Warszawa, dn. 18.05.2010 The Informal Group
Young Ruthenians
OPEN LETTER TO THE CANDIDATES
for president of Poland
Dear
In connection with the forthcoming elections for the office of President of the Republic turn to you as a representative of 300 thousand. Ruthenian minority of Orthodox asking a vision of the presidency and the Polish state in 2010-2015 in view the interests of our community. Answers to these questions will be published in the media associated with our minority.
President as the supreme representative of the state has a real impact on its image and the lives of its citizens. How the image can be changed so that our community could recognize the Republic as their own, safe home, which will be able to identify?
historical policy
since 1989 and the advent of a new Governance in Poland, we observe progressive changes in the historical policy of successive governments of right-wing (Solidarnosc, AWS, PiS), which in various ways struck at us in the minority.
Many of us have received death threats, some were dismissed because of their origin. The Polish state with varying intensity resulted Polonisation policy. Recently we celebrated the anniversary of the barbaric act of terror of the authorities (and local maximum) of the Second Republic in 1938, when the southern Podlasie and Chelm effect of regulations at the request of the Ministry of governors Interior razed to the ground more than 100 Orthodox churches. Until today there has been public debate about domestic policy with Poland, which - in our opinion - the authorities of the Third Republic as a direct successor should be obliged. We expect a critical assessment of the interwar period.
particularly painfully felt the effect, the Warsaw Military District Court in 1995, which rehabilitated the form of captain. Romuald Rajsa ps. Bury, responsible for the murder of religious and ethnic background of dozens of innocent people in 1946 For many years he fought with the authorities of the Third Republic for permission to place Memorial, one of the most important moments in twentieth-century martyrdom of our community. In our opinion, the crime has had signs of genocide.
began in 2002 on the murder investigation was discontinued after three years, but despite the ruling of guilt, there has been a clear message that the authorities of the Republic, which potępiałby of extermination in the name of "reconstruction of the Polish state." Romuald Rajs still showing in albums devoted to the heroes of AK.
In view of this fact, we want a public debate on the shaping of historical memory of the current year 1918-1946 and after 1989, to which we as citizens of the Republic of law. We believe that the Polish state policy pursued in those years very often hit the national, ethnic and religious groups. The historical memory of those years, which include today's history textbooks has been equated with the memory of the Polish nation and the followers of Roman Catholicism, and so do not take into account not only the memory of our Ruthenians (Belarusians, Ukrainians), but also Jews or Germans.
We also want the public to vote in the assessment year 1946-1989, which as a community often assessed differently than the rest of the citizens (to mention support for the introduction of martial law in 1981, 80-90% of the representatives of our community.) We do not agree on such a clear evaluation of the socialist period in Poland, especially in the context of today's brutal policy of settlement and appropriation of a symbolic space for state reasons of national (Polish) and confessional (Roman Catholic).
We believe that the current version of Polish history, as proposed by the Ministry of Education takes into account only selected events, selected from the viewpoint of the Polish nation and the idea of \u200b\u200bRoman Catholicism. We would like also covered the story the idea of \u200b\u200bstate of many nations and religions Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which in tolerant living it support all ethnic groups and confessions, not favoring one over another. As proponents of this idea we want to point out a great citizen of our country - Czeslaw Milosz and Jerzy Giedroyc.
Many of us will choose the president, who wants to pursue this idea.
Domestic Policy
our community numbering several hundreds of thousands of citizens of the Third Republic with great fondness refers the period of people's power in our country. Not due to any socialist or communist views most of us, and acknowledgment of the fact that PRL did not treat us like second-class citizens, which often took place before the war. If you do not permit the construction of temples we received, we knew that no such permit was also granted to Roman Catholics. A solution was disproportionately less painful than the fact of closing and demolition of the church in the 30s Twentieth century
entered an era of "Solidarity", which we have accepted with concern. We were afraid to return policy sanacyjnego government. Tie a right in the Bialystok region was set for us at least reluctant, as evidenced by the fact that non-acceptance as members of the "S" representatives of our community. After 1989 there was no destruction of the church. Nevertheless, the internal politics of the Polish state against our community, left much to be desired.
Until today there is no law regulating the full relations between the Polish state and the Polish Orthodox Church Autokefalicznym and lawyers posiłkują a document of 1991, which has a temporary character. Only last year, probably influenced by the threat of an international scandal (case against Poland in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg) ended a decades-long dispute between the Orthodox Churches, Greek Catholic and the government about real estate in the Carpathian mountains.
leaves a lot to be desired Failure to file festivals celebrated by the Julian calendar, which we have odpracowywać, in practice, this means limiting our religious liberties. In the end, we adopted a large concern to take note of the tutelage of all ethnic minorities by the Ministry of Interior, in lieu of Ministry of Culture. Tenor of the act leaves us no illusions about the civic sector as a minority we want to be seen by the authorities.
Since we expect the president to take over as landlord, which is the Republic. A good host should encircle the greater protection of what may be lost, and what is declared as a value. We expect the president will be able to defend us against the possible harmful effects of government activities. We expect the President of the Republic, not just the Polish nation.
Policy East
As Ruthenian Orthodox community of the Polish state in both 1918 and 1945, found as a result of the war. We did not participate in the negotiations, if not arranged a plebiscite. Nobody asked us which country we belong. Remembering the contributions of such figures as governor, Adam Kisiel, whether the prince and a great captain Konstantin Ostrogski - citizens of the Republic of the faithful of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the origin of the whole dynasty of Polish kings of the Jagiellonian, we did not want and do not want to feel bad in Poland, a stranger.
our little homeland - Białystok region, we take as our native lair, to which we are entitled to, despite several decades of the Polish state Polonisation policy. The moment of regaining independence by Poland, he found most of us in exile. As a community we have been acutely experienced by World War I, and emigration in 1915 as a result of the tsarist army propaganda. A large part of nearly a million of us have returned to their homes where there was a revolution in Russia and the rule of the Bolsheviks. This demonstrates the commitment to the land, even if this was in the new borders.
Origin of the Second Republic split our community of fellow brothers and Ruthenians (Belarusians, Ukrainians, Russians), the border dividing the Patriarchate of Moscow in the central-eastern part of Europe. As a result, by the pressure the authorities of our country, in a manner not fully established the legal Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church, whose existence has been confirmed and recognized in the Orthodox world only in 1947 that the division of Rana was deepened in 1945, when the new border has decreased dramatically number followers, taking the most important centers of worship and pilgrimage. Erased trade routes, the neighboring regions are inhabited by our cousins \u200b\u200band relatives were on the other side of the border.
End of era communist regime, when our country's relationship with the USSR were quite strong, which took place in 1989, changed the Polish relations with its eastern neighbors. During the past 20 years, especially since the country's accession to the European Union and the abolition of the borders of Western Europe, we noticed strengthen the eastern border of the country. This has particular implications not only in trade but also within the tourism and relationships culture. Historical policy referred to above, was characterized by the rhetoric of that period of account, the discourse topics include the differences of civilization.
believe that sealing the borders of our eastern neighbors is not the right policy. In place of the policy of sanctions and to subordinate their own interests would like to dialogue and policy of opening up. We note the ineffectiveness of some of the world and the marginal role of our country in spite of close relations with the countries of Polish Euro-American tradition. As an alternative to long-term process of integration with the West we suggest a cautious policy towards the East, where Poland, because of its geopolitical position could be a link between the West and East.
expect the president, thanks to which Poland will not be any of the minor satellite of the great political blocs on the planet, and will be able to maintain its own internal policies.
Please kindly comment on the possible depth to these issues.
Respectfully,
Tomasz Sulima
Informal Group
Young Ruthenians
PS This letter sent to all electoral committees, waiting for response.
