All-Crimean Meeting Dedicated to International Human Rights Day was Held in Simferopol

10 December 2011

The participants of all-Crimean meeting called the Ukrainian authorities to support the International Forum on the restoration of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people to their homeland, its security and guarantees of development in Ukraine.

On December 10, 2011 all-Crimean meeting was held in the central square of Simferopol. It was dedicated to the International Human Rights Day. The organizers of the meeting were Crimean Tatar public organizations, supported by Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people.

The meeting was attended by more than five thousand people from various regions of Crimea. The protesters carried Crimean Tatar national flag and state flag of Ukraine, as well as the banners: “We demand restoration of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people!”, “Unity in language, thoughts and actions”, “Human Rights and people’s rights are inseparable!”, “Crimea! The gem for ones, Homeland for others!”, “Land is not the authorities’, but people’s wealth!”, “No to land auction without solution of the problems of Crimean residents” and others.

The main slogan of the meeting became the immortal words of the great son of the Crimean Tatar people Ismail Gasprinsky – “Til’de, fikirde, ishte – birlik!” (Unity in language, thoughts and actions!).

The host of the meeting, Head of the Secretariat of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Zair Smedlyaev in his opening word in Crimean Tatar and Russian languages (the meeting was attended by the residents of Crimea, belonging to different nationalities) informed briefly the participants of the meeting about its goals and tasks, then he gave the word to Mufti of Muslims of Crimea hajji Emirali Ablaev who made a dua (prayer).

Addressing the participants of the meeting the Head of the Crimean regional organization National Rukh of Ukraine, member of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Leonid Pilunsky drew the attention of the participants of the meeting to the constant attempts of the opponents of the restoration of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people to split the unity of Crimean Tatars: “Today Ukrainian nation could only envy that Crimean Tatars have Mejlis and Qurultay. Some representatives of the authorities and their servants try to hit these very national bodies of self-governance,”- Leonid Pilunsky underscored.

At this Leonid Pilunsky noted that the situation with the Human Rights in Ukraine could satisfy no one and added: “63 years passed since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, more than 20 years have passed since Crimean Tatars have been returning to their Homeland, but their rights still haven’t been restored. The authorities do nothing to adopt the laws, ensuring normal life of people on their fathers’ land. The same is with Ukrainians, but today in the first turn the rights of Crimean Tatars have to be restored”.

Despite cold weather all the participants of the meeting heard all speeches with a special attention. The Head of the International public organization “Bizim Qirim” Abduraman Egiz, veterans of the Crimean Tatar national movement – Ayshe Seytmuratova, Seytasan Asanov, Refat Chaylak, representative of the Board of the public organization “Avdet” Mustafa Maushev, Chairman of the Revision Commission of the Association of Crimean Tatar workers of education “Maarifchi” Biye Ilyasova, lawyer of the gardening cooperative “Kamensky Massif” Tatyana Pankova, as well as the participants of the meeting who (or their relatives) were recently suffered from the criminal actions.

Among them was Lilya Gafurova from Islyam-Tekera (Kirovsky settlement) whose son Edem Gafurov died in the result of car accident, involving the workers of the law enforcement agencies who today are trying to avoid the legal punishment by means of falsification of the investigation, Mustafa Khairov from Mirniy settlement (Simferopol region) whose family was attacked at night in February 2009 by the officers of the special detachment “Berkut” using weapons and special noise grenade and in the result Mustafa Khairov lost his left hand.

One should note that every statement directly related to the respect of the Human Rights with the need to respect people’s rights, saying that it is hard to count on the respect of the Human Rights in Ukraine without the restoration of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people and exercising of its right to the self-determination.

The member of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Chairman of Qarasubazar regional Mejlis Mustafa Asaba was convinced that only people itself has to punish those who are trying to destroy the unity and split the Crimean Tatar people who has been preserving and strengthening its identity for ages. “We do not let to ruin the unity of our people. We won’t get away with insulting Mejlis and Qurultay. People will isolate from their circle those who are trying to make such attempts,”- Mustaf Asaba stated.

The First Deputy Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, MP of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Refat Chubarov thanked the participants of the meeting for their civil position and their unity, and stated: “We follow from the fact that every our national has to find such field of work that he could afford from one side, and would promote the strengthening of the unity of the Crimean Tatar people from another side and without this one couldn’t count on the restoration of its rights. I specially want to address those few our nationals who put themselves outside the people by their squabbles and intrigues – return back to people. With this goal start with the concrete actions – build mosques, open schools, elect to local Mejlises, and publish necessary books for people… Do something useful for people, leave your ambitions, envy and malevolence in the past”.

In conclusion of the meeting its participants adopted unanimously the Resolution where they stated that they will do their best to strengthen the cohesion and spiritual unity of the Crimean Tatar people, further development and strengthening of the elective bodies of the Crimean Tatar people – Qurultay of the Crimean Tatar people, Milli Mejlis, regional and local mejlises.

The participants of all-Crimean meeting also called the President of Ukraine, the Supreme Council of Ukraine, political parties and public organizations of Ukraine to support the initiative of the Crimean Tatar people to carry out the International forum on the restoration of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people to their homeland, its security and guarantees of development in Ukraine.

The meeting ended up with the powerful many thousand chanting: “Millet! Vatan! Mejlis!”.

Reference: The International Human Rights Day is celebrated annually on December 10 under the proposal of the UN General Assembly since 1950. This day in 1948 the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.