This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Bobanni (talk | contribs) at 23:36, 9 April 2008 (→Holodomor is not genocide). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Holodomor genocide controversy is the argument whether the Holodomor, the disatrous famine in 1932-1933 that claimed millions of lives in Ukraine, was an ethnic genocide, or either a natural catastrophe or democide. .

As of April, 2008, 19 countries, including the United States, have recognized the Holodomor as a genocide

Holodomor genocide denialism should not be confused with Holodomor denial, which is the statement that the Holodomor never took place.

What is Genocide

Genocide definitions contains a list of scholarly and international legal definitions of genocide, a word coined by Raphael Lemkin in 1944. While there are various definitions of the term, Adam Jones, has written that the majority of genocide scholars consider that "intent to destroy" is a requirement for any act to be labeled genocide, and that there is growing agreement on the inclusion of the physical destruction criterion.

Determining what historical events constitute a genocide and which are merely criminal or inhuman behavior is not a clear-cut matter. In nearly every case where accusations of genocide have circulated, partisans of various sides have fiercely disputed the interpretation and details of the event, often to the point of promoting wildly different versions of the facts. An accusation of genocide is certainly not taken lightly and will almost always be controversial.

Holodomor is genocide

Background

Nationalities in the Soviet Union

One of the reasons that many scholars find it difficult to prove the genocidal nature of the Holodomor is the fact that in the USSR, there was no formal acknowledgement of nationality.

However, according to Stalin's own words, "The nationality problem is in its very essence, a problem of the peasantry." .

Because Stalin's plans of collectivisation focussed on "rozkurkuliuvannia" (de-kulakization) which meant taking away power from the traditional ruling classes, and re-distributing it to the Soviets, the de-kulakization of the nation meant removing the problem of the peasantry.

The Stalinist 5 year Plans - Pyatylitky

When Joseph Stalin came to power in the Soviet Union in 1924, he recognized that there were many obstacles keeping it far from the industrialized West. Also, there were many obstacles which kept the Soviet Union from utilizing the full potential of its economic power. Stalin quickly moved to implement 5 year plans, the so-called "pyatelitky" whose intent it was to move the USSR towards industrialism. One key element of the pyatylitky was the elimination of private, independently owned farms. This was the famous "collectivization" of the Soviet 1930s. The majority of these farms, however, were in Ukraine, the so-called "breadbasket of Europe".

Ukrainian law on Holodomor genocide denialism

The issue of the Holodomor remains very controversial in Ukraine. As of 2006, the Ukrainian government tabled a law which would make the denial of the Holodomor as genocide equal to denial of the Holocaust.

The law will make denying the Holodomor an act of genocide against te Ukrainian people equal to denying the Holocaust an act of genocide against the Jews. The maximum punishment will be 100-300 "untaxed salaries", and a prison sentence of up to 2 years .

International Acceptance of the Holodomor Genocide

On November 28, 2006, the Government of Ukraine passed a law acknowledging the Holodomor as a genocide . Since then, 19 countries have acknowledged the Holodomor as a genocide.

Holodomor is not genocide

Soviet-era dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn backed the Russian perspective on the Holodomor, dismissing Ukrainian claims that the famine was genocide as a "fable."

References

1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/ukrainian/domestic/story/2008/03/080313_latvia_holodomor_oh.shtml
2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/ukrainian/domestic/story/2008/03/080313_latvia_holodomor_oh.shtml
3. Based on a list by Adam Jones pp.15-18
4. Oxford English Dictionary "Genocide" citing Raphael Lemkin Axis Rule in Occupied Europe ix. 79
5. Adam Jones pp.20-21
6. http://www.artukraine.com/famineart/breadbasket.htm
7. http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/Genocide/Ukraine_famine.htm
8. http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=148&listid=56782
9. http://www.infoukes.com/history/famine/
10. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g24G2C82bayPydlhVXF5FYjM5PjQD8VPUNCG0