Appeal on behalf of the Mari people - You help is needed

[laurentius]

APPEAL ON BEHALF OF THE MARI PEOPLE

We the representatives and friends of the Finno-Ugric peoples of the world call on the Russian authorities at all levels to take immediate steps to end the attacks on members of the democratic opposition in the Republic of Mari El. We urge international human rights organizations to join us in this cause.

In recent months, the local government of Mari El has done nothing to stop the rising tide of discrimination and attacks against the Mari people, thus creating the impression that it supports or may even be behind them. We note with regret that the authorities have done nothing to identify those who earlier this month attacked Vladimir Kozlov, editor-in-chief of the Finno-Ugric newspaper Kudo+Kodu and head of the all-Russian movement of the Mari people, Mer Kanash, beating him nearly to death.

The Mari people are an important part of the Finno-Ugric world, and this summer they are scheduled to host the next world congress of Finno-Ugric studies. Consequently, it is especially important now that the Russian authorities in Moscow and in Mari El do everything possible to end the abuse of the rights of the Maris.

21st of February 2005

Signatures: 5651 read

Prof. Paul Goble, USA
Prof. John Hiden, United Kingdom
Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Vice-President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament
Dr. Tytti Isohookana-Asunmaa, former Minister of Culture of Finland
Béla Jávorszky, former Ambassador to Finland and Estonia, Hungary
Prof. Kyösti Julku, Finland
Prof. Olavi Korhonen, Sweden
Mart Laar, MP, former Prime Minister of Estonia
Leena Laulajainen, writer, Finland
Dr. Lennart Meri, former President of Estonia
Mart Meri, Editor-in-Chief, Estonia
Pertti Paasio, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland
Prof. János Pusztay, Hungary
Prof. Raimo Raag, Sweden
Kari Rydman, composer, Finland
Prof. Pauli Saukkonen, Finland
Toomas Savi, MEP, former Speaker of the Parliament of Estonia
As. Prof. Tõnu Seilenthal, Estonia
Veljo Tormis, composer, Estonia
Riitta Uosukainen, former Speaker of the Parliament of Finland
Arvo Valton, writer, Chairman of the Association of Finno-Ugric Literatures
Prof. Kalevi Wiik, Finland

http://www.ugri.info/mari/

Please sign up and help the oppressed Mari people.

http://www.hunmagyar.org/mari/mari.html

[Spiffor]

Edit: nm, I should read the links

[Kassiopeia]

Help, help, they're being oppressed! Signed

[laurentius]

Mari-El is a province in what today is Russian Federation, not all the Mari live in Mari El though, many live unrepresented in neighbouring provinces such as Sverdlovsk, Perm, Kirov, even Tatarstan.

http://www.unpo.org/member.php?arg=38

Mari El is an autonomous republic in the Russian Federation. It borders on the Chuvash Republic, the Republic of Tatarstan and the Republic of Udmurtia. Area: 26,500 km2. The capital is Yoshkar-Ola. It is located at the middle course of the Volga river in the basins of the rivers Vyatka and Vetluga.

Population
They call themselves mari. They live in three ethnic units: Hill Maris, Meadow Maris and Eastern Maris. The first two of them have also literary languages, Meadow Mari being also used by the Eastern Maris. Their earlier official name is Cheremis(s). The population of Mari El is approximately 750,000; 43% of the ethnic Maris living in the former Soviet Union reside in their own republic. Most Maris live in neighbouring areas. In the Mari Republic, Russian immigrants are the second largest population group, representing 48% of the total, Tatars 6% and Chuvash 1%. 52% of the Maris live outside the Mari Republic: in Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, and in the provinces of Kirov and Yekaterinburg.

The Maris are the only Finno-Ugric nation in Russia whose population has increased steadily, in spite of the slight decrease in the use of their native language. The Maris have retained their language better than any other Finno-Ugric nation. The percentage of Maris living in the Mari administrative territory and the proportion of the Maris in the population of the Mari Republic have remained relatively unchanged.

http://www.rusin.fi/eastmari/eng/overvm.htm

http://www.hunmagyar.org/mari/mari.html

[Pekka]

I wonder what happened to this appeal. I guess the abusers looked at the list and saw President Meri and said 'look at this! He looks like captain stubing MUAHHAHA now watch me wipe my butt with this...' in drunken and hostile voice..

[Theben]

So wait, are they provinces or autonomous republics? I'm confused...

[OzzyKP]

I signed and passed it on to my family. As a Hungarian-American I must support my oppressed Finno-Ugric brothers!

[laurentius]

Theben: Yes they are "autonomous" republics linked to Kremlin with an iron chain. The presidents act as Kremlins puppets to the russinalization of the minorities. Opposition politicians and human rights activists are beaten and murdered, people are intimidated to give up the autonomy part. My bad.

OzzyKP: Way to go!

We shall sacrifice lots of yoghurt for your honour!