APPEAL of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, whole Ukrainian people – citizens of Ukraine of all nationalities

To Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

To Ukrainian people – citizens of Ukraine of all nationalities

APPEAL

of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, whole Ukrainian people – citizens of Ukraine of all nationalities

The Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, the supreme executive representative body of the Crimean Tatar people,

– under the conditions that represent a real threat to the security and freedom of the Crimean Tatars and all Crimean population irrespective of their nationality,

– realizing the scale of the inevitable consequences caused by the direct military intrusion and plans of the annexation of Crimea by a foreign state,

– realizing the exclusive liability before the present and future generations of the Crimean Tatar people,

– keeping in mind all losses, humiliations, deprivations and repressions that the Crimean Tatar people suffered since the annexation of Crimea in 1783 and deprivation of their centuries-long statehood,

– in order to prevent the repetition of the genocide of May 18, 1944 when the whole Crimean Tatar people was subjected to the forcible deportation from its historical Homeland,

– supporting the traditional methods of non-violent fighting for their rights,

– based upon the generally accepted norms of the international documents, guaranteeing the right to self-determination – UN Charter, Resolution # 1514 (XV) of the UN General Assembly of December 14, 1960, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of December 16, 1966, the Declaration on Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States in accordance with the UN Charter, adopted on October 24, 1970 and etc.,

– based upon the UN Declaration “On the Rights of Indigenous Peoples” of September 13, 2007, that in particular provides:

a) the right of indigenous peoples to self-determination (Article 3),

b) the right of indigenous peoples to autonomy and self-governance (Article 4),

c) the right of indigenous peoples to participate fully, if they so choose, in the political, economic, social and cultural life of the State (Article 5),

d) that military activities shall not take place in the lands or territories of indigenous peoples unless freely agreed with or requested by the indigenous peoples concerned (Article 30),

e) the right of indigenous peoples to access to and prompt decision through just and fair procedures for the resolution of conflicts and disputes with States or other parties (Article 40),

f) that nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as authorizing or encouraging any action which would dismember or impair the territorial integrity or political unity of sovereign and independent States (Article 46),

– based upon the Declaration on National Sovereignty of the Crimean Tatar People, adopted on the 2^nd Qurultay of the Crimean Tatar People of June 28, 1991,

– considering that Ukrainian state did not use all its possibilities to restore the rights of the Crimean Tatar people and to determine the status of the Crimean Tatars as an indigenous people in Crimea that resulted in the discriminations against the Crimean Tatars from the official authorities,

appeal to the whole Ukrainian people and their representatives in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine with the following:

1) confirm that we recognize Ukraine as a sovereign and independent state in the existing borders;

2) condemn vigorously an act of aggression committed by the Russian Federation and its plans to annex Crimea, considering these actions as a gross violation of the international law that destabilizes the existing system of the intergovernmental relations;

3) do not recognize the Crimean referendum to be held on March 16, 2014, aimed at changing the territorial belonging of Crimea, as it is not legitimate and does not correspond to the International law and the Constitution of Ukraine;

4) deny categorically any attempts to define the future of Crimea without the free expression of the will of the Crimean Tatar people – the indigenous people of Crimea.

5) Crimean Tatar s have an executive right to choose the state of the residence of the Crimean Tatar people;

6) believe that the restoration of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people and their right to self-determination in their historical Homeland must be exercised in the borders of the sovereign and independent Ukrainian state;

7) believe that any authority in Crimea must be formed and perform its activity exclusively on condition of free expression of Crimean Tatar people’s free will and agreement;

8) appeal to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to ratify the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;

9) urge to recognize and adopt the laws and other legal acts of Ukraine determining the status of the Crimean Tatar people as an indigenous people of Crimea;

10) urge the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and other supreme bodies of Ukraine along with the international organizations (UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, European Union) to ensure urgently that the Crimean Tatar people expressed their free to exercise their inherent right to self-determination in their historical territory – Crimea in order to realize the natural right of the Crimean Tatar people provided in the international acts with regards to the rights of indigenous peoples.

Refat Chubarov,

Chairman, Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People

March 15, 2014, Simferopol