Every year on August 9, the world celebrates the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. The Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people emphasizes that the Russian occupation of Crimea has created a direct threat to the existence of the Crimean Tatar, Karaim, and Krymchak peoples. This is stated in the statement of the Mejlis presidium, published by the head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Refat Chubarov, writes UNN.
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"For Ukraine, this is a day of special attention to the Crimean Tatar, Karaim, and Krymchak peoples, whose homeland is Crimea - an integral part of the sovereign territory of the Ukrainian state," the statement says.
"The Russian-Ukrainian war, which began in February 2014 with the occupation of Crimea and has been going on for twelve years, has created a direct threat to the existence of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine. Absolute lawlessness, the ban on the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, forced mobilization into the Russian occupation army, mass resettlement of Russian citizens to change the demographic composition of Crimea, total Russification and destruction of the historical heritage of indigenous peoples, bandit appropriation of lands and predatory use of the peninsula's natural resources are a continuation of the genocidal policy pursued in Crimea against the Crimean Tatar people by the Russian Empire and during the USSR," the statement distributed by Chubarov says.
In a situation of direct threat to the existence of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine, which arose as a result of Russian aggression against Ukraine and the occupation of Crimea, the only condition for guaranteeing the preservation, development, and future of the Crimean Tatar, Karaim, and Krymchak peoples is the restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine within internationally recognized borders, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol
In this regard, the Mejlis presidium calls on:
- the international community - to increase pressure on the Russian Federation to stop the aggression;
- the Ukrainian authorities - to ensure the implementation of the law "On Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine";
- the new government - to enshrine the legal status of the Mejlis as the representative body of the Crimean Tatar people;
- civil society - to support initiatives to protect the language, culture, and historical memory of indigenous peoples.
Congratulating all citizens of Ukraine on the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, we express confidence that the day of Crimea's liberation from Russian occupation will be a day of restoration of rights and dignity for both the indigenous peoples of Ukraine and the entire Ukrainian political nation!