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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

CRIMEAN TATARS HOLD MEETING

17 March, 1998 - 00:00

The Crimean Tatars called a meeting on March 10 to support their political demands: citizenship, representatives at all levels, and acknowledging the Mejlis as a state organ. Earlier Presidential representative Vasyl Kyseliov made public an "urgent appeal" to Crimean citizens, warning them against possible conflict. The Crimean Tatar leaders estimated this declaration as a tension-causing and destabilizing step.

Local observers think the state's demonstration of its authority was the main event and not the meeting of the Tatars.

All the streets leading to the main square of Simferopol were filled with law enforcement officers in full gear. The building of the Cabinet of Ministers on the square was surrounded by Berkut special squad units, also in full gear. But the peak of psycho attack was when the 6 military cars (four with people and two with anti-aircraft machine-guns) passed through the main street right before the meeting started. The Tatars broke out shouting "Shame on you" and whistling in disrespect.

The Vice Speaker of Parliament along with Mejlis deputy chairman Refat Chubarov and tried to calm people down. He said that certain Crimean officials submit to Kyiv distorted information on the Crimean Tatars and their desires, causing misunderstanding. However, Tatar demands remain unchanged, and Chubarov said that Parliament will hold a plenary meeting on March 24. The future situation depends on whether it will solve the problem of Crimean Tatar representatives at authority organs by changing Crimean election law.

According to our Crimean colleagues, 3,500-4,000 of meeting participants were confronted by the same amount of law enforcement officers in uniform.

Oleksandr Moroz, who is presently on the business trip in Crimea, met with meeting participants. He promised to "respect" to the Tatars' problems.

The meeting did not get out of control. The anti-aircraft machine-guns did not shoot anyone. No victims were registered, except presidential representative Vasyl Kyseliov for whose dismissal the meeting called.

Photo by Leonid Berestovsky:


Crimean Tatars hold a meeting in Simferopol

 

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