There are 3 indigenous peoples in Ukraine: Crimean Tatars, Karaites and Krymchaks. Unfortunately, for the tenth year in a row they have been living in war conditions, and their homeland, Crimea, is being used by Russia as a springboard for military equipment and bombardment of Ukraine.
It is the representatives of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people who account for the majority of human rights violations. During the entire period of occupation of Crimea, the number of political prisoners and those prosecuted in criminal cases has reached 336, 219 of whom are representatives of the Crimean Tatar people.
Today Ukraine is really trying to do everything for the protection and development of the three indigenous peoples of Ukraine not by word, but by the letter of the law. It was thanks to the Law of Ukraine ‘On the Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine’, which had been adopted on 1 July 2021, that Ukraine could become an example for many countries around the world where indigenous peoples were still fighting for their right to self-determination.
An indicator of the effectiveness of the Law of Ukraine ‘On the Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine’ was the hysterical reaction of rf President Vladimir Putin. After all, the adoption of this law was the beginning of the destruction of the ideology of the ‘Russian world’, and it was also a real step towards the deoccupation of Crimea.
So, it is only in the interest of Ukraine to continue to protect and realise the collective rights of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine. What do we mean by this?
- The right to self-determination of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine was realised – amendments were made to Section X of the Constitution of Ukraine – the national-territorial autonomy of the Crimean Tatar people was restored;
- The Law of Ukraine ‘On the Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine’ has been implemented – the laws of Ukraine and other normative and legal acts have been brought into conformity with this Law;
- The activities of the representative bodies of indigenous peoples in Crimea have been restored, with their legal status regulated accordingly;
- The principle of free, prior and informed consent on issues relating to the rights and legitimate interests of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine is being implemented;
- The right to allocate part of the revenues received by budgets at all levels from the use of natural resources located on the territory of Crimea to the needs of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine;
- Media outlets for the indigenous peoples of Ukraine have been created;
- Educational establishments have been set up to ensure the study of the language, history and culture of indigenous peoples;
- The revival and development of spiritual, religious and cultural traditions and customs and the preservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage have been ensured;
- Historical justice has been restored, historical toponyms in Crimea have been restored, and a legal assessment has been made of the genocide of the Crimean Tatar people;
- Representation of indigenous peoples in Ukrainian government bodies at all levels has been established.
What do you think about this?