Crimean Tatars

I am not happy with the United Nations' report some time ago, on the cases of human rights violations in Crimea. The report is misleading as there is no ethnic conflict in Crimea. Turkey is also now trying to discredit Russia with political opportunity to accuse Russia of human rights violations against Crimean Tatars. There is a very small Crimean Tatar minority living in Crimea with the majority of Russians.

Sel, the leader of Crimean Tatars in Turkey said "Crimea had a wide range of internal problems regarding Crimean Tatars. These problems had been in 'sleep mode' prior to reunification with the Crimean Tatars' situation in the years following Ukraine's independence in 1991 characterised by the defective functioning of legislation and Ukraine's legal system. It is incorrect to suggest that violations of the Crimean Tatars' rights began only after the peninsula's return to Russia. There is no explicit and systematic violations of the rights of national minorities on the peninsula. On the peninsula, a number of arrests and detentions of persons suspected of being involved in radical Islamist groups have taken place. However, this activity by law enforcement to detect and prevent the spread of terrorism cannot be interpreted as a violation of human rights. Ankara's situation of the Crimean issue from the standpoint of supporting Ukraine will eventually lead to rupture in the ties between Turkey and Crimea. If Turkey continues to pursue policies in this vein, this could lead to problems for Turkish citizens living in Crimea. Turkey is home to a major Crimean Tatar diaspora estimated to be 150,000".

The Crimean Tatars in Crimea are better off out of Ukraine as Ukraine has got a history of gross violations of human rights. They have been treated badly by Ukraine as they were segregated, and were used as political pawns. 

They do not need to isolate themselves from Russians, and can take part in everyday normalities, and can share with Russians their political views and aspirations if they want to be MPs. They are treated as equals, as any other minorities with different nationalities. Crimean Tatars cannot be discriminated against for wanting to be MPs which Ukraine have already done.

As long as Crimean Tatars are not seeking to destabilise or cause trouble in extremist form or cause divisions with other ethnic minorities as well as Russians. They have the same treatment as others regarding welfare, schooling, health etc.

It is a crime if Crimean Tatars seek to detach, and isolated themselves from the rest of the community in Crimea.

It is a crime if Crimean Tatars cause unrest, discord, use inappropriate propaganda, and use violence against any one. They have to be tried the same way as Russians would be tried.

It is a crime to treat Crimean Tatars any differently from Russians. 

This I have to make clear, and Crimea is living peacefully now, especially being detached from Ukraine has improved the Crimean way of life.

There is no evidence that there are human rights violations against Crimean Tatars living in Crimea and the diaspora.

We cannot have United Nations pursuing their policies in this vein with Turkey and other countries.

Russia does not deserve to have sanctions imposed against it by the United Nations, Europe and United States, when it took action to look after Crimea.

About Crimean Tatars and testimonial from Vasvi Abduraimov

Crimean Tatars - predominantly Muslim ethnic minority formed in Crimea in the Middle Ages. They were forcibly expelled to Central Asia and Turkey by Joseph Stalin's government. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Tatars began to return to Crimea under the new government of Ukraine, and was annexed by Russia for the second time, when new civil war started in Ukraine.

In 1774, the Khanate was proclaimed independent under the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, and was then annexed by Catherine the Great of Russia in 1783.

That was because of Tatars creating wars since the Ottoman Empire, and their inability to govern a few times, and causing problems for Crimea and Russia.

From 1853 to 1856, the peninsula was the site of the principal engagements of the Crimean War, a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of France, Britain, the Ottoman Empire and Sardinia.

Crimea became part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic in 1921 as the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, which became part of the Soviet Union in 1922.

During the Second World War the peninsula was invaded by Nazi Germany in summer 1941 across the Isthmus of Perekop. Following the capture of Sevastopol on 4 July 1942, Crimea was occupied until German forces were expelled in an offensive by Soviet forces ending in May 1944. After Crimea was liberated, it was downgraded to the Crimean Oblast and the Crimean Tatars were deported for alleged collaboration with the Nazi forces. A total of more than 230,000 people were deported, mostly to Uzbekistan, at the time about a fifth of the total population of the Crimean Peninsula.

Chairman of Crimean public organisation Milli Firka (People’s Party) Vasvi Abduraimov said.

"The Crimean Tatar people got an opportunity to restore its usurped rights only after the March 2014 referendum when Crimea reunified with Russia. I recalled that in early 1990s Russia adopted laws on exoneration of repressed peoples and victims of political repressions. And only after March 2014, we got all opportunities for restoration of all usurped rights as an ethnic community. Ukraine officially declared itself a unitary state and in all possible ways neutralised and universalised ethnic and religious communities for its so-called ‘Ukrainianess'. The apotheosis of that policy was the statement by President Viktor Yushchenko that the state doctrine is to build one country, one nation with one language and one faith. Now everyone sees what that mindless policy of universalisation, when fundamental human rights are infringed upon, has led to. Kiev-style universalisation, with total corruption of officials at all levels, when not law and the people rule but 20 oligarchs, could not but lead to a disaster, and it happened. The Ukrainian state currently only exists de jure, and not de facto."

The Milli Firka chairman underscored that in 1954 Crimea was handed from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic "absolutely illegally", as Crimean Tatars in that period "were rightless in exile." "And no one then asked us or Crimean residents, whether they want Crimea to be handed to Ukraine. The rights of all Crimean residents are now violated by Western countries who imposed restrictions for the peninsula which in particular relate to business, foreign trips and tourism. Due to those restrictions, Crimeans "are unable to conduct economic activity in a normal way. I Abduraimov assessed Western sanctions as "the clearest manifestation of a double standards policy. Declaring sanctions against the policy of the Russian Federation, they actually tie the hands and feet of ordinary people, preventing them from moving freely and doing business".

Crimean Tatars are now back in Crimea under Russian control, and work began since the reunification of Crimea and Russia regarding economy, finance, credit, legal, state power, military conscription and infrastructure systems has been actively underway.

I thank Abduraimov for speaking out against the universalisation of Ukraine. I sympathise about what Crimean Tatars have gone through the centuries, and preserving their rights as its own ethnic minority with a different faith, history, culture and language.

I am against universalisation of Ukraine. No ethnic minority should be affected by changes from Ukraine to attempt getting rid of any languages, histories, faiths, cultures to force universalisation on ethnic minorities. That must not happen now, and in the future. It is violation of international law and human rights.

It is illegal to impose sanctions against the economy of any country.

Crimea

Crimea's future has got to be secure. No one can turn a blind eye on the violation of laws when Crimea was ceded to Ukraine in 1956 forcing Crimeans to be Ukrainians, and forcing them to adopt the Ukrainian ways of life. Crimeans could never speak Ukrainian, use Ukrainian culture and history etc. Countries must recognise the expression of will in Crimea. Referendum is legal and it is not neutral to ask for another referendum. it is seen as trying to sabotage the peace, and goodwill of the Crimeans, and is assassinating Crimeans' democracy.