1. The Janukowitsch-regime was authoritarian, repressive, it launched "a war against the poor“. Not even for the victims of the Tschernobyl-desaster it took care.
So the rebellion against it was OK!
2. The character of the movement against the Janokowitsch-government was very complex. Beside the protest against its antidemocratic character there were a lot of illusions in the EU, nationalistic positions etc. Left
organisations were present at Maidan but with weak forces.
3. The more the Janukowitsch-government used repressive measaures against the demonstrators the more extreme right and open fascist forces could gain ground.
4. The chraracter of the of the new „transition“government is a bourgeois, neoliberal one with strong nationalistic inclinations – even the fascist party „Swoboda“ is within this government!
5. There are a lot of examples in history that rebellions even revolutions (!) led- at least in a first phase- to a strengthening of the right: after 1848 came Napoleon III; after the Commune came the bourgeois reaction;
after the revolution 1905 in Russia the labour- movement was sent into the underground; after the „Arabic Spring“ we see today in Egypt a military dictatiorship .
In history „garanties“ don `t exist. So it necessary to stress again that the rebellion against Janukowitsch and his oligarchs had its „historical right“!
6. The annexion of the Krim (Crimea) is part of the neoimperialist politics of Putin & Co. After the October revolution the Krim was an „Autonomous Republic“ within the Russian Federation. Stalin launchend a murderous campaign against the Tatares there. Chruschtschow gave the Krim 1954 to the Ukraine where it had again an autonomuos status.
7. US- and EU-imperialism try to gain more and more influence (including the military field- NATO!) in that region since the decay of the Sowjetunion and its allies in Eastern Europe. They support „pro- western “ – governments, give a lot of money and logistic help to bourgeois forces and dont hesitate to work together with far right and even fascist organizations and parties.
8. Ukraine is an extreme centralized state ( f.e. the heads of the „districts“ are installed by the government). And the actions against the Russian speaking people gave and give additional fuel. Even today (after the „referendum“ in Donezk and Lugansk- whatever the character of this vote is) the „transition“ government in Kiew has no concrete positive offer for the regions in the East- just sending troops there.
We are confronted with 2 total different things: the legitime-social, economic and polititical demands of Russian speaking people: to use fully their language, for autonomy and decentralization of the Ukraine etc; AND the imperialist aspirations of Putin and his nationalist followers to create something like a „Great Russia“.
9. The main thing for the progressive movements and the left today is CLASS INDEPENDENCE : „Neither the present government in Kiew, Merkel and Obama; nor the greatrussian chauvinism of Putin & Co.“- and a strong position against any war!
10: Concrete means that :
- against any nationalism
- for the rights of the Russian speaking people; the Tatares and all other national minorities
– for the elaboration of an „action programme“ against the crises „from below“ (movements, tradeunions, left organizations and parties)
– no illusions that the OSZE- talks or the -planned- elections on May 25th can solve the crises
- acting under extreme difficault conditions ( f.e actions of the far right and fascists – like in Odessa)
– for a -very soon!- delegation which makes contacts with progressive movement, trade unions and the left in the Ukraine. Such a delegation can hopefully help to create a „bridge“ between the progressive forces in the different regions and overcome the horrible situatuion that comrades are in some cases on different sides of the barricades! Coming back such a delegation should start with a broad and longlasting info- and solidarity-campaign.
AGAINST ANY NATIONALISM- LONG LIVE THE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY!
May 13th
Hermann Dworczak (0043 / 676 / 972 31 10)