21 March 1992 is one of the great days in Tatar history. The people of Tatarstan voted for independence.
On this day, a referendum was held on the status of the State of Tatarstan. To the question “Do you agree that the Republic of Tatarstan is a sovereign state, a subject of international law, building its relations with the Russian Federation and other republics and states based on equal treaties?” 61.4% of the citizens of the republic who took part in the voting voted positively.
International observers were present at the referendum. A member of the Presidium of the All-Tatar Public Centre, Ildus Sadykov, flew to the USA and spoke in Congress. Two congressmen and a US senator from the State of Illinois, representatives from Estonia, diplomats from Sweden, secretaries of ambassadors from the Netherlands and Great Britain and representatives from Ukraine and Ichkeria arrived as observers for the referendum. The US Helsinki Commission recorded the results of the referendum in Tatarstan.
The referendum on 21 March 1992, was fully consistent with the provisions on self-determination of nations enshrined in the UN Charter.
But the President of Tatarstan and the Supreme Council of Tatarstan sabotaged the national expression of will – they did not announce to the whole world about the birth of a new independent state, did not appeal to the states of the world, to the UN with a request to recognize the Republic of Tatarstan as an independent state.
Based on the results of the referendum, the Supreme Council of Tatarstan adopted the Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan on 6 November 1992. It was the Constitution of an independent state under Article 1 “The Republic of Tatarstan is a sovereign democratic state expressing the will and interests of the entire multinational people of the republic.”
But in 2002, an attack on the sovereignty of Tatarstan began. At the direction of Moscow, the Constitution of Tatarstan was illegally changed. In Article 1, the clause, “being a subject of the Russian Federation” appeared. That means the results of the referendum on 21 March 1992 were destroyed. An anti-constitutional coup d’état took place in Tatarstan.
We consider the forcible change of Article 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan of 1992 illegitimate. This change was made under pressure from Moscow, against the will of the people of Tatarstan.
Brothers! Tatars! We propose to hold the REFERENDUM DAY on 21 MARCH as the Day of National Mobilization. Let us show ourselves as a united people who declare to the whole world their right to an Independent national state!
Let us remind the international community that on 21 March 1992, a referendum was held in which the people of Tatarstan voted for independence!
Let’s take to the streets of cities around the world with a single poster dedicated to Memorial Day! (A single poster is attached to the Appeal). If you cannot go outside, then take a photo with the poster at home and distribute it on the Internet, and also send it to:
government.indepen.tatarstan@gmail.com
The Press service of the Government of Independent Tatarstan in exile
