KUALA LUMPUR: Though a small number, the Ukrainian community in Malaysia solemnly commemorated the 'Holodomor', recently.
The Holodomor (or death by hunger) is a day of remembrance on the fourth Saturday of November, observed by Ukraine since 1998.
It is also held as a tribute to the millions of victims of the 'Great Famine', regarded as one of the horrifying atrocities suffered by Ukrainians during the 1932-33 period under the Soviet Union rule.
Staff members of the Ukrainian Embassy in Malaysia, led by its counsellor Denys Mykhailuik, joined a dozen-odd of his citizens living here to observe the 'Holodomor' near the confluence of the Gombak and Klang rivers near Masjid Jamek, recently.
The peaceful gathering saw them holding lit candles and stalks of wheat.
Ukrainian ambassador Olexander Nechytaylo said that the 'Holodomor' was a result of deliberate actions of the totalitarian regime aimed at physical extermination of millions of Ukrainians.
"The 'Great Famine' of 1932-1933 was one of the most heinous, yet least known crimes, committed by the communists during the 70-year rule in Ukraine.
"The term 'holodomor' was coined from the Ukrainian noun 'holod' (hunger, or starvation) and the verb 'moryty' (to kill).
"The documents provide conclusive evidence that the (Soviet leader Joseph) Stalin-masterminded famine of 1932-1933 meets the definition of genocide as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Prevention of Genocide, adopted by the General Assembly on Dec 9, 1948.
"The facts clearly reveal that the communist-led extermination policy was directed specifically against the Ukrainian people," he said.
For decades, he added, the previous Soviet Union tried not only to hide the truth about the 'Holodomor' in Ukraine but to destroy its memory altogether.
"The 'Holodomor' was a total taboo in the Soviet media, academic research or even private family conversations.
"I have some personal experience about it.
"When I asked my history teacher in high school about the 'Great Famine' based on my grandmother's story describing some of her siblings dying of hunger in 1932, it caused a great deal of distress and for the first time made me realise the hypocritic nature of the Soviet regime.
"No doubt, any careless word may indeed ruin one's life," Nechytaylo said.
However, he added that despite all the dangers, during the most difficult times, there were people who realised the responsibility to tell the truth and could not remain silent.
"Ukrainians are honouring the memory of those killed by the famine and expressing deep gratitude to all those who broke through the 'iron curtain' of propaganda, preserved the memory of this atrocity, and restored the truth about the 'Holodomor'.
"The horrible tragedy of the 'Holodomor' in the end changed the course of history for our nation.
"30 years after the proclamation of independence, Ukraine stands tall as a democratic nation despite the continuous efforts to take away our freedom.
"Our identity is defined not only by the unique historical experiences, language and songs or cuisine, but also by a centuries-long political culture, ultimate value of personal liberties and deeply-rooted sense of belonging to the wider European family," said Nechytaylo.
He added that only by sharing the truth, no matter how hard it might be, they could make sure that the world would never forget or see such a tragedy ever happening again.