“This year, for the first time anywhere, anywhere else, no banner or streamers to the 18th of may. Everywhere only may 9, and St. George’s ribbons,” wrote Aysha Umerov, a journalist and daughter of a dissident Ilmi Umerov. A very apt remark. It definitely indicates one of the main goals of Russian policy in the Crimea — “metatarsal” Crimea and fit them (the Crimea and Crimean Tatars) true history into the Procrustean bed of official version.
In her diary may marked only the red date is 9 may, which lasts a whole year, because this is the nucleus of Putin’s propaganda, the implantable source of enthusiastic pride for Russia, which “saved the world from fascism”, “free the people” and “if necessary, repeat”. May 18, the day of the deportation of the indigenous people — the Crimean Tatars, this eternal “holiday” spoils and breaks the logic of two myths: that the Crimea has always been Russian, and that the great Russia liberated Crimea from the Nazis in 2014, the same as in 1944. Therefore, every year the occupation of the mourning events on may 18 that Ukraine is recognized as the Day of memory of victims of genocide of Crimean Tatar people on the Peninsula are narrow, and to go with the first year of the occupation.
In may 2014 the Russian intelligence arms of the government collaborators were forbidden to hold a memorial service in the 70-th anniversary of deportation of Crimean Tatars in traditional place — on Lenin square in Simferopol. And the meeting was held in a remote district of the city, where the Crimean Tatars compactly live and there is a mosque. But then it was thought that the invaders just protect from the crowded events in the city centre, on the square in front of the Council of Ministers, and people, a couple of months ago boycotted the “referendum”. However, subsequent years showed that it’s not just that.
18 may., the “Crimean” page in “Facebook” was chronopost new bans, which from this day is likely to become the norm for all the others: it is impossible to stand, walk, and ride with the national flag of the Crimean Tatars, it is impossible to hold an informal memorial service and laying flowers to the monument to victims of deportation of even one person can be interpreted as an attempt to hold an unsanctioned rally.
Itself “authority” has allowed the demonstration of the cynicism of the highest level — a police car blocked the approach to the wall station in Bakhchisarai, where in 1944 deported the Crimean Tatars. The result — in the morning people could come to lay flowers and pray at the funeral of the plate. The explanation of this savagery was named “prevention of vandalism”, he says, a man could at this day to commit vandalism against the memorial to the Crimean Tatars.
Why? Oh yeah, it’s “people-traitor”, their “Stalin saved by deportation”, otherwise the Slavic population they killed for collaborating with the Nazis. However, a revival of the bogey of Soviet propaganda, justifying the crime occurs rapidly in Russia, not only against the Crimean Tatars and maintained at the level of state policy, because the same crimes are committed by the current government of the Russian Federation. And for that, including why Putin needs the jacket of Stalin — leader of the winning nobody has the right to judge.
The current demonstrative measures against the Crimean Tatars on the day of memory of victims of deportation should probably push them to two conclusions: to walk safely only at a formal event or “must go”. First provide massive events (with collaborators) “the right of the Crimean Tatars”; the second will bring the desired result on the change of population structure, in which disloyal Crimean Tatars will be insensitive to a minority, and it would not raise the issue of the rights of indigenous people.
Ideal to do this concept did not arise, for its dilution was introduced into active use the concept of “rooted people” — i.e. those born in the Crimea. And their interest in their ethnic group, of course, higher than that of the Crimean Tatars, most of whom were born in the places of deportation. In this sense, the Crimea — certainly not Russia, where indigenous peoples are in the minority, even formally, but have exercised their right to self-determination in the historical territory.
But “Crimea has always been Russian,” and now it is also a powerful military base, and the theme of rights of the Crimean Tatars to self-determination would be taboo, even if they are without exception supported the annexation, signed in blood allegiance to Putin and asked for national autonomy within the Russian Federation. Because the Russian ruling elite is impossible mentally. The current master of the Kremlin and his entourage come from the KGB/FSB, and their minds on the shelf “Crimean Tatars” — a never-ending 1944.
But not only them — he lives in the minds of all Ukrainian politicians and officials who are not weathered from Soviet propaganda or contracted new Russian (her generously podsunuli Russian strategists, who “did” almost all our current political leaders). Debris that seem forever stuck in their minds since the 90’s, with the period of mass return from places of deportation of the Crimean Tatars, has the form of phobias “Crimean Tatar separatism”. Or its imitation: when deep concern about the preservation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine or the international consent in Crimea were disguised Russian setting or plain chauvinism, and this substitution became particularly noticeable after the beginning of the occupation of the Crimea.
But before the tragedy, any strengthening of the rights and opportunities of the Crimean Tatar community (as well as Ukrainian — don’t forget!) not allowed the leadership of Ukraine not to “offend” the Russian (Russian-speaking) majority. Consider just how flawed — orientation of the state is not to your stronghold (political and ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars) in complex and potentially volatile region with the Russian military base, and disloyal to Ukraine population, which, moreover, is in the majority. Roughly speaking, the whip — its, cookies — stranger. The saddest thing is that neither change of government nor the integration into the European space, nor the coming into power of the young in Europe trained people on the policies of the state on the issue of Crimea and the Crimean Tatars for two and a half decades was not affected.
On the other hand, the leaders of the Majlis of the Crimean Tatar people (banned in Russia organization — approx. ed.) will never (and not only publicly) is not put before the Ukrainian leadership, the question of granting right to self-determination squarely, although the Declaration on the national sovereignty of the Crimean Tatar people was adopted by the II Kurultai of the Crimean Tatar people, 28 June 1991, As has been said by the leaders of the Crimean Tatars, they believed that in a democratic Ukraine sooner or later the right people will be implemented — we just need to wait, the state has a lot of problems, and in the Crimea — especially with Russia and the difficult negotiations — gas, BSF, language, business (gas pipe, cheese, sugar). A compromise was guaranteed to represent the leaders of the Mejlis, the Parliament of Ukraine (legislative rostrum and the opportunity to defend the rights of the people) and positions in the government of Crimea.
Corruption, remember, was and is everywhere, which greatly facilitates the work of the Russian special services, so it is not surprising why the Crimean Tatar leaders are now in the authorities of Russia and occupied Crimea. And these are the main answers to the question — why a democratic Ukraine, after gaining independence, the Crimean Tatar question did not go in a direct democratic way, provided by international law. Namely, the UN Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples. It affirms the right of indigenous peoples to self-determination and the freedom to determine their political status, economic, social and cultural development. The Declaration was adopted in 2007, Ukraine abstained.
The United States and Canada, too, but they have not been and never will be Russian military bases on the historical territory of indigenous peoples, which would violate their sovereignty. Attempts to “any” of the Crimean Tatars in the face of their leaders, Russia has undertaken even before the beginning of the occupation. ZN.UA first, then, announced the arrival in the Crimea Advisor of Vladimir Putin in the occupied territories Vladislav Surkov. And about his desire to meet with the head of Majlis Refat Chubarov “to assist the Crimean Tatars”. However, the meeting did not take place. Then personally Vladimir Putin spoke to Mustafa Dzhemilev and failed again to agree on loyalty: the Majlis urged to boycott “referendum”.
Before the meeting, recalls a member of the Majlis Eskender Bariev, he, the last Soviet political prisoner Sinaver Kadyrov and Abmazhit Suleymanov went to Kiev to persuade people’s deputies of Ukraine to urgently accede to the Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples and to adopt a law on the status of the Crimean Tatar people as an indigenous. However, it is not a law but only a decision of Parliament on recognizing Crimean Tatars indigenous people, the Parliament passed only on March 20 — after the “referendum” in which the mythical “people of Crimea” have “voted” for independence of the “Republic of Crimea” and its entry into the Russian Federation. But it was a political exhaust. To join the Declaration of the needed things a bit to report it to the UN.
This was not done before the referendum. Not been made or after March 15, the Majlis of the Crimean Tatar people announced its intention to implement the people’s right to self-determination. Or after March 29, was the Resolution of the VI Kurultai of the Crimean Tatar people “On implementation of the Crimean Tatar people’s right to self-determination in their historical territory — in Crimea.” I remember that April morning in new York: before the meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in the Crimea, where Mustafa Dzhemilev and I had to make a presentation, the permanent representative of Ukraine to the UN Yuriy Sergeyev tried to contact the Minister of foreign Affairs Paul Dedica to explain to him the importance of Ukraine’s accession (only need a statement!) the Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples. For the right of indigenous people in determining the status of its territory is important, and Ukraine’s arguments about the illegality of “referendum” and the annexation of Crimea would be more significant, including in international courts or negotiations. But deshchitsa was busy…
“We, though late, realized the necessity of creating in the Crimea of national autonomy of the Crimean Tatars, with full, of course, ensuring equal rights and freedoms of ethnic Ukrainians, Russians and other ethnic groups of the Peninsula.” It is said by the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko in may 2016. “A week ago, the Constitutional Commission adopted the decision on creation of working group on elaboration of proposals of amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine in are the Crimea. Therefore, we are making the first steps to creating in Crimea national autonomy of the Crimean Tatars,” — said Petro Poroshenko may 18, 2017. And I personally do not believe that the extension will be not one at a time — because Poroshenko is lying. He says that the delay was not for him — he was ready to submit draft amendments to the Constitution, as only he would be given working group.
But “awareness” of the President before his first step, orders his administration to establish a working group — a year has passed! At the end of which we again hear that Crimea will be returned through diplomatic channels. I suppose — based on international law, which, in particular, identifies the specific right of the Crimean Tatar people on the territory of Crimea. We in the Ukraine — 25 years, say the Crimean Tatars. But in the minds of Ukrainian rulers the gift of persuasion seem to have other voices. Or sounds. I know compatriots who are generally far from the Crimean and Crimean Tatar topic — historically, there is our common now not a problem — the trouble is, as the war came out.
And it will end only when the Crimean topic will be drawn. And it will snap into place in the row of history, when we resolve the Crimean Tatar issue, what ZN.UA writes not the first decade. Let’s start small. Crimean Tatars — the people. The Crimean Tatar people has right to self-determination in their historical territory. The Crimean Tatar people want to exercise their right to self-determination in their historical territory — in Crimea — is a part of sovereign Ukraine. This is necessary to get used to. And then to wonder what it will be — the Crimean Tatar autonomy within Ukraine.
