July 03, 2002

Faxed to: (780) 495-5142

Peter Goldring, M.P.
9111 - 118 Ave.
Edmonton, AB
T5B 0T9

Dear Mr. Goldring:

The 1,000-member strong Alberta Ukrainian Self-Reliance League calls upon the Government of Canada to immediately name a Commission of Inquiry into the presence in Canada of Soviet and Communist war criminals.

The terms of reference of this Commission would not be unlike those given the Deschenes Commission (1985-1986). Also included in the mandate must be an examination of the following questions:

1. How did it come about that the government has, since 1987, instituted war crimes proceedings against Canadians of Ukrainian and Baltic descent who were or are currently still being accused of heinous war crimes against one specific group and/or of entering Canada by fraud, false pretences or by materially misrepresenting their past in relation to events during the Second World War, and that such proceedings have been and are being carried out to the exclusion of any other era of modern history, or any other conflict, or any other potentially culpable group?

2. Why are these current denaturalization and deportation proceedings, in the guise of "war crimes" prosecutions, being prolonged despite a complete lack or absence of probative evidence of war criminality on the part of the accused?

3. Why, despite evidence of the presence of persons engaged by Soviet and/or Communist regimes who have admitted acts of war criminality, the government has chosen to ignore their self-confessed crimes, and continues to protect them while expending voluminous resources and funds on prosecuting persons identified in point #1 above?

4. What has been the precise extent of influence exerted by both lobby groups and members of the Prime Minister's top unelected advisors in lobbying the government to pursue persons identified in point #1 above, to the exclusion of any other potentially culpable individuals, no matter where or when their crimes against humanity were perpetrated, and against whom?

5. What have been the precise sums of donations, paid trips abroad or any other favors made by lobbyists pushing for the prosecution and for denaturalization and deportation proceedings against Canadians of Ukrainian and Baltic descent identified in point #1 above, and directed to Cabinet Minister in this government since 1993?

This call for an official Commission of Inquiry is consistent with the position of the Ukrainian Canadian community since the Deschenes Commission: i.e. that Canada must not be a haven for war criminals from any era, no matter what their identity, and no matter who their victims were, and that such accused be tried in a criminal court.

This is not the time to procrastinate - time is ticking, and no fair-minded Canadian wants to see Canada a haven for any kind of war criminal (including those whose crimes are being committed at this very moment), or wants to see these people escape justice via their biological clocks.

Please honor us with your timely response. Thank you.

Yours truly,

Eugene Harasymiw, LL.B.

Chair
Civil Liberties Standing Committee

Hon. Martin Cauchon
Minister of Justice Fax: (613) 995-0114

Hon. Denis Coderre
Minister of Citizenship & Immigration Fax: (613) 995-9755

Hon. Anne McLellan
Minister of Health Fax: (613) 943-0044