To Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

THE APPEAL
the IV Kurultay of the Crimean Tatar people

Simferopol, November 10, 2001

Dear people’s deputies!

The mass return of Crimean Tatars to their Motherland coincided with the formation of the independent Ukrainian state. The consistent position of the Crimean Tatars in support of independence of Ukraine is the logical continuation of decades of struggle of the Crimean Tatar National Movement against national lawlessness and discrimination in USSR.

When returning to their historical Motherland, practically each family of Crimean Tatars suffers unbelievable privations and severities connected with resettlement. We appreciate all efforts taken by the state on resettlement of repatriates in conditions of economical crisis in Ukraine, though funds given annually from state budget are not sufficient.

We appreciate also international organizations and governments of some states for their contribution toward resettlement of Crimean Tatars and renewal of scientific and educational institutions.

At the same time, during the ten years of independence the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine didn’t adopt any legislative act directed for solution of political-legal aspects of Crimean Tatar problem. Only 5 April 2000 due to support of people’s deputies of centrist and right centrist fractions in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine the parliamentary hearings were held “On problems of legal regulation and implementation of state policy on providing of rights of the Crimean Tatar people and national minorities, which were deported and are voluntarily returned to Ukraine”. On the same day the problems of repatriation and integration of Crimean Tatars were considered by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Unfortunately, many platform recommendations, which were adopted at both parliamentary hearings, have not been implemented. Our repeated appeals to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on issues of restoration of rights of the Crimean Tatar people remain without proper response. We understand that there are wide divergences amongst the people’s deputies, and there are those who now maintain that the deportation of the entire peoples and other crimes of communist regime, including against Ukrainian people, were legal. Nevertheless even those people’s deputies accept, that the return to their own lands of the entire people after a semi-centennial exile, against whom in the former USSR were adopted tens of discriminatory legal acts on the basis of national origin, will require, first of all, legislation providing for the process of restoration of their rights.

Our greatest concern comes from the constant postponement of consideration of draft law directed toward the development of articles 11, 92, 119 of the Constitution of Ukraine, in which are fixed the obligations of the state in relation to the indigenous peoples of Ukraine. Lack of a clear state ethno-national policy in Ukraine, despite the Law “On status of the Crimean Tatar people” gives an opportunity to authorities of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and the central bodies of executive power of Ukraine to ignore the legal interests and rights of the Crimean Tatar people.

To our opinion, the problem of representation of the Crimean Tatars in Verkhovna Rada of the ARC and local bodies of government of autonomy requires urgent consideration by Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Further isolation of Crimean Tatars from decision-making process on development of Crimean society is not only inadmissible, but can be considered as discrimination towards Crimean Tatar people.

We call upon to you during consideration of the drafts law “On elections of deputies of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea” to support drafts laws, which will be directed toward a solution of the problem of the representation of Crimean Tatars. Such attitude will correspond to the Recommendations of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe dated 5 April 2001 “On repatriation and integration of Crimean Tatars”, and also to the basic international documents in area of human rights and rights of peoples, in particular, the Article 8 of UN Declaration “On rights of persons belonging to national or ethnical, religious and linguistic minorities” dated 18 December 1992.

Dear people’s deputies of Ukraine!

Realizing the extreme importance of prompt solution of problems connected with return, resettlement, and restoration of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people, we hold that these truths are the sole basis for the search for solutions can be only through constant dialogue of the plenipotentiaries of the Crimean Tatar people with the supreme bodies of legislative and executive power of the state. The efficacy of such dialogue, in many respects, depends on your position, your understanding of the real position of Crimean Tatar people, who suffered, as a result of criminal deportation and forced detention in places of deportation, irreplaceable human, spiritual and material deprivations.

Our position is consistent, open and true - full reunion of the Crimean Tatar people on its Motherland, restoration of its political, socioeconomic and cultural rights in conditions of independent democratic Ukraine.

Adopted at first session
the IV Kurultay of the Crimean Tatar people