The 'disappeared' whose voices will be silent in vote on self-rule in Ukraine's east

telegraph.co.uk ^ | May 9, 2014 | David Blair

[Tailgunner Joe]

The men who interrogated Aleksey Bida were known only by nicknames: one was called “Bear”, another “Cossack”, a third “Citizen”.

After enduring hours of beatings at the hands of these pro-Russian insurgents, Mr Bida decided to flee the Ukrainian city of Luhansk.

“It’s not safe to be in Luhansk for those who oppose the pro-Russian activists,” he said.

“Ordinary citizens are in danger. People who are disobedient have been taken away. Some people have been 'advised’ to give them money.”

The rebels who now hold sway in a dozen towns and cities across the neighbouring regions of Donetsk and Luhansk will on Sunday ask voters in both Russian and Ukrainian to say “yes” or “no” to the “act of self-rule”.

Yet the insurgents have shown their attitude towards dissent by targeting their critics, real or imagined, for abduction and assault.

In areas controlled by self-appointed tribunes of the “People’s Republic”, anyone who dares to advocate a united Ukraine, or who backed the revolution that swept away Viktor Yanukovych’s pro-Russian regime in February, runs the risk of being “disappeared”.

[GeronL]

“Self-rule” meaning become part if Russia

[gorush]

That’s how Stalin did it.

[Tailgunner Joe]

That’s how the KGB did it and still does. Putin is KGB through and through.

[ncalburt]

Do you Putin propaganda KGB trolls ever stop lying ?
Non stop pathological lying for your KGB sociopath Dictator!
Sadly you lie so easily!

[RedMDer]

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Please donate today.

[TWhiteBear]

‘Do you Putin propaganda KGB trolls ever stop lying ?
Non stop pathological lying for your KGB sociopath Dictator!
Sadly you lie so easily!’
Well put.
The Communist Social Media blitz continues. There is no problem with getting the Internet Moscow slant on things, but the saturation of the news and Internet with Russian propaganda stifles any real discussion of the facts and issues. Both Ukraine and the US have little effective presence on the Internet, Ukraine because they are not really competent or funded to manipulate social media, and the US because their focus is on spying on their fellow US citizens, blackmailing them with the purloined information and perjuring themselves when exposed. There apparently is not real interest in contesting the issues in the social media, effectively kissing off Ukraine as well as Israel.
TWB

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

Part of the demands from the Maidan was more independence for the regions. So it is true that there is a lot of control over the regions, but false that the Ukrainians do not want to fix this. None of the problems in the East and South were solved by Yanukovich, of course, and much of it was likely caused by him and his party. The links between organized crime and Yanukovych and his party are profound, and it is the lawlessness of his corrupt government and likely Russian subversion that has enabled a small minority of criminals and communist-well-wishers to bully the majority in the East and South so easily. The governmental system itself was compromised, allowing thugs to face little resistance.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Putin abolished election of all regional governors in Russia ten years ago. Putin appointed the son of the Chechen mufti as President of Chechnya and he appointed Roman Abramovich governor of a Siberian region.

[Corporate Democrat]

Actually they want to cancel Stalin system. Ukraine have maintained communist-style government where capital appoints local governor. Imagine living in a US state where governor, chief of police are appointed by Obama and you have no-say about it... hold on...

Ironically, under your own definition Putin has also restarted Stalin system. Russia have also maintained communist-style government where capital appoints local governor.