Crimean News No7


The Affaires are Estimated by Intentions

Next Provocation?

May 18 in Uzbekistan

Information service of Mejlis of Crimean Tatar People reports:

The Protest Has Subsided.

Crimean Tatars Have Stopped the Peaceful Protest

Explosion inside the Communist Leader's Cabinet

Involvement of "The Third Power" in the Explosion

Investigation of the Explosion

The Increase of Ukrainian Citizens

 


 


The Affaires are Estimated by Intentions

(Holy Hadis)

On May 17 many Crimean Tatars remembered the human rights protector
Peter Grigorenko, who spent 20 years of his life fighting with the
Soviet totalitarian system. The monument dedicated to the Ukrainian,
which has been established by Crimean Tatars in Simferopol, is the
highest reward which can be given by our people to a brave man.
Apparently the ceremony did not please everyone because the "Soyuz"*
Party later declared that it will try to establish a similar monument in
honor of Ekaterina II** in the same square. Crimean Khanate "joined" the
Russian Empire*** in the time of Ekaterina. During that period,
thousands of Crimean Tatars sacrificed their lives for Crimean
independence. On behalf of Crimean Tatars, M. Dzhemilev stated that
they will do everything in their power to prevent the establishment of
the monument to Ekaterina.

* "Soyuz" Party expresses the interests of the chauvinistic Russian
Crimean population.
** Ekaterina II ruled Russia from 1763 until 1792.
*** In 1783.

Next Provocation?

During the night of May 19 some unknown individual committed a very
serious act of vandalism. Mufti of the Crimean Moslem Adzi Nuri-efendi
said, that at about 2:30 a.m. someone started a fire just outside the
building of the mosque-medrese (School) of Yalta town, which is located
on the Kievskaya Street. Fortunately, some of students and imam of the
mosque, who were spending the night inside the building, managed to
extinguish the fire. The fire department was contacted by telephone, but
no fire engines arrived. Much damage was caused by fire to the
building. The police officers, who arrived on the scene of the crime
collected finger prints from the windows and glasses and promised to
find the criminals. The criminal case has been opened, but according to
the Crimean Mufti this is just an empty promise. Approximately two
months ago, in Elbuzli village of Sudak region, a mosque was burned.
Newspapers wrote about that incident but the local police department
quickly forgot about this crime.

 

Ibraim Abdullaev, newspaper "Golos Kryma" ("Voice of Crimea") No 22 (289)
28th May 1999 , p. 1.


May 18 in Uzbekistan

For many years on the mourning of May 18 Crimean Tatars living in
Uzbekistan* gathered in the cemeteries where they prayed for their
compatriots who died in the period of the deportation. Such actions took
place in many towns of the republic this year as well. Activists of the
National Movement presented the information about "Protest Actions 99"
in Crimea - the demands and the reasons which were shown by Crimean
Tatars to the authorities of Ukraine and Uzbekistan. The resolutions
were adopted in the end. The question of citizenship for the deported
people, their children and grandsons, was discussed in the meetings. In
their resolutions addressed to the President of Uzbekistan, the
participants of the meetings demanded the following:
* To publish the information about the citizenship question for the
deported people;
* To give Crimean Tatars with Crimean "propiska" (residence stamp in
passport), the ability to exchange their Uzbek citizenship for a
temporary "propiska" in the republic.
* To have Uzbekistan participate in the process of returning Crimean
Tatars to their motherland.
* To return to the debates and the adaptation of the draft (1996) of
"Agreement Between Government of Ukraine and Government of Uzbekistan on
Co-operation in Assistance of Voluntary Returning of deported people to
Ukraine".
Information Service of the Mejlis Representation in Central Asia,
Tashkent, 21st May 1999. newspaper "Golos Kryma" ("Voice of Crimea") No
22 (289) 28th May 1999 , p. 2.
Ours note.
*There are 200,000 Crimean Tatars living in exile in the Republic of
Uzbekistan who can not return to Crimea.
**Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People has its own representative in the
Republic of Uzbekistan whose main purpose is to protect the interests of
his compatriots.


Information service of Mejlis of Crimean Tatar People reports:

On May 19 at 10.00 a.m. Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People
M.Djemilev talked over the telephone to the President of Ukraine L.
Kuchma. The President of Ukraine was grateful for the organized and
orderly conduct of the peaceful protest and the meeting of May 18. They
intended to organize meetings for the discussion of the issues
concerning the interests of the Crimean Tatars by the Council of the
Representatives of the Crimean Tatar People attached to President of
Ukraine

Yalta

In Yalta, the walls of the hotel "Zvezdochka"* were covered with
drawings of swastikas and statements like: "Tatars, get away from
Crimea" "Kick the Tatars in the face." The incident is under
investigation.
* Deportees who were returning to Crimea, including refugees from
Tadzhikistan , were staying in that building at the time.

Bakhchisaray

On May 21 a meeting of Crimean Tatars (consisting of about 500-600
people) was held in front of Bakchisaray regional administration by
the decision of the Bakchisaray regional Mejlis *. Demonstrators
demanded the dismissal of the Chairman of the regional administration
Shekel. After the meeting, five tents, which temporarily housed 50
people, were constructed on the square in front of the regional
administration . The campers planed to expand the tent town in the
future.
*Body of the national Crimean Tatar self-government of the Bakhchisaray
region.

Village Malorechenskoye

After a peaceful meeting of the Crimean Tatars in Simferopol on May 18,
various derogatory inscriptions appeared in v. Malorechenskoye (Alushta)
at the bus stops and other public places. The writings, which said
things like: "Tatars are traitors", "Tatars, get out of Crimea", "We
will show you 1944," aroused interethnic hostility. In response to these
writings, a meeting of about 150 Crimean Tatars was held on May 22 in
v.Malorechenskoye (Alushta). The organizers and the participants of the
demonstration urged the local authorities to catch and punish the
perpetrators of the inscriptions.

 

Newspaper "Kyrim" ("Crimea"), No 22 (519), 29th May 1999, p.1.


The Protest Has Subsided
.

On May 24 a meeting was held between the prime minister Sergey Kunicyn
and chairman of the Mejlis of Crimean Tatar People, who is also the
Chairman of the Council of Representatives of the Crimean Tatar People
under the President of Ukraine, Mustafa Dzhemilev. A resolution was
signed during the meeting which was intended to deal with the settlement
of Crimean Tatars and the stabilization of the interethnic relations.
According to the resolution, the Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of
Crimea (ARC) will do everything in their power to protect the
constitutional rights of the Crimean Tatar people. The Council of
Representatives of the Crimean Tatar People has decided to remove the
tent town in front of the building of the Council of Ministers. They
have also decided to take all the necessary measures to ensure political
stability and order in Crimea. Dzhemilev said that the protest has
achieved certain goals. According to Dzhemilev much progress was made in
the Prime Minister's branch of government in the form of a Decree
declaring the Prime Minister's intention to help Crimean Tatars.
Unfortunately, the same can not be said about the other branch of
government - Verkhovnaya Rada (Parliament). Dzhemilev added, "We were
astounded by the fact that our national demonstration, in which
according to the data of Ministry of Internal Affaires approximately
45,000 people participated, was called the 'anti-Soviet Sabbath' by the
head of the legislative body *." Dzhemilev said that the members of the
Mejlis will try to prevent the protests from disrupting the tourist
season. "No matter what methods the Crimean Tatars use to demand
recognition of their rights, the economy of the region will probably be
affected in a negative way. That is why we have decided to temporarily
reduce the scope of our activities." In September the Verkhovnaya Rada
(Parliament) of Ukraine will have discussions about a possible draft for
the restoration of the rights of Crimean Tatars.

 

Lentara Khalilova, newspaper "Golos Kryma" ("Voice of Crimea") No 22
(289) 28th May 1999, p. 1.
Ours note.
*Chairman of the Verkhovnaya Rada (Parliament) of Crimea Leonid Grach.


Crimean Tatars Have Stopped the Peaceful Protest

On May 24 at 2:00 p.m. Crimean Tatars removed the tent town which was
created on Simferopol's central square in front of the building of the
Council of Ministers. The chairman of Mejlis Mustafa Dzhemilev said that
Mejlis' leaders have accepted the proposal that was signed by the prime
minister Sergey Kunicyn. The proposal should solve some of the problems
facing Crimean Tatars. The Decree consists of 19 points, the most
important of which is the creation of the Council of Representatives of
the Crimean Tatar People within the framework of the Autonomy.

 

Interfax-Ukraine, newspaper "Krymskie Izvestiya" ("Crimean News"), No
104 (1855), 26th May1999, p. 1.

Explosion inside the Communist Leader's Cabinet

A bomb exploded during the night of the 23rd of May in the center of
Simferopol (on the Kirov prospect) where the Communist Republican
Committee is situated. According to the police, the bomb was thrown into
the window of the cabinet on the second floor. It seems that the bomb
was meant to deliver a "message" (rather than cause physical damage)
because of its small size.


Leyla Alyadinova, newspaper "Golos Kryma" ("Voice of Crimea") No 22
(289) 28th May 1999, p. 1.


Involvement of "The Third Power" in the Explosion

The Chairman of the Crimean Parliament Leonid Grach was convinced that
a "third power" was behind the explosion inside the Communist
Republican Committee of Ukraine. This so called "third power" is
supposedly interested in creating a conflict between the Crimean Tatars
and the Communists. The Crimean Communist leader stated that he rejects
the notion that the Crimean Tatars are responsible for the bombing. The
leader of the Mejlis Mustafa Dzhemilev said, "There are political groups
in Crimea that hate the Communists as much as they hate the Crimean
Tatars. These individuals would love to see the Crimean Tatars and
Communists clash with each other".

 

Interfax-Ukraine, newspaper "Krymskie Izvestiya" ("Crimean News"), No
104 (1855), 26th May 1999, p. 1.


Investigation of the Explosion

The investigation of the explosion inside the Communist Republican
Committee building may soon be over. Based on the evidence that was
collected and the fact that the bomb exploded during a time of tensions
between the Crimean Tatars and the Republican Committee of the Communist
Party , the investigators suspect that a third party was involved. On
May 31 police will organize comprehensive checks of Simferopol's
commercial structures that are supporting the political powers connected
with the crime.


Interfax-Ukraine, newspaper "Krymskie Izvestiya" ("Crimean News"), No
106-107 (1857-1858), 28-29th May 1999, p. 3

The Increase of Ukrainian Citizens

On May 26 100 Crimean Tatars living in the central district of
Simferopol received passports of Ukrainian citizenship. The applications
for the permission to abandon Uzbek citizenship are still being
submitted. Every week approximately 40 people submit their documents to
the passport unit of the Central district of Simferopol . And every day
more and more Crimean Tatars receive the right to study, work, and
travel abroad.

 

G.Chilingirova , newspaper "Golos Kryma" ("Voice of Crimea") No 22