02/16/2008 | ASKER

AN APPEAL TO WORLD PUBLIC


Barely three months has elapsed since the Berkut, the Ukrainian militia forces attacked and brutally beat Crimean Tatars in November of 2007 in Balaklava Street in Akmescit (Simferopol) and Ai-Petri, near Yalta, and destroyed their small business establishments.
While Crimean Tatars are yet to recover from the shock of the aforementioned attacks, in early hours on February 10, 2008 in town of Seitler (Nzynyohirsky) in Crimea, a group of vandals broke into the Crimean Tatar Muslim cemetery, killed the watchdog and then ransacked and desecrated 270 Crimean Tatar headstones (see attached photos from QHA (Qirim Haber Ajansi- Crimean News Agency report/ February 11, 2008.) This vicious attack is just a continuation of series of attacks on the indigenous people of Crimea, Crimean Tatars, by the chauvinist forces who are determined to destabilize the peaceful Crimean peninsula.
We are afraid that Crimean Tatars' patient is running thin, and after this latest attack on their cemetery they began to ask their leaders about taking the safety and protection of their families and properties into their own hands. Once again the Crimean Tatar leaders advised against it and asked Crimean Tatars to remain calm and patient. The Crimean Tatar leaders again asked their people to "turn the other cheek" to avoid bloodshed. But how long can they keep "turning the other cheek?" Crimean Tatars' patience is running out. The peaceful cry of the Crimean Tatars always has been "We have no other homeland, but Crimea" They have no other place to go, they are in their ancestral homeland to stay, and their goal is to coexist there peacefully with all other nationalities as a people and a nation.
These violent attacks against the Crimean Tatars and their sacred places must stop! We strongly protest and condemn these well organized, deliberate attacks on Crimean Tatars who were unjustly deported en masse from their ancestral homeland, Crimea, by the Soviet authorities 64 years ago and are still in process of returning and resettling to Crimea. Therefore,

We, strongly appeal to the Ukrainian government to immediately intervene and stop these well organized attacks on Crimean Tatars who have repeatedly declared their peaceful intentions to resettle in Crimea and live there peacefully.

We also appeal to the leaders of the world community of nations to focus their attention on Crimea and help Crimean Tatars peacefully resettle in their ancestral homeland.

We strongly appeal to all international organizations to help Crimean Tatars to have their human and national rights reinstated and protected.

We strongly appeal to world public to help Crimean Tatars in their peaceful struggle to return and resettle in their ancestral homeland, Crimea.

Stop the on going violence perpetrated by the chauvinist forces against Crimean Tatars! Help Crimean Tatars live in their only homeland, the Crimea, peacefully with all other nationalities!


Mubeyyin Batu Altan
Political and External Affairs Director for
American Association of Crimean Tatars
New York