In the newspaper «Voice of Crimea» (№24 (859), on June, 11th, 2010) the letter of a head of the State committee on affairs of nationalities and religion Jury Reshetnokov, addressed to the editor-in-chief of the edition Eldar Seitbekirov has been published.

In J.Reshetnikov’s letter, expressing extreme degree of discontent with criticism of activity of his department from outside to the Crimean public which has found reflexion on pages of a weekly journal, threatens with overlapping of financing from the State budget of the most mass national Crimean Tatar editions. That is head of Statecomreligion in the open encroaches on a freedom of speech, demanding loyalty to himself and to the department from outside the newspaper, suggesting editions «to be defined essentially concerning expediency… The further cooperation» with Statecomreligion and its management.

Thereupon Kenesh (Council) of Milli Firka has addressed on June, 14th with the letter addressed to the President of Ukraine Victor Yanukovych with the requirement to put to the place of the gone too far official, considering that it is impossible to admit such person as J.Reshetnikov to the decision of rather thin, delicate national problems. We result the letter text completely.

To the president of Ukraine
To Victor Yanukovych
The state committee of Ukraine on affairs of nationalities and religions tries to deprive the Crimean Tatars to receive their interesting information in Russian for the second time. The weekly journal «Voice of Crimea» is the edition calculated on an audience who badly owns a native language. It was not pleasant to last «orange» power that it criticise, criticise and Medzhlis, caressed by so-called democrats.

Then the State Committee wished to get rid of the inconvenient editor and collective, demanding newspaper transfer on Crimean Tatar language. The public has informed on it National Security council of Ukraine, having warned, what is it can call a storm of indignation of tens thousand people. There all have understood, and edition have left alone.

As it has appeared, for a short while. This year the State Committee on affairs of nationalities and religions has developed a bill «About the Concept of the state ethnonational policy of Ukraine». Such Law is necessary. And this project, owing to its importance for all citizens of Ukraine, whatever nationalities they were, it was necessary to discuss widely. The State Committee has solved this question in virtual space, has hung out the Concept on the site, fondly believing that all Ukrainians know about its existence and daily look through all messages hung out there. Then it has been decided to spend in Kiev «a round table».
The concept has been published in the newspaper «Voice of Crimea» for discussion. Six public organisations of the radical people of Crimea have discussed it and have come to a conclusion that it is directed on assimilation of the people, and actually undermines bases of bases of the Ukrainian statehood and the country. Their joint letter to authors of the project also has been published in the newspaper.

The criticism of the bill was not pleasant to J.Reshetnikov. More correctly, he was not pleasant, what is it the letter and the information on protest meeting concerning the scandalous bill have been published in the newspaper «Voice of Crimea». According to the Constitution of Ukraine which guarantees to citizens a freedom of speech, the newspaper on all questions exciting a society gives the most opposite opinions.
Bill discussion behind a round table passed in Kiev roughly and has shown all incompetence of its composers in questions of a national policy. As the result, the bill have been recognised by crude, and it have sent on completion. But J.Reshetnikov has not calmed down, and has sent in edition the terrible letter, threatening to stop financing of the newspaper and demanding to publish on pages of a weekly journal a refutation of «the inveracious information». The letter with J.Reshetnikov’s ultimatum also has been published on weekly journal pages «the Voice of Crimea».
The letter Mr. Reshetnikov has provoked the next wave of protest moods in Crimean Tatar environment. On «the Voice of Crimea» — on the native newspaper — the Crimean Tatars consider an encroachment as an encroachment on their rights, as one more bright proof of their position deprived of civil rights in Ukraine. In other words, Reshetnikov’s letter has provoked simple Crimean Tatars, having forced them to think that the new power in the name of the new president differs nothing from the old power «orange» policy.
Milli Firka considers that the present management of Statecomreligio, as well as its predecessors, does not improve ideology of a life of national communities, does not own stages of development of national problems in Ukraine. The system and style of work of this committee differ nothing from work of ordinary management of statistics which only ascertains the facts and gives any figures of a condition of a society. Meanwhile the committee main task is working out and implementation of the national doctrine which are equitable to interests multinational society of the country, for the sake of friendship and mutual understanding among citizens of Ukraine. By this committee, unfortunately, while anything essential it is not made for integration of the Crimean Tatar people in the Ukrainian society.
The Crimean Tatars are well informed on the rights guaranteed by the United Nations and accepted by the world community. Any amateur performance of any official, in this question, is considered as threat of existence of the people from outside the states as a whole. The new power has not had time to develop the work as zealous officials of type of Reshetnikov start to discredit it.
In interests of the new power to hold far away from government levers though also zealous, but confused politicians. There is no place in Statecomreligion for such people as J. Reshetnikov.

Chairman of Kenesh (Council) Vasvi Abduraimov

Enver Kantemir-Umerov operating affairs

Press-service Milli Firka