Crimean news 56.

(Mass Media survey for 1-6 May 2000).

( All the material is given in an abridged form).

Politics.

May 18 measures have been discussed in Kyiv.

On April 28, the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, Nikolay Julinskiy conducted a meeting with heads of Ministries, Departments and State Committees. The meeting was devoted to discussing the problems of preparations for the 56^th anniversary of the Crimean Tatars, Armenians, Bulgarians, Greeks and German's deportation. On May 11 they will conduct a meeting of state leaders with the Council of the Crimean Tatars' representatives with the President of Ukraine, intelligentsia and the veterans of the World War 2 who had been deported. They'll hold a joint mourning sitting in Simferopol on May 17. It'll be held by the leaders of Verkhovna Rada, Ministry Council of the Crimea and Simferopol city executive committee with participating of the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine.

Lentara Halilova, "Golos Krima", # 19 (338), 5 May 2000, p.1.

Hearing results are satisfactory.

At the press-conference, held on April 28, the Crimean Tatar nation's Mejilis Chairman, Mustafa Djemilev noted that there had been a lot of speculations made by communists concerning adopting the law of the Crimean Tatar nation's status.

Speaking of the hearings in PACE, response to L.Grach's reproaches that M.Djemilev spoke about needs of Mejilis instead of the Crimean Tatars' problems, M.Djemilev's reply was as follows: " there is no need to tell about Crimean Tatars' condition, because Lord Ponsonby, the representative of PACE had a special visit to the Crimea in September 1999. He made a special report about the social condition of the Crimean Tatar nation". M.Djemilev emphasized the new theory that there was no native nation in the Crimea, Crimea was a "dormitory" for all nations, and there were no political problems on the peninsula, which arose from L.Grach's report.

The head of Mejilis emphasized that it had been the first time when the Crimean Tatar problem had been included in the agenda. When speaking of PACE recommendations, he focused on the following: "I can't say they have completely satisfied us. The focus was mostly made on socio-economic problems." When speaking of positive sides of recommendations, he said they had been satisfactory noting that they had been essential in the field of social problems. It was the first time when they used the term "native nation" for the Crimean Tatars, spoke about the necessity of the guaranteed Crimean Tatars' representatives and about functioning of the native nation language.

Leylya Alyadinova, "Golos Krima", #19 (338), 5 May 2000, p.1.

Even those who live in wonderful conditions return to their homeland.

Ukrainian press tells about the problems of Krimtsy*.

Session participants have blamed Kyiv for violating Crimean Tatars' rights. According to the European Parliament members, it's living in the historical homeland that has to be priority in assisting Crimean Tatars from the West. The Crimean powers have prevented settling of native nation on the peninsula. They even sometimes destroy their dwellings, hurriedly constructed in despair.

According to official data, some 260 thousand Crimean Tatars have returned to the Crimea. The Assembly Resolution says that these people have come across with "complex many-sided problems, related with accepting citizenship, occupation, dwelling, social protection and restoration of culture", and that they prevent complete self-determination of the Crimean Tatars".

It seems that Ukrainian delegates couldn't explain properly to the European Parliament members, gathered in Strasbourg that Kyiv had never planned Crimean Tatars' "complete self-determination" on the territory of Ukraine. And the Europeans, seems sincerely think that the assistance programs for returning Crimean Tatars initiated by the Ukrainian government are delayed because of economic crisis in the country".

I.Guzheva, S.Petuhov, "PACE wants to the Crimea", "Expert", 04.10.2000.

* * *

- Some analysts say that the Crimean Tatars are the destabilizing factor in the Crimea and their presence is a threaten to the national security of Ukraine…

- No, it's not true. A nation can never be a factor of destabilization. The main destabilizing factor is the absence of adequate policy for solution of any problem. Today, we are just approaching the comprehension what kind of policy we should imply when solving the problems of the deported.

- Have you ever been blackmailed by non-government political Crimean Tatar joints?

- Obviously, the Crimean Tatars have some problems, which can't be left unsolved. And our goal is to create conditions for representatives of the deported to exist and perform their self-determination (…) The main way of stabilization relations between government and the Crimean Tatars is the intensive development of economy.

A.Smoliy, "The Crimea has never been so close to quit the category of "red" regions and economic prosperity", (interview with S.Kunitsin), "Zerkalo nedeli", 04.08.2000.

* * *

It seems that the Crimean Tatars are again provoked. Repatriates' socio-economic condition is so that Crimean Tatars are not able to solve the financial problem of their national press. There is no national bourgeoisie - the Crimean Tatars haven't integrated into politico-economic elite of the Crimea. They can expect help from nowhere but state. But if the autonomy and the state find hundreds thousands of grivnas for financing parliament and government newspapers, which can survive themselves, then there may be found some thousands for the press in the language of ethnic minorities. In any case, Ukraine has accepted some responsibilities on this topic.

V.Pritula, The end of Days "For the New World"?, "Zerkalo nedeli", 04.08.2000.

Prepared by G.Veliullayeva, "Kirim", #20 (569), 6 May 2000, p.2.

Our information: *Krimtsy - the Crimean Tatars.

How will the elections go?

They meeting of the working group, elected at the Crimean Tatar nation's Kurultay 3 was held in the Crimean Tatar nation's Mejilis on April 28. They discussed proposals to the project "regulations on elections of delegates for the Crimean Tatar nation's Kurultay 4". Regional mejilises and non-government organizations are invited to discussing of this project.

Seyran Ibraim, "Kirim", #20 (569), 6 May 2000, p.1.

Culture.

Zindjirli Medrese - is the most ancient center of education.

One of the most ancient educational establishments of Eastern Europe, Zindjirli Medrese is celebrating its 500^th anniversary this year. The 6^th science and conference, devoted to this significant day began its work in the Crimean State Industrio-Pedagogic Institute (CSIPI) on April 27. The conference will last till May 11 and 360 reports will be made in its 17 sections. Three reports, devoted to the history , architecture and life of Zindjirli Medrese were listened at the plenary sitting of the conference.

After that actors of the Crimean Tatar music-and-drama theatre made a theatre performance, devoted to opening of Zindjirli Medrese. The final sitting of the conference will be held on May 11.

S.Asanov, “Yani dunya”, (“New world”), #18 (519), 6 May 2000, p.8.

Analytical material.

Some local high rank persons try to change the past, present and future of our nation according to their political likes and dislikes.

Thoughts on the recently held sittings devoted to the Crimean Tatars’ problem in Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and Parliament Assembly of European Council (PAEC).

It was initially comprehended that it had been impossible to begin consideration of this problem without the ruling mighty Verkhovna Rada of ARC represented by its speaker – the ideologue of “everyone’s equality”, comrade L.Grach. his report, like all reports of this kind couldn't exclude the element of intimidation: “… solution of national problems by emphasizing one or some nationalities, which have “special” rights for the Crimea, the problems of native nations, national-and-territorial autonomy, electoral quotas, status of Mejilis as a representative organ of the Crimean Tatars in the Crimea is inadmissible and objectively impossible”. Try to make something possible if the governing right completely belongs to the supreme ethnic majority: power, machinery of State, laws, courts, the office of public prosecutor, security organs. What kind of equity and possibilities can we speak and judge about if the Crimean Tatars are allowed to solve the problems under culture-and-national autonomy – creature of national-chauvinist ideologues. The next weighty argument of comrade L.Grach is: all the problems related to the Crimean Tatar nation can only be solved on the basis of the Constitution of Ukraine and the Constitution of the ARC. How can we solve politics-and-lawful problems of the whole nation on the basis of the Constitution, which doesn’t even mention this nation?

Illegal, according to L.Grach, Mejilis “pushes” Crimea towards confrontation, which, supposedly causes “destabilization of political situation, creates a threaten to the security of Ukraine”. But weren’t communists unsatisfied of the steps made by the sovereign Ukraine when threatens, pickets, bacchanalia in chauvinist press, demonstrations, not adopting of the Ukrainian language, open pro-Russian orientation – even demands of joining the Crimea with Russia have created a great pain for the young state.

Endless assurances that the Crimea is a multi-national republic, preferring to refer to the Armenians, Bulgarians, Greeks and Germans sound unreasonable. Yet all of this population groups have got their ethnical homeland. Nay Crimean dweller of some other nationality, having turned on the radio, can tune a corresponding wave and listen to it all day long. But the Crimean Tatars, on their only homeland have got only 80 minutes on the television a week and 80 minutes as fro radio. Here it is our national-and-cultural autonomy in the Crimean style…

L.Grach inadmissibly rudely falsifies history, changing it according to hi likes and dislikes. The Crimea has never been multi-national. A united Crimean Tatar nation was formed in the result of a prolonged process of confluence of ancient Krimtsy with later Turkic tribes (4-13 centuries). During 700 years Krimtsy were a single nation in the Crimea. They made up 5 million – more than 90 per cent of population in the second half of the 18^th century. They were gradually ousted by Russian and other colonists after the annexation of the Crimea. The Crimea again became a mono-national region after the deportation during 1941-1944. But the ethnos was different this time. The Russians made up 90 per cent of the Crimean population due to the policy of the state leadership. The specialty of speculations on results of the Crimean referendum, carried out in 1991 is hidden here. It could not be different and have some other results as 90 per cent of the Crimean population was a mono-national one. The present Constitution of the ARC is based on the same idea. The Constitution has pushed the native nation of the Crimea – Krimtsty aside from the public-and-political life. Under such circumstances, L.Grach can afford speaking from all tribunes that “ the way of quotas is not our way, the way of strengthening the status of the Crimean tatar nation is not our way, conceding the Mejilis rights of Crimean Tatars’ representative organ is not our way”.

Confrontation still goes on, it’s pointless to expect progress after this kind of opinions.

N.Biyazova, “Kirim”, #20(569), 6 May 2000, p.4.