed to Jeffrey Titford MEP, to which he
has asked me to reply on his behalf.

It is one of the conundrums of history that Joseph Stalin's terrible
regime has always had a much lower profile than that of Adolf Hitler.  
In many ways, Stalin was far worse than Hitler and the famine to which
you refer is but one serious example of his cruelty.  There were many
others.

However, you may not be aware that Written Declarations are not binding
on the European Commission, which usually ignores them.

The number of Written Declarations actually acted upon is so pitifully
small as to make them largely pointless paper pushing exercises.  The
Commission probably sees them as a useful way of diverting the energies
of activists and others with genuine concerns, away from more productive
campaigning methods.

Mr Titford is therefore unable to lend his name to Written Declaration
04/2007 for the reasons stated above, ie, it will not result in any
action being taken.  However, he wishes you well with your campaign and
urges you to write to him again if there is anything more practical he
can do to support you in the future.

Best wishes

Stuart Gulleford
Political Advisor to Jeffrey Titford MEP

Titley, Gary

Thank you for your email of 28th March about written declaration 04/2007 on
international recognition of the great famine in Ukraine (1932-1933) as
genocide.

I am pleased to tell you that I will be signing this declaration.