We are fortunate to have such dedicated military
ALEXANDER Lukashenko has ruled Belarus as President since the nation’s independence in 1994. Often referred to as “Europe’s last dictator,” Lukashenko has ruled with an iron fist and has mercilessly crushed any political opposition.
Last week Belarus held presidential elections in which three women, led by Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, an English teacher with little political experience, attempted to democratically unseat the President. Predictably, the result was announced with Lukashenko having won 80% of the vote.
Since the announcement the opposition candidates have been forced to flee their country, an estimated 6,000 protestors have been arrested, there are widespread reports of horrific police brutality and Lukashenko has announced that “the only way that there will be new elections is if you kill me!”
Rightly, the UK Government has announced that they do not accept the results of this election and has called for an urgent investigation through the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe into both the election process and the brutal repression against peaceful protestors that has followed.
The horrific events in Belarus must serve to remind us of the preciousness of our own democracy. We are so fortunate to be able to enjoy the basic democratic freedoms that are so often taken for granted. Democracy flourishes when we hold differing ideas and opinions but, I fear, the strength of our democracy is being eroded by ever increasing levels of hostility and vitriol.
Unless we differ in our ideas, democracy cannot succeed. Our freedom to express our differences in opinions must be celebrated and cherished, it is crucial that differing ideas and beliefs are treated with tolerance and respect, not intolerance and abuse.
The Second World War was the ultimate struggle for democracy and, last Saturday, we celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Allied victory over Japan and the ending of World War 2. It is fitting that we remember the sacrifices that our parents’ and grandparents’ generations made in securing this victory.
Our Armed Forces saw action across the globe on land, at sea and in the air. Nearly half a million of them gave their lives for us. And at home the civilian population suffered from bombing, hunger, rationing and fear. We rightly honour their sacrifice and devotion to duty today. VJ Day was a day of great relief and celebration, suffused with grief for all that was lost.
We should never lose our pride in our shared military history and of our contribution to the vanquishing of tyranny. It was the fighting men of Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland who stood against the tyranny of Hitler and Nazi Germany. Together with their allies, they pushed his forces back across Western Europe and ended the greatest manifestation of evil and racism that the world has witnessed.
In the Far East British soldiers, sailors and airmen, many of whom endured the horrors of Japanese imprisonment, helped to roll back the forces of Imperial Japan and to end their brutal conquest of South East Asia. I would like to echo the words of the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who said of VJ Day 75: “On this anniversary I want to remember what we owe the veterans of the Far East campaign. They brought an end to the Second World War, they changed the course of history for the better, liberated South East Asia, and many paid the ultimate sacrifice. That’s why on this remarkable anniversary – and everyday hereafter – we will remember them.”
I would like to pay tribute to all those members of our Armed Forces who continue to serve us today. Indeed, over recent months we have watched with pride as they have provided invaluable support in combatting this cruel, yet invisible, enemy. They have built the Nightingale and Enfys Hospitals, they have coordinated the logistics of PPE provision and they have helped to contain local outbreaks, including here on Ynys Môn, by supplementing local testing capacity.
We are fortunate to have such dedicated and professional military serving our country. As your Member of Parliament, I would like to pay tribute to the Royal Air Force personnel serving here on our island at RAF Valley, along with all those who work at the station in their support. I send my profound wishes to the military community, both serving and veterans, across our island.
The rise of Hitler and of Nazism, the greatest evil countenanced by humanity, along with the militarisation and aggression of Imperial Japan, serve today as a warning from history to us all. Unforeseen threats to our nation’s security await us and it is vital that our Armed Forces are prepared to meet those threats. I will always defend our invaluable Armed Forces, I will champion RAF Valley and the crucial role that it plays in the defence of our nation and I will always act in the best interests of the security of the United Kingdom.