(1) The Donbass People's Militia (DPM) is an armed militia
with allegiance to the Donestsk People's Republic, a self-
proclaimed State in Eastern Europe.
(2) The organization consists of pro-Russian separatists
that have taken up arms against the Ukrainian Armed Forces and
the Government of Ukraine.
(3) The Government of Ukraine has concluded that the DPM is
responsible for shooting down Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 on
July 17, 2014.
(4) The actions of the DPM resulted in the deaths of 283
passengers, 80 of them children, and 15 crew members.
(5) A United Nations report released May 15, 2014,
concluded that ``in eastern Ukraine, freedom of expression is
under particular attack through the harassment of, and threats
to, journalists and media outlets and the increasing prevalence
of hate speech is further fuelling tensions (Section I, Article
5, Section vi).''.
(6) According to the United Nations report, ``Armed groups
continue to illegally seize and occupy public and
administrative buildings in cities and towns of the eastern
regions and proclaim `self-declared regions'''.
(7) Leaders and members of these armed groups commit an
increasing number of human rights abuses, such as abductions,
harassment, unlawful detentions, in particular of journalists.
This is leading to a breakdown in law and order and a climate
of intimidation and harassment (Section I, Article 5, Section
ii).
( 8 ) A report by the highly respected human rights advocacy
organization, Human Rights Watch, found that ``Anti-Kiev forces
in eastern Ukraine are abducting, attacking, and harassing
people they suspect of supporting the Ukrainian government or
consider undesirable.''.
(9) Militants in the self-proclaimed Donestsk People's
Republic have taken hostages and have yet to release them.
(10) According to a report by the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees, the actions of DPM and other
militant groups have caused over 100,000 Ukrainians to flee
their country as refugees and have also displaced approximately
54,000 citizens internally.
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