March 10, 1998

The Honourable Sheila Copps, MP
Minister of Canadian Heritage
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6

Dear Minister:

Our organization, founded in 1927, has over 2,000 members in Alberta and at least as many supporters. We are dedicated to the preservation of the rich cultural heritage of the Ukrainian people, and to the preservation of the finest democratic ideals for everyone.

It was with shock and indignation that we read a recent report in which it was stated that the Canadian government, under your Ministry, is planning to construct a "Holocaust museum" at public expense. If this report is accurate, you appear to be oblivious to the following historical facts concerning atrocities perpetrated by governments against various peoples, as chronicled by the world's leading expert on 20th century genocide, Prof. R.J.Rummel (in rank order): Soviet Union killed 64 million; Red China 35 million; Nazi Germany 20 million; Nationalist China 10 million; imperial Japan over 6 million, and so on. Add to this genocides against the following peoples: Cambodians, Koreans, Yugoslavs, Algerians, Kurds, Iranians, Ethiopians, Rwandans, Ugandans, plus inhabitants in Chad, East Timor, Bosnia, Columbia, Chile and so on.

Bearing in mind that most of the countries whose victims suffered these genocides are represented in Canadian society today, is there any particular reason your government has chosen to show only one particular victim group in the proposed museum?

Please confirm that the honouring of one victim group will not be the government's final plan.

Yours truly,

Eugene Harasymiw
President