[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17999]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     CONDEMNING VIOLENCE IN UKRAINE

  (Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, as cochair of the Ukrainian Caucus here in 
the House, I rise today to condemn the violence currently igniting in 
Ukraine at the hands of Ukraine's top government officials. Their 
targets are peaceful protesters and dozens and dozens of journalists 
who have been harmed.
  Shouldn't President Yanukovych and the Ukrainian Government be 
working hard to encourage and ensure a more open society rather than 
repressing their own citizenry? Shouldn't they be building a society in 
which Ukrainians can assemble and freely voice concerns regarding the 
future of their country?
  Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators, some have estimated over a 
million people, have taken to the streets in Kiev this past week out of 
frustration at their government's abandonment of the European Union 
Association Agreement. As protests escalated through this weekend, 
journalists and demonstrators were met with a violent police crackdown. 
Many were brutally beaten and burned by tear gas.
  For many years now, Ukrainians have called for and continue to desire 
a government and country that embraces democracy, liberty, and respects 
human rights. Those citizens in the streets and all Ukrainians deserve 
the opportunity to peacefully demonstrate. They should not fear 
government retaliation.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, let me say that I continue to support the 
Ukrainian people's European aspirations and their demands for 
democratic reform. Let the people of Ukraine move forward and face west 
and east and north and south with no fear of reprisal.

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