Ukraine Protests Continued
Hello readers! On reading about
Ukraine and its recent events, I’ve decided to compile my next post as a
continuation from my previous one on Ukraine, detailing all the events up to
its most recent occurrences.
In summary of what has been occurring
previously that I outlined in my past post and updating it to where we are now:
there has been a series of events that led to fighting between police and
campaigners in November 2013 after the government announced deals with Russia,
which signalled a move away from Europe. This later culminated in the most
violent clashes in February which began after reports that a policeman had been
shot.
By the 20th February, officials
stated that 77 people died because of these clashes. In an attempt to end the
violence, President Yanukovych and his government agreed to a coalition with
the leaders of the opposition, and offered some new terms. However, But the
anti-government groups did not think this was enough, and the campaigners
reacted by taking control of more government buildings, demanding that an
election be held in May. So after, President Yanukovych fled Kiev after this government
voted to remove him from power. Olexander Turchynov has now been named as the
temporary president and a new government will be put in place until the
election, which is set for 25 May.
What started these protests was when
President Viktor Yanukovych announced his decision to pull out a treaty with
the EU, an agreement that suggested a paving the way for Ukraine to join the
union. The decision to pull out was a U-turn action that disappointed many
Ukrainians. Instead, the President announced a bailout from Russia that would
have created closer ties, whereas protesters believed that being aligned with
the EU would benefit ordinary people, and that Yanukovych only represents the
interests of the rich. As a result, the protests in Kiev became a symbol of the
protestors opposition against the President’s decision and they called for an
early election.
However, Yanukovych introduced new
anti-protest laws in order to end the demonstrations. These laws banned
protests from taking place without the government’s permission and threatened
those who disobeyed with up to ten years in prison. It also introduced fines
for wearing masks or helmets to demonstrations and also driving bans for
convoys of more than five cars. Additionally, internet media outlets have to
register with authorities and no amplifiers are allowed in public places. This
act of aggression against people’s right to free speech became fuel for fire;
it generated the protest movement to turn further from a pro-EU movement towards
anti-government feeling and became a cause for fighting against the corruption
of government. Demonstrators demanded the resignation of Prime Minister and
Interior Minister, and most importantly, the resignation of the President.
Two activists were killed by gunshot
wounds, but officers deny responsibility. A third activist was then found dead
in a forest outside Kiev; his body showed signs of torture. A 17-year-old
student also told the BBC he was stripped naked by police, beaten, injured by
knives and eventually taken to hospital.
With fears that the riots could
spread beyond Kiev, and with protesters reportedly storming and taking control
of government buildings, the European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso
warned Mr Yanukovych that the European
Union may take action if he doesn’t end his crackdown on protesters. President
Yanukovych then called an emergency session of parliament next week to discuss
the protests.
The result, however, was the collapse
of Ukraine’s government which all came about from the protests outcry against official
corruption and their use of police violence. After the months of protests, and
the raising death toll, Mr Yanukovych eventually left the capital and fled
while protesters took control of the city centre. Ukraine’s parliament voted to
remove Mr Yanukovych and set new presidential elections for May 25. Ukraine
opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was released from
prison and vowed to remain in power. She was the leader of the Orange Revolution
that thwarted Mr Yanukovych’s first run at the presidency and was later imprisoned
2011 for allegedly ordering a subordinate to sign a natural gas deal with Russia
in 2009, which prosecutors said led to huge losses for Ukraine. She denied any wrongdoing.
What is now at stake?
For Russia, it is critical that
Ukraine, a country of 46 million, becomes a clear political ally as a part of Putin’s
quest integrate and regain influence over ex-Soviet states. On the other hand,
Ukraine has been an important target for an EU program aimed at encouraging
democratic change in the region in return for free-trade agreements.
Furthermore, Ukraine occupies a number of key pipelines that funnel Russian
natural gas to Europe. Russian state-owned gas company meets around a quarter
of the EU’s gas needs, the bulk of which flows via Ukraine. As well as that, Ukraine
also receives a lot of its natural-gas supplies from Russia. Ukrainian
officials have blamed Moscow, arguing that it has been using its control over gas
pipelines which has made Ukraine into a political bargaining chip.
What happens now?
Currently, Parliament has now voted
in favour of trying Mr Yanukovych at the International Criminal Court (ICC). The
now ex-president has been accused of being behind the deaths of more than 100
protesters at the hands of the police; many of them were shot by snipers. In
the ICC, cases can be sent by the UN Security Council, where the ICC prosecutor
can then launch an investigation. It is known as a court of last resort, which
handles genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. At the moment, the
ex-President has been missing, reportedly last seen in Balaklava and a warrant has
been issued for his arrest. Russia’s stance on this is that they are opposed to
the changes in Ukraine, seen from Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev statement
describing the people behind the new administration an "armed
mutiny". However, it has been stated that Russia's "policy of
non-intervention" would continue.
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