Now in the Syrian Arabian Republic actually there is a civil war. In the process of opposing between the opposition and the state authorities the non-return point had been already passed by, and there is no chance to settle down the situation in the peaceful way. The war will proceed up to a victory of one of the parties, and after the end of the war the country will not be such as before any more. Now there is 130 thousand Circassians legislatively admitted as compatriots of Russian Federation. They had appeared there as a result of several tragical events. In the XIX century, as a result of the colonial war of Russia in Caucasus, their ancestors appeared on Balkan peninsula which at that time belonged to the Ottoman empire. After the Ottoman empire lost the Balkans, Circassians who lived there, were compelled to move onto the lands controlled by the empire in the near east, in particular Syria and Golan heights. After the Arab-Israeli war in the middle of the XX century many Circassians were compelled to leave their houses again. During that period many Circassians moved to the USA and Europe. The others moved to Damascus and the other cities of Syria. Thus, since that moment as they had left the native land, they were undergone mass resettlement three times. Despite of all those difficulties, Circassians managed to keep their ethnic originality and communications with the native land. In every country they lived in, Circassians were always and still remain legislative citizens and support the official authorities. Also, any of Circassians who had come back home from abroad, did not commit a criminal offence, was not noticed in anti-governmental movements. All of them work and live peacefully, becoming worthy citizens of Russia.
In the situation developing today in Syria, Circassians adhere to neutrality. It aggravates even more their position as the both parties wish to use them for the purposes. It brings to killing the peaceful Circassians, and every day such losses increase. If Russian Federation does not take measures for emergency evacuation of the Circassian population from Syria, it will bring to ruin their significant part of Circassians, and dispersion all around the world of the other part, which actually means full and final liquidation of our compatriots in quantity of 130 thousand people.
That problem cannot be resolved on public principles or at the level of the regional authorities. A problem of such scale can be solved by only the Federal Center, using all the opportunities and resources. The federal authorities are obliged to intercede for the compatriots, to return them on the historical native land, and thus to finish the circuit of the tragical events and resettlements in the destiny of Circassians of Syria.
In that connection it is necessary for the Russian government to carry out immediately the following steps:
To organize a special committee on rescue and rehabilitation of the compatriots who appeared in the zone of the war operations which will possess necessary powers and means for the full resolution of the question;
To send airplanes with humanitarian help for the peace population of Syria;
Mass and universal extraction of the compatriots living in Syria and their accommodation onto the historical native land;
Give the refugee status to all the compatriots living in Syria and coming back home, irrespective of having visas and passports for travel abroad;
To render material support in the form of time habitation and elevating means;
To organize actions and necessary training for integration of the refugees into the Russian society;
After stabilization of the situation in Syria to give the Russian citizenship to everyone who wishes to remain there for constant residing.
The positive resolution of this question first of all executes the moral duty of Russia. It will also raise the authority of Russia on the international scene. Attraction of the economically active population into republics of Northern Caucasus can solve many social, economic and political problems in the region. Those people certainly become a reliable support of the Russian authority. The understanding of all the benefits from repatriation of the Circassian community characterizes humanity, maturity, wisdom and democratic nature of the Russian state.
Arthur Borokov, KBR
http://a-borokko.livejournal.com/31374.html