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Russia Charges Ukrainian Nazi Accidentally Praised By Canadian PM

Russia Charges Ukrainian Nazi Accidentally Praised By Canadian PM

Russia prosecutors have charged 98 year-old Yaroslav Hunka, a Ukrainian-Canadian World War II veteran of the 14th Waffen Grenadier SS, with genocide. According to Russia, between February 23 and 28, 1944, Hunka and other members of his SS division murdered “at least 500 citizens of the USSR” in the village of Huta Pieniacka, now part of Ukraine.

The Investigative Committee of Russia charged Hunka in absentia with “genocide of civilians on the territory of the Ukrainian SSR during the Great Patriotic War” in a statement.

“Among the victims were Jews and Poles.” “People were shot and burned in their homes as well as in the church,” it continued.

The primarily Ukrainian Galicia Division was convicted guilty of war crimes by commissions in Germany and Poland, and historians believe its men participated in multiple atrocities.

According to Russia’s statement, it is considering issuing an international arrest order for Hunka, who has sought legal counsel in Canada, Poland, and Belarus.

The allegations come just a month after Hunka was honoured as a World War II hero in front of the Canadian parliament, receiving a standing ovation.

On September 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in the House of Commons as a guest of honour, which prompted speaker Anthony Rota to quit in the face of intense criticism.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologised “unconditionally” for the “terrible mistake,” but Russia seized on the incident, with Russian President Vladimir Putin using it to fuel the narrative that Ukraine’s pro-Western government is neo-Nazi and to justify Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Putin termed the standing ovations for Hunka “disgusting” and stated that they demonstrated Moscow’s right to “de-nazify” Ukraine.

Ukraine and Nazis

In Nazi Germany, the SS (Schutzstaffel) was a paramilitary organisation. While the SS was mostly made up of Germans, there were also foreign SS troops, notably several Ukrainians.

Ukrainian collaborators served in different groups and organisations throughout WWII, including the SS’s 14th Waffen Grenadier Division (1st Galician).

These units participated in military operations on the Eastern Front and are the subject of historical research and debate. It is crucial to remember that not all Ukrainians backed the Nazis, and many Ukrainians actively participated in the resistance to the German rule.

The term “Nazi” often refers to the members and philosophy of the National Socialist German Workers’ organisation, a far-right political organisation that dominated Germany from 1933 to 1945 under Adolf Hitler’s leadership.


The Nazi dictatorship is notorious for atrocities such as the Holocaust and the aggressiveness that led to World War II. It should be noted that the Nazis were defeated in 1945, and their ideology is widely despised and condemned.

There is no clear link between Nazism and modern Ukraine. However, Ukraine, like many other countries, has a complicated past that includes many political parties and ideologies. It is critical to avoid broad generalizations and recognise that Ukraine, like other countries, has a diversified political landscape with various political parties, ideologies, and historical events.

In recent years, Ukraine has experienced significant political upheavals and conflicts, including the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution and the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine.

It is critical to approach these issues with compassion and nuance, focusing on the individual events, ideologies, and political groupings at stake rather than making sweeping generalizations. If you have any specific questions or concerns about Ukraine, I would be delighted to provide facts and context to the best of my ability.

Russia Labels the United States and Allies an “Empire of Lies”

Russia Labels the United States and Allies an “Empire of Lies”

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Millennials in Canada Have Turned their Backs on Justin Trudeau

Millennials are increasingly distancing themselves from Trudeau
Millennials are increasingly distancing themselves from Trudeau - CBC Image

Justine Trudeau and his Liberal Party are currently engaged in a fierce battle for second place against Jagmeet Singh’s socialist NDP, as both parties find themselves trailing by 20 points behind Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives.

A recent poll indicates that 38% of Canadians consider Trudeau to be the most ineffective leader the nation has encountered in over fifty years. An impressive 47% of Canadian Millennials indicated they would support Poilievre if an election were to take place today, while nearly half of all Canadians express a desire for an election to be called this year.

Pierre Poilievre’s strong appeal among young voters can be attributed primarily to economic factors: soaring inflation, a pressing cost-of-living crisis, and the challenge of housing affordability are pushing many away from the Liberals, who have held power for nearly nine years.

According to UnHeard, Millennials are increasingly distancing themselves from Trudeau due to his stringent measures aimed at controlling the internet to combat alleged disinformation, as well as his climate change initiatives, notably the carbon tax.

protest in downtown Toronto against mass immigration took place on Canada Day

Protest in downtown Toronto against mass immigration on Canada Day – TNC Image

An increasing number of Canadians are becoming aware of Trudeau’s ineffective policies and his approach to mass immigration. This past summer, there was significant outrage among parents of teenagers and young adults as they observed their children remaining at home without jobs.

The primary concern stemmed from the fact that most low-skilled and entry-level positions were being filled by unskilled, temporary foreign workers, predominantly from India.

There has been a notable rise in criminal activities linked to international students and unvetted temporary residents who are becoming involved with Punjabi gangs in Canada, contributing to a surge in auto thefts nationwide.

Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives are actively seeking to alter Trudeau’s approach to mass immigration and prioritize the construction of more housing should they come into power.

Significantly, Pierre Poilievre is perceived as more trustworthy than Trudeau, with over half of Canadians characterizing Poilievre as “open and honest about his actions, decisions, and intentions,” while only 39% share that sentiment regarding Trudeau.

The characteristics in question may shed light on Poilievre’s favorable polling, particularly among younger voters and women, who have historically leaned towards the Liberals or the NDP rather than the Conservatives.

The Liberal Party’s support has dwindled to an estimated 7% of Canadians, revealing a significant number of disillusioned voters eager for transformation. Poilievre is emerging as the type of leader that resonates with the desires of many Canadians.

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U.N. Special Rapporteur Calls on Thailand’s Banks to Cut-Off Myanmar Junta

UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar Tom Andrews speaks during a press conference after a meeting with Thailand's Parliamentary Committee

The U.N special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar has said the Bank of Thailand, commercial banks, and the anti-money laundering office are working on measures to stop the Myanmar Junta from acquiring weapons through Thailand’s banking system.

Tom Andrews the U.N. special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, said that some banks commercial in Thailand had aided Myanmar Junta’s by facilitating transactions that supplied military equipment to the Junta through the international banking system.

He called on the Bank of Thailand and financial institutions to do more to stop Myanmar’s junta acquiring weapons which they use on civilians to maintain power.

The special rapporteur was in Bangkok to address a parliamentary committee on security, he called on the Thai government to stop financial transactions that help supply weapons to Myanmar’s junta in line with a plan promoted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that sets out an end to violence as a first step toward peace.

In his 2023 report “The Billion Dollar Death Trade,” Andrews noted that Singapore had implemented a clear policy opposing the transfer of weapons to Myanmar.

Thailand's Banks

Thai Baht – File Image

Thailand’s Banks Lacked Clear Policy

As a result, exports of weapons and related materials from Singapore-registered entities using the formal banking system dropped from almost U.S. $120 million in fiscal year 2022 to just over $10 million over the next 12 months.

However, he said Thailand had no explicit policy position opposing weapons transfer to the Myanmar Junta, which saw exports from Thai-registered entities more than double in 2023, from just over $60 million to nearly $130 million.

He called on Thai Government to conduct a thorough investigation into transfers as Singapore had done into its companies’ dealings.

Andrews told the the committee that five Thai commercial banks and Thai-based companies were assisting Myanmar’s junta obtain weapons, dual-technology items and jet fuel, enabling Military Junta to conduct atrocities against the people.

But said he had found no evidence that the Thai government was involved or was aware of the transactions or that Thai commercial banks had knowledge.

Thailand's Banks

Photo courtesy of The Nation

Banks Condemn Myanmar Junta Violence

Meanwhile representatives from Thailand’s central bank, anti-money laundering office and the commercial banks named in the report were also present at the parliamentary meeting at government house in Bangkok.

A representative of the Bank of Thailand said officials were working with the commercial banks and the anti-money laundering office to make sure that enhanced oversight was properly practiced.

The Thai Bankers Association that was also at the parliamentary meeting said it did not have the means to investigate and monitor such irregularities beyond Thailand’s borders.

Mr. Pongsit Chaichatpornsuk, a Thai Bankers Association representative told the committee that If government security agencies tell us, we will stop transactions. We don’t support arms procurement by Myanmar Junta or any military government to violate human rights.

Thailand, which shares a long border with Myanmar and hosts many thousands of refugees fleeing conflict there, has tried to promote dialogue between Myanmar’s military rulers and opposition forces but no progress has been made.

This Article was first published in RFA

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People Rushing Sign Online Petition to Impeach South Korea’s President Crash Site

South Korea's President

The Speaker of the National Assembly of South Korea said in a statement that an online petition calling for South Korea’s President Mr. Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment crashed due to the enormous number of individuals attempting to sign the petition. Saying the National Assembly would resolve the matter as quickly as possible.

Since the petition was launch on the National Assembly’s website on June 20, more than 811,000 people have signed it. The petition urges Parliament to introduce legislation to impeach President Yoon on the grounds that he is unfit for office.

Late on June 30, National Assembly Speaker Mr. Woo Won-shik issued an apology for the disturbance and stated that Parliament would take action to protect the public’s fundamental rights.

People attempting to access the petition on July 1 experienced delays of up to four hours. At one point, an error message indicated that more than 30,000 individuals were waiting to access the site.

South Korea’s Parliament Hesitant

The online petition accuses Yoon of corruption, escalating the risk of conflict with North Korea, and endangering South Koreans’ health by failing to prevent Japan from leaking treated radioactive water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant.

By law, Parliament must assign every petition signed by more than 50,000 people to a committee, which will then decide whether to put it to a vote in the assembly.

However, the opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in Parliament, is hesitant to turn the petition into an impeachment bill, according to media reports, with a spokesperson stating that the party has yet to address the topic.

The Parliament can impeach a president with a two-thirds majority. The Constitutional Court then deliberates the motion and decides whether to remove or reinstall the president.

Meanwhile, on Monday Reuters reported North Korea criticized a joint military exercise performed this month by South Korea, Japan, and the United States, according to official media, saying such drills demonstrate the three nations’ alliance has evolved into “the Asian version of NATO”.

On Thursday, the three countries began large-scale combined military drills named “Freedom Edge” featuring navy destroyers, fighter fighters, and the nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, with the goal of strengthening defenses against missiles, submarines, and air strikes.

The drill was designed at a three-way meeting at Camp David last year to boost military cooperation amid concerns on the Korean peninsula caused by North Korea’s weapons testing.

Pyongyang will not overlook the strengthening of a military bloc led by the United States and its allies, and it would respond aggressively and decisively to defend regional peace, according to North Korea’s foreign ministry, as reported by KCNA.

 

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