Ottawa, November 19, 2012 — The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, issued the following statement commemorating the 79th anniversary of the Holodomor:
“This week, Canadians will remember one of the greatest tragedies of the last century: the deliberate starvation of millions of men, women and children in Ukraine between 1932- 1933.
“Those deaths resulted from the murderous policies of the Soviet regime under Josef Stalin. The famine-genocide in Ukraine remains among the worst crimes against humanity ever perpetrated. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has called the Holodomor “one of the great crimes of history.”
“In 2008, Canada’s Parliament unanimously passed a bill to recognize the Ukrainian Famine as an act of genocide and to establish a Ukrainian Famine and Genocide Memorial Day.
“The passage of this Bill expressed the fundamental values Canadians hold dear: freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. It also honours the millions of Canadians of Ukrainian descent who have played an important role in building our society, while taking great pride in both their traditional heritage and their adopted home.
“Our country is committed to honouring the Holodomor victims and to promoting international recognition. Every year, Parliamentarians join with the Ukrainian-Canadian community to commemorate the Holodomor on Parliament Hill. Moreover, Canadians take part in Holodomor memorial gatherings held across the country.
“As Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, I stand with the Ukrainian community and with all Canadians in commemorating the Ukrainian Famine and Genocide of 1932-33.
“In remembering the victims of the Holodomor, we remind Canadians that we share a responsibility to ensure that such atrocities never happen again.”
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