URUGUAY PAINTING BY OLLIE HARRINGTON The following article appeared recently in the newspaper ‘‘Leninsky Shlyakh’’ (Lenin’s Path) published in the Kiev, Reg- ional town of Bila Tserkva. Writ- ten by M. Sribnyak, it is an ac- count of one person, now living in Canada under a new name, and how he is recalled by the survivors of nazi occupation. In his book, ‘‘Lest We Forget’’, (Progress Books, Toronto), Michael Hanusiak catalogues the grim story of the collaborators in the Ukraine and their crimes” against their people. Many are today living abroad (including Canada and the USA) where they have attempted to hide behind new" names. This story from Bila Tserkva is one such story, titled “The Two Faces of Mr. Shpak- Bilotserkivsky’”’. zs 8 #®- When the town of Bila Tserkva in Kiev Region was occupied by nazi Germany, Anton Shpak, a bookkeeper at the local dairy, lost no time in rendering his services to the invaders. Colonel Rompel, chief of the district police, invited Shpak for a conversation. The former book- keeper swore allegiance to the Fuehrer and several days later was strutting the streets of the -town in a new policeman’s un- iform with a rifle over his shoulder. Early in October 1941, Shpak produced a list of ‘‘distur- bers of the new order.’’ Among them were teachers, doc- tors, workers in public organiza- tions and state institutions. Many were women and old men. The nazis arrested all of them, and the following day Shpak personally CUCUUCEEEAREAGCQEGEEULCGGEREASCCOEEERGGEECOESEROUEEEE shot them on orders from the police chief. The quisling was especially zealous in organizing punitive op- erations against the Jewish popu- lation. In October he searched day and night through the streets and alleys in the town and in neighboring villages for people of Jewish nationality. The former bookkeeper dragged women, children, elderly people to the local jail. Then they were taken to the town outskirts and killed. The nazis allowed Shpak, as their most diligent servant, to take the clothes of- the murdered people. He rummaged around among the bodies taking rings and other valuables. The nazis noticed this werewolf’s loyal service and shortly appointed him secretary, then deputy police chief and senior interrogator for special (political) cases. Before me is a photo: kind, slightly squinting eyes, a nice haircut, a dark bow tie stands out on his snow-white shirt. This is how Shpak (now Bilotserkivsky) looks to the people in Canada where he now resides. Another photo shows him in a fascist un- iform. The people of Bila Tserkva and the neighboring villages curse him to this day. “cc . We greet the highly re- verend hierarches of Ukrainian Orthodox churches,” writes A. Bilotserkivsky (Shpak) in the nationalist newspaper Ukrainski Visti( Ukrainian News), published in West Germany. ‘Leaders of Ukrainian political,’ public and youth organizations, the whole Ukrainian community ... “Signed for the presidium of the World Federation of Ukrainians PACIFIC TRIBUNE—SEPTEMBER 23, 1977—Page 6 -has The Women’s International Democratic Federation (WIDF) launched an_ international campaign for the release of Uruguayan patriot Rita Ibarburu who has been imprisoned in Mon- tevideo since the fascist coup in 1975. She will be marking her 62nd birthday-on Sept. 23. Rita Ibarburu has become a symbol of the heroism of the Uruguayan people in its difficult struggle against the fascist dic- tatorship. She has a long and proud history of struggle which began in 1933 when, as a student, she participated in the fight against the Terra dictatorship and was a founder of a Popular Uni- versity in a workers’ quarter of Montevideo. - She was active during the Spanish Civil War in organizing solidarity movements - with the Spanish Republic and developed her work in trade unions and as a journalist: During World War Two, Ibar- buru took part in ‘‘Women’s Union for Victory’’, a mass or- ganization which aided the vic- tims of fascism and for many years contributed materials to the magazine ‘‘Nosotras’’ and the journals ‘‘Justicia’’ and ‘‘Ver- dad’’. In 1955 she was named general manager of the political magazine of the Uruguayan Communist Party ‘‘Estudios”’ where she worked until the fascist coup. Rita Ibarburu has been in jail subjected to torture since’ that time, but her convictions remain strong. She will reach her 62nd birthday under these conditions together with her sister Manena Ibarburu who is in prison with her. : The WIDF urges that letters, cables and other messages be sent to the Uruguayan government demanding her release and the re- lease of the other political prison- ers. It urges notes be sent to her in prison greeting her on her birth- day. The addresses are provided below: Dr. Aparicio Mendez Presidente de la Republica Casa de Gobierno Montevideo Uruguay Col. H. Kinares Brum Ministro del Interior: J. Herrera y Obes, esq. Paraguay Montevideo Uruguay Sr. Jefe del ESMACO 8 de Octobre y Pte. Berro Montevideo Uruguay Rita Ibarburu Penal de Punta Rieles Montevideo Uruguay Uruguayan political prisoners. Life of Perez in serious danger The campaign for the release of communist leader Jaime Perez continues amidst renewed fears for his life: Perez has endured three years of imprisonment and savage torture in Uruguayan jails. In February, Perez was taken to an undisclosed place from a prison hospital where he was being treated after torture. The Frente Amplio (Broad Front) has called for disclosure of Perez’ whereabouts and for his liberty and that of hundreds of other PHOTOS: Above, the vestiges of Shpak’s crimes in the village of Bila Tserva (photo taken in 1944). Shpak as a nazi policeman (inset). Mr. Bilotserkivsky (alias Shpak) photo taken from a Ukrainian nationalist newspaper. —former political prisoners... A. Bilotserkivsky (chairman).’’ And now let’s read what two witnesses from Bila Tserkva had to tell about the activities of this former ‘‘political prisoner.”’ V. Zabihailo: ‘I recall the March night in 1942 when the police hammered on the door with rifle butts. Father hurriedly put on his coat and went out. When he returned in the morning, his face looked grey and his hands were trembling. ‘My God,’ he whis- pered, ‘how can they humiliate people so mercilessly.’ ‘Tt is hard to imagine: what the local policemen and especially Shpak did. And the number of people he killed! He would line them several in a row and shoot them in the back. Our hair stood on end when we buried those poor people.” I. Yevchuk: ‘‘When several Jews were being led to be shot, one of the doomed, a young, good-looking «girl, rushed to Shpak: ‘Anton, what are you do- ing? Don’t you remember that we went to school together and you helped me carry my books?’ ‘Shut up, you damned Jew,’ he shouted in response and, raising his rifle, shot her right through her head.” Mordko Diner and his wife Beila and an elderly woman Dvoira Holostupets were also kil- led then. : “Join the Ukrainian Workers Union!’’ Bilotserkivsky, through the newspaper Vilne Slovo (Free World), called on people to take out modern, first class, life insur- ance policies. Aid given in case of accident and to disabled members of the family ... For more infor- mation write or telephone toUWU branch secretaries or the chief or- ganizer: Anatoly Bilotserkivsky 490 Oak St. La Salle, Que. Canada. The witnesses in Bila Tserkva added that in February 1943, when Jews were being shot, a small crying boy threw himself at the feet of Shpak-Bilotserkivsky, who is presently wearing a mask of a good samaritan for the dis- abled and that of a benefactor of youth of Ukrainian heritage in Canada. “Do not kill me, uncle,” begged the boy crawling around. the former bookkeeper’s feet. “I -am still a little boy and my mother will worry; because she does not know where lam... ”’ The policeman burst out laugh ing in response and hit the boy’s head with his rifle butt. Then he shot him. As documents and witnesses show, Shpak, and other quislings like him, shot innocent citizens 19 our town. The majority of the vic- tims were of Jewish nationality. Yes, a lot of blood was shed by Shpak (Bilotserkivsky) in Bil@ Tserkva. It will never be forgiven: The question is: who is this quisling serving now? It is clear t0 everybody that such murderers and traitors are in the same camp as those who are against the pol- icy of peace, against internation detente. )