Chairman of Mejlis Refat Chubarov: I Have no Doubt that Due to Efforts of All Parties Concerned We Could Find Form that Will Let Crimean Tatar People as Well as Other Peoples to Implement Their Right to Self-Determination

On March 29, 2014, the 2^nd special session of the Qurultay of the 6^th convocation opened its work in Bakhchisaray.

Opening the session of the Qurultay of the Crimean Tatar People of the 6^th convocation, the Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Refat Chubarov informed that 234 delegates of the Qurultay were registered in the session.

The President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and Chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia Ravil Gaynutdinov attended the session of the Qurultay.

The Chairman of the Mejlis Refat Chubarov made report on public and political situation in Crimea and tasks of the bodies of the national self-governance of the Crimean Tatar people.

Dear delegates of the Qurultay,

Dear Mufti of Crimea Hajji Emirali,

Dear friends,

Dear representatives of Mass Media,

(spoke Crimean Tatar)

I have to violate the rule and usual practice of the Qurultay and continue in Russian.

Five months ago we, the delegates of the Qurultay of the Crimean Tatar people of the 6^th convocation, elected by our people at the democratic elections, gathered at the first session, formed the bodies of the Qurultay and elected the chairman of the Mejlis and its members.

At the same time, you, the delegates of the Qurultay of the Crimean Tatar People ordered the newly elected Mejlis to hold during the first quarter of 2014 the regular session of the Qurultay to consider a package of documents concerning the further improvement of the system of the bodies of the national self-governance.

We gathered within the terms set, but the events of the last month that in fact turned upside down the usual political, legal and economical way of life of Crimean population made us include another points into the agenda of the session of the Qurultay of the Crimean Tatar People and we, the authorized representatives of the Crimean Tatar people must give answers to them.

We must be aware of the fact that our work and its results are watched closely not only by the Crimean Tatar people and our neighbors – Crimean residents belonging to different nationalities, but quite literally the governments of many states and internationals organizations.

That is why, let me dear delegates of the Qurultay, violate the usual order of the Chairman of the Mejlis’ speech on the regular sessions where we usually hear the report on the activity of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People in the period between the sessions of the Qurultay and proceed directly to the agenda approved.

I will start with February 23, 2014 when the All-Crimean meeting, commemorating the Chairman of the Crimean National Republic, Mufti of Muslims of Crimea, Lithuania, Poland and Belorussia, author of the Crimean Tatar national anthem Noman Chelebidzhikhan took place in the central square in Simferopol.

As you know, we announced this meeting back on January 28, 2014, when we gathered before the Representative Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of the Crimea. That time we didn’t know about the development of the events in Kyiv. Then we decided to gather and commemorate those who died in Kyiv.

More than 15000 people – peaceful citizens of Crimea belonging to different nationalities and religions took part in the meeting on February 23, 2014. One of their demands containing in the resolution of the meeting was the demand of early termination of “the powers of the MP s of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea on the basis of the new election law providing the mechanisms for an efficient and guaranteed representation of the Crimean Tatars in the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea, city and regional councils, in accordance with the international standards”, as well as bringing “the highest Crimean officials to the responsibility for the separatist appeals and actions threatening the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and causing a sharp escalation of the public-political situation in Crimea.”

We had to gather again on February 26, 2014 before the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea when 20 thousands of the participants of the peaceful action of protest supported the territorial integrity of Ukraine and didn’t let the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea to adopt the decisions aimed at destabilization of the situation in the autonomy. The main slogans of this peaceful action were – “No separatism! No dominance of one single force, one language and one religion! We all are equal and will do our best in order to preserve this equity in every field of our life in Crimea.”

However, early morning on February 27, 2014, groups of armed people that were referred to as “unknown” took the administrative buildings of the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea and the Council of Ministers of Crimea. After that another events started in the peninsular and their consequences changed dramatically settled and usual political, legal and economical way life of the Crimean citizens.

We also witnessed a mess with setting and resetting of the date of the Crimea referendum and its changing wording of items.

On February 27, 2014, the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea set the date of the referendum on May 25, 2014 – the day of the Presidential elections in Ukraine, however, already on March 1, 2014 its date was changed to March 30, then in five days they announced he new date – March 16, 2014.

On February 28, 2014, the Mejlis ordered me, as the Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People to address the residents of Crimea with a special appeal saying that (briefly) “… Today morning the actions were made, allowing us to say that the troops left their bases and are moving on the territory of Crimea… the soldiers are moving along the roads and streets and armed people are blocking the airports…

We made this statement as far back as on February 28, 2014…

Our position is: first, all troops must leave the streets and objects they block. The soldiers must return to their bases. All existing discussions both inside the Crimean society and in relations between Ukraine and Russia must be held in a diplomatic way. The diplomats must speak instead the officers and soldiers! The authoritative public figures of Crimea must speak in Crimea instead one politics that oppose the others. Only this way we have every chance to prevent the escalation of tension or heaven forbid violence in Crimea…”

Unfortunately, neither this nor next our appeals and calls were heard and the events in Crimea developed in accordance with the plans of their authors.

The main task of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People and local bodies of the national self-governance since February 27, 2014, when the first groups of armed people and military equipment was mentioned, was ensuring the complex measures aimed at preserving a public order and protection of people from a real threat to their lives.

Since the first days of escalation of the situation in Crimea we ordered the regional and local mejlises along with the representatives of the local authorities and activists of the civil society – representatives of all nationalities to organize a common watch locally and coordinate the efforts in order to prevent provocations.

Taking this opportunity I would like to thank all the members of the local mejlises, our neighbors – people of different nationalities, representatives of local authorities, youth that all together we could prevent provocations during the most anxious days.

I would like to tell you that since February 27, 2014 the Mejlis has been held 11 meetings dedicated to the last events in Crimea.

At the same period, the Mejlis has been keeping in touch with all the parties that could promote the peaceful way out of this situation, including the international organizations, such as UN, OSCE, OIC, EU and CoE.

We also held meetings with the MPs of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation during which we informed them about our evaluation of the situation in Crimea and our proposals with regards to the peaceful solution of the acute issues.

We also held a series of meetings with the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minikhanov, members of the delegation of the Republic of Tatarstan, spiritual figures of the Muslims of Tatarstan and Russia. Today the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minikhanov and the Chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia sheikh Ravil Gainutdinov attend the session as the guests.

We also keep in constant touch with the higher officials of Ukraine.

I would like to note the importance and efficiency of the initiatives made by the leader of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Jemilev for the peaceful solution of the situation. We constantly inform the Crimean community about all his meetings and talks – in Kyiv, Moscow, Brussels and Ankara. Today Mustafa Jemilev is in New-York where he has to speak at the meeting of the UN Security Council to be held on March 31.

I would like to mention that the referendum held on March 16, 2014 in Crimea was boycotted by the overwhelming majority of the Crimean Tatars as well as some representatives of other nationalities living in Crimea.

You also know well the evaluation given by the international community at the votes first at the meeting of the UN Security Council then the UN General Assembly.

It is clear that the further consideration of the situation in Crimea and searching for the effective ways of its solutions went to the level of UN and other international organizations.

However, there is no doubt that no party could violate the Crimean Tatar people’s right to the determination of their own destiny and future in its historical territory – Crimea…

Dear delegates of the Qurultay,

You have the draft resolution of the Qurultay of the Crimean Tatar People “On the implementation of the right to the self-determination by the Crimean Tatar people in their historical territory – Crimea”, suggested to consider and adopt today.

Adopting this document we will announce to all parties about “the beginning of the political and legal procedures to establish the national-territorial autonomy of the Crimean Tatar people in their historical territory – Crimea.”

Dear delegates of the Qurultay,

The right of our people to self-determination is based on the generally accepted norms of the international documents, guaranteeing the right to the self-determination – the UN Charter, Resolution № 1514 (XV) of the UN General Assembly of December 14, 1960, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of December 16, 1966, Declaration on Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation Between States in accordance with the UN Charter, adopted on October 24, 1970 and etc.

Adopting this decision we are based on the UN Declaration “On the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples” of September 13, 2007.

Adopting this Resolution we also order the Mejlis to contact the international organizations such as UN, CoE, EU, OSCE, OIC, parliaments and governments of states concerning all issues of ensuring the rights of the Crimean Tatar people to the self-determination in the form of the national-territorial autonomy in their historical territory – Crimea.

We address to the governments of all states and governments without any exclusion. We especially appeal to the governments of those states that have federal subjects in their territories and they are based on the rights of the state-forming nations that live in these territories. We studied well the Constitution of the Russian Federation and constitutions of those republics in RF. We paid attention to those laws and decisions that were adopted recently by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

We work and try to explain our situation to the international organizations during the consideration of the Crimean situation and if you will adopt this resolution it will mean that you order the Mejlis to contact all the parties in order to ensure the right of the Crimean Tatar people to the self-determination in its historical land.

I have no doubt that due to the common efforts, the Crimean Tatar people, the delegates of the Qurultay, all parties that represent the authorities today in Crimean and neighbor states, we could find the form that will let the Crimean Tatar people to realize its right to self-determination just like all other peoples.