Reasons why the Government in Kiev has no Credibility
They are using cluster bombs, missiles, rockets, and artillery, targeting hospitals, orphanages, schools, apartments, housing, water supplies etc.
Early on they cut off the shipment of medicines and to a degree food. People needing insulin or heart medication can no longer get them.
Ethnic cleansing of towns and villages that have no militias. In the towns of "Snowy" and "Friendly", houses were marked according to who supported them and who didn't. Pravy Sektor lined up men 16 to 60 in the street and shot them in cold blood. The two Russian reporters that were targeted and killed were with the survivors trying to leave the village of Friendly.
The use of mercenaries has been the hardest to deal with. The local red cross complains that the only thing they fire at is anything marked with a cross. Ambulances, medical drug transports and humanitarian goods have to be brought in secretly. This alone is a war crime, never mind the use of mercenaries to target and kill civilians, which is happening. Mercenary trainers also target orphanages instead of militia checkpoints. At first we thought that the Ukrainian army was just incompetent with howitzers and rockets. After a few months it was clear that instead of military targets, civilian targets over a kilometer away were being struck continually.
The use of Phosphorus Bombs is illegal. The burns have to be handled by specially trained doctors because they are from chemicals. and have to be removed surgically. Phosphorus burns through flesh until it reaches the bone.
The use of hollow point bullets is illegal in war- never mind against "your own people."
Gas was used in Odessa and Mariupol
Concentration Camps are being prepared. On June 11, 2014 assistant minister of defense and Pravy Sektor lieutenant Mikail Koval stated in a ministerial meeting that after a hard military surge people would be put through filtration camps. The militia would be eliminated, and their supporters weeded out. This action would be repeated until they are certain that all the junta's opponents have been dealt with. After all the murder, and torture, Pravy Sektor says: " I know this sounds harsh but..." apologizing for how harsh the concentration camps will be...
The people that pass muster will be relocated to different parts of the country. By November the Kiev government hopes to relocate at least 250,0000 people from western Ukraine and replace them. Currently there are over 400,000 displaced people and refugees from the Southeast.
The Kiev government is considering establishing a 10 kilometer wide buffer zone with a closed border. A quick look at any map will show that means relocating 5 million people and closing every regional capital in the Southeast.
The Southeast's Reactions
Reactions vary with the degree of shock people are in. Six months ago they saw Maidan happening, but thought that when it was over there would be a united Ukraine and they would get through this period.
Three months ago a young man I met said he thought Pravy Sektor could be dealt with the same as the KGB from Soviet times. Afterward the separatist leaders thought reason could prevail and a dialogue would happen. "We can negotiate with them" they would say. The young man read a few articles from the West including my own, spoke with his father and when we talked again he, like most people in Ukraine had begun to find out who they were dealing with. School history bookshad been scrubbed and not many people spoke about the war beyond the fact that some Ukrainians helped Hitler. Until recently everyone was Ukrainian, regardless of region or ethnicity. Even today many still can't understand their situation but when they do, they want to protect their people.
A neighbor of mine personifies a misconception that was common until Odessa happened. He doesn't understand what this form of Nationalism is, and doesn't want to know. He wants to be left alone on his little piece of land. He disagrees with Kiev and is angry about the murder of people around him. He wants someone (a super hero, maybe Batman) to stand up and fix this. He is too old, recently retired at almost fifty. He wants his wife, children and grandchildren to be safe, but helping them remains beyond his grasp. If Kiev wins over the Southeast I have no doubt I might see the red and black UPN/OUN/Pravy Sektor flag in front of his house. Not because he is a nationalist, but just to be left alone- unafffected. His failure to understand what is going on gives him the only peace of mind he has - or had.
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