RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty: Ukrainian politicians put the squeeze on civil society
The Soviet Union used to propagate the notion that dissidents were funded by Western intelligence agencies. Today, those same (now, post-Soviet) elites, push an updated version of this notion, by arguing that their opponents work with Western foundations and NGOs to foment democratic “revolutions.” In Ukraine, President Viktor Yanykovych’s campaign against the opposition is an outgrowth of his Party of Regions’ alarm about the Arab Spring and of his rapidly collapsing popular support. In 2003-2004, when the Communist Party (KPU) and Party of Regions first raised this fear of “revolution,” the threat was portrayed as a contagion spread by the 2000 Serbian and 2003 Georgian democratic revolutions. Read the full story here.