Appeal of the Milli Mejlis  

  Taking into account the impossibility of the further continuation of the Tatar People as a nation within the boundaries of Russia, because of the openly cynical policy of Russification of the government, State Duma, Council of Federation and President of this totalitarian state, especially after Mr. V. Putin’s ascendency to power as President and afterward – as prime minister,

  in connection with the systematic and permanent forcing of Muslim children living on their own original lands, into Orthodox Christianity through school schedules and the total transformation of all Tatar schools into Russian schools,

  and also in connection with the planned total displacement of the Tatar language from all activities of management, science, industry and social life

  and on the basis of the Rights of People for Self-determination, which are declared in “The International Covenant of the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights” in December 19 1966 by the General Assembly of the United Nations,

  with an eye to the principles of the UN Charter on the recognition of the dignity of all members of humankind and their equal and inalienable rights as the base of freedom, justice and universal peace;

  recognizing, that according to Universal Declaration of the Human Rights, the ideal of freedom of the individual person without fear and poverty may be realized only if such conditions will be created under which everyone can use his economical, social and cultural rights,

  by virtue of rights of a People to freely establish their political status, and according to the Article 3 Part 1 of the International Covenant “The States Parties to the Present Covenant, including those having responsibility for the administration of Non-Self-Governing and Trust Territories, shall promote the realization of the right of self-determination, and shall respect that right, in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations”,

  and on the basis of the results of the referendum of March 21, 1992 which asked the question “Do you agree with the fact that the Republic of Tatarstan – is to be a sovereign state, subject to international law, constructing it’s relationship with Russia and other republics and states on the base of equal agreements?”, when 61.4% of the population of Tatarstan approved this proposal,

  the Milli Mejlis of the Tatar People is asking you, Mr. or Mrs. President and the members of Parliaments to recognize the State Sovereignty of the Republic of Tatarstan.

 

The Explanatory Memorandum to the Appeal:

 

  After the abovementioned referendum and adoption a new Constitution of Sovereign Tatarstan in November 6, 1992, the Russian authorities not only did not support it, but in reality began efforts to discredit the aspirations of the Tatar People for their sovereignty. To terrify all populations of the Russian colonies, including Tatarstan, in 1994 the Russian authorities started a most cruel and inhuman war against the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, which also declared its sovereignty. As a result of this war the most active part of Chechen People were killed, including two of its Presidents and other leaders with the goal of eliminating all individuals who could defend the interests of this nation.

 

  The President of Tatarstan, presently a viceroy of Moscow, under pressure from the Russian authorities was in reality unable to be a guarantor of the Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan. Obviously for that reason, in February 1994 he signed a legally contemptible agreement “about the delegation of powers between Russia and Tatarstan” with President of Russia B. Yeltsin, which contravenes the Constitution of Tatarstan, and is originally the product of the political and judicial aggression of the Russian authorities.

 

  At this time the limitation of Tatar Peoples’ rights by the Russian authorities has descend to the level of real xenophobia, because their goal is to force all Tatars to become Russian speaking - Russian patriots who don’t have any memory about their own history, culture and native language. We believe that our language and culture are no less valuable on the whole than Russian or any European language and culture. Nevertheless, today fascist youngsters brought together by the patriotic rhetoric of politicians around Russian national unification, the suffering of Russian People because of democratic reforms and the immigrants who came to their cities in search of jobs. These are all reasons why those young people are supposedly living in bad conditions. They also believed that Russian People have a mission to rule other people, occupying and exploiting their lands, devastating them for their goal of resurrecting the Great Empire. As a result of this, they are mercilessly killing these immigrants with “non-Slavic faces” in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Smolensk, Stavropol and other cities. With evil intentions, the Russian politicians are reducing the problem of international relations to the level of the relationship between immigrants and Russians, while ignoring the wordless silent Russification of all captured people originally conquered by Russia, including the Tatars, who are living on their native lands under Russian rule.

 

  Great Power chauvinism in this state has been cultivated incessantly, beginning in the XVI century by all possible means, but the latest actions of the Russian authorities should be classified as beyond human understanding. Even during Stalin’s regime, not only in Tatarstan but in the other colonies of Russia, Tatar schools were working without cruel limitations. Today the Russian authorities are on their way to the entire elimination of them all. Today’s ideology of Russian Great Power chauvinism is many times darker for the whole world, than even the former Bolshevik one was. These days Russia is engaged in a wave of real fascism which is a real threat to the entire world.

 

  Tatarstan has been a Moscow colony for 456 consecutive years. During the 223 years following 1552, the best sons of the Tatar People were continually armed, rebelling against national and religious suppression. It is a real propaganda trick and a myth that the Russian state was built by the collaborative efforts of the Russians and Tatars. Russians forcefully separated from the Tatars all their resources and took many lives for the building of the Russian Empire. For this Tatars were forced to pay by their intellectual potential and heritage. We are not talking about those Tatars who voluntarily served Moscow, then Russia.

 

  The Russian State Duma, the Council of Federation and the President in September 2008 recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia from Georgia, and Western democratic countries – the independence of Kosovo on the basis of international legal norms including “The International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights” adopted on December 19, 1966 by the General Assembly of the United Nations. This precedent of the fulfillment of international legal acts is giving the Tatar People a substantiated hope for the recognition by Russia of state sovereignty of the Republic of Tatarstan, including the provision of a territorial corridor through the Orenburg Region for economic and cultural international communications. The fact that two thirds of the Tatar People are living beyond the borders of Tatarstan under Russian jurisdiction, though on their native lands conquered by Russians, doesn’t create a basis for refusal to recognize the state sovereignty of Tatarstan, because this republic after becoming independent can support the national identity of all Tatars taking the example of Armenia, Israel and Russia.

 

  Tatar People want restoration of statehood without bloodshed and by democratic peaceful means, on the base of international rights and procedures. Because of that, we are asking you to support the legal aspirations of Tatar People in restoration of their lost statehood.

 

 

Adopted at expanded Meeting of Milli Mejlis of Tatar People

on December 20, 2008 in the city 

Naberejnie Chelny, Tatarstan