The war of Russians against Ukraine has accelerated the awareness of Ukrainian society regarding issues related to the indigenous peoples of Ukraine, particularly the urgent need to restore the rights of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people, who have been forcibly held in places of exile for nearly half a century, far from their own land.
This was stated by the chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Refat Chubarov, during the International Conference Global Crimea.
According to him, there was a period of denial regarding the importance and necessity of restoring the rights of the Crimean Tatar people.
“Only on March 20, 2014, when Crimea was already effectively occupied and the so-called ‘referendum’ had already taken place, did the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopt a special resolution guaranteeing the rights of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people on their land, as part of the Ukrainian state, recognizing the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people as a representative body elected by the delegates of the Kurultai of the Crimean Tatar people, and the Verkhovna Rada declared on behalf of the state its adherence to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. From that moment, systematic work began to restore the rights of the Crimean Tatar people in Ukraine,” said Refat Chubarov.
The head of the Mejlis reminded that in 2021, the law “On Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine” was adopted, but discussions with the Ukrainian government regarding the provision of legal status to the Mejlis as a representative body of the Crimean Tatar people are still ongoing.
“Discussions with the Ukrainian government about granting the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people the status of a representative body of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people are still ongoing,” noted Chubarov, calling this unacceptable.
Recently, ZMINA reported that the head of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Eskender Bariyev, filed a lawsuit against the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, demanding that the government recognize the Mejlis as the representative body of the Crimean Tatar people.
He also pointed out that in Ukraine, as in every democratic state, there is often a gap between the adoption of a law and its implementation; the implementation of the adopted law is complicated by various circumstances.
“At the same time, I want to be objective; in the area covered by the law on indigenous peoples, constant work and interaction with executive and state authorities are ongoing. We are in discussions about our further steps and the form of their resolution,” he added.
He informed that in 2025, the 24th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues will take place, where states will report on their commitments regarding indigenous peoples, particularly how they implement their rights.
Refat Chubarov stated that the main challenge for the Crimean Tatar people today is the occupation of their land by the Russian enemy, which has systematically destroyed the Crimean Tatar people for 240 years.
Let us recall that the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people has been the de facto representative body of the Crimean Tatars since 1991. The Ukrainian legislation did not allow for such a status to be formalized de jure. However, in 1999, Leonid Kuchma established the Council of Representatives of the Crimean Tatar People under the President of Ukraine, which consisted exclusively of members of the Milli Mejlis.
Despite lacking formal legal status in Ukraine, the Mejlis has been mentioned as the representative body of the Crimean Tatars in documents from many international organizations, including the UN General Assembly and the OSCE.
According to the law “On Indigenous Peoples,” adopted by parliament on July 1, 2021, every indigenous people has the right to a representative body created by indigenous peoples, which, in accordance with the Constitution and laws of Ukraine, is empowered to represent indigenous peoples and make decisions on their behalf.
On June 5, 2023, the Mejlis submitted a package of documents to the relevant authorities of Ukraine to establish the legal status of the Mejlis as the representative body of the Crimean Tatar people.
Once the Mejlis is granted legal status, this representative body of the Crimean Tatars will be able to participate in the development and implementation of state and regional programs concerning the rights and interests of the Crimean Tatars.
Additionally, consultations with the representative body will be necessary regarding the provision of land to representatives of indigenous peoples returning to Crimea. The procedure for incorporating information about the language, history, and culture of the Crimean Tatars into the educational process in Ukraine should also be determined in cooperation with the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people.
After the status is secured, the activities of the Mejlis will be funded from the State Budget of Ukraine through a separate budget program. The representative body will also have the right to access financial, technical, charitable, and humanitarian assistance from foreign states, international organizations, and legal and natural persons.