On March 16, 2014, a hastily organized “referendum” on the Crimean
peninsula produced a 96.77 percent vote in favor of joining Russia with 83.1 percent of
voters participating according to “official results.” It was a mathematical
result that is only produced in elections in modern Russia, Zimbabwe and North
Korea. Two days later Vladimir Putin
announced the annexation of Crimea by Russia.
In 1783, Russia broke a treaty with the Ottomans guaranteeing Crimean
independence and annexed the peninsula.
Three Russian annexations of Crimea is bad enough, but the overlooked
issue is the plight of the Crimean Tatars.
Following their deportation in 1944, they were finally allowed to return
to Crimea only in the late 1980s, resulting in 250,000 persons making the journey
home. Ironically, the Russia rule they
escaped 20 years ago has again been forced upon them.
Some argue that Crimea has always been part of Russia because it was
only “given” to Ukraine in 1954 by Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev.
However, they
fail to point out that later Russian leaders (Leonid Brezhnev, Yuriy Andropov and Mikhail Gorbachev)
never reversed this decision.
The reality
is that the Crimean Khanate, from which the Tatars originate, preceded the
Russian claim on the territory by almost 350 years (beginning 1441).
Furthermore, the Tatar population exceeded
the Russian population in Crimea as late as the Russian census of 1897. The last Ukrainian census put the Tatar
population at 12 percent of Crimea, although that number is higher now and closer to
300,000 persons.
Since Ukraine’s
independence in 1991, the Crimean Tatars have been steadfast in their support of
Ukrainian statehood and European values.
Post 9/11, such practitioners of moderate Islam, non-violence and
European values are exactly who the West should cultivate.
However, the Russian annexation threatens all of this.
Given Russia’s authoritarian regime and violent
history in Chechnya, the future for Crimean Tatars looks dim. Despite the Tatar boycott of the Crimean
“referendum,” Russia devoured Crimea anyway.
The Crimean Tatar leadership, represented by the Medzhlis has
categorically expressed their desire to remain part of Ukraine’s democracy. However, another Russian enforced deportation
is already beginning as the new Crimean authorities have declared longtime
Medzhlis leader Mustafa Dzhemilyev “persona non grata” and just last week, the
first Crimean Tatars arrived at the Polish border seeking political asylum.
What can be done to help Crimean Tatars and others seeking to retain
their Ukrainian citizenship?
Ukraine’s parliament just voted to grant Crimean Tatars the status as an “indigenous
people” of Ukraine and to officially recognize the Medzhlis. Both steps are positive and long
overdue.
Next, humanitarian aid should
be provided to Tatars in the form of an initial $200 to each family, in much
the same way Ukrainians were eligible to receive a similar compensation for
lost Soviet-era bank deposits in 2007.
In a country with a per capita income of less than $400/month, this is a
practical, interim step to demonstrate that Kyiv has not abandoned Crimea.
Next Parliament should pass a law on
“occupied territories” to enshrine the rights of its citizens in Crimea and
establish “Offices of Occupied Territories” in neighboring Kherson region to
provide the legal privileges of Ukrainian citizenship.
Additional polling stations for this year’s
presidential elections should also be organized in those offices in Kherson to
empower Crimeans to continue to exercise their vote in Ukrainian affairs. Current Crimean Parliamentary Members should
retain their status and be provided with special “social welfare” budgets to assist
Ukrainian citizens in their respective districts.
Given Russia’s pattern of “over promising and
under producing” financial aid in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, this will be a
powerful tool to demonstrate Ukraine’s continued commitment to Crimea. Finally, Ukraine should create a “Working
Group” with the EU and Turkey to manage a looming refugee crisis.
Over the last 3,000 years, Crimea has been a part of at least twelve
major countries with eight of them controlling the peninsula for at least as
long as Russia. Thus there are many ethnic
groups that can claim Crimea today, but since World War II, only Putin dared to
forcible annex it and change the borders.
The Russian annexation of Crimea may stand until Western powers find
their resolve, but if immediate action is not taken to assist the Crimean
Tatars, the world will have an even larger humanitarian crisis at best, and
possibly far worse.
Brian
Mefford is a political consultant who has lived and worked in Kyiv, Ukraine,
since 1999. He is formerly a Resident
Program Officer for the International Republican Institute and an adviser to
past President Victor Yushchenko.
