The authorities of Uzbekistan denied the Crimean Tatars the permission to commemorate the 60th anniversary of deportation to Central Asia. Foreign Ministry of Uzbekistan does not think that the Crimean Tatars should commemorate anniversary of deportation on the territory of sovereign Uzbekistan, the republic of the USSR representatives of many peoples were exiled to once. Here is a short fragment. For more complete information on attempts of the Crimean Tatar diaspora in Uzbekistan to arrange a mourning rally and on how it was banned by the authorities see Kirimtatar.com.

Acting on behalf of the Crimean Tatar diaspora, A. Khamzina (representative of the Crimean Tatar mejlis for Central Asia) and L. Dzhemileva (chairman of Avdet, a national cultural center) sent a cable to the president of Uzbekistan in the morning on April 12.

"All peoples without exception suffered under the totalitarian regime of the Soviet empire. Crimean Tatars, deported from the Crimea on May 18, 1944, were not an exception. It is only natural therefore that our diasporas - no matter where they reside nowadays - commemorates the event and mourns victims of the crime qualified as genocide and condemned by the international democratic community.

For the reasons we cannot fathom the commemoration meeting scheduled for May 15, the one all but approved by upper echelons of the International Cultural Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan, was cancelled as we were told on May 11 even though on April 23 the Uzbek media had informed general public of the planned event.

Speaking on behalf of the diaspora in Uzbekistan, we appeal for Your help."

A similar telegram was cabled to Foreign Minister S.S. Safoyev.

In the afternoon, the Embassy of Ukraine received a note from the Foreign Ministry of Uzbekistan concerning commemoration of the 60th anniversary of deportation of the Crimean Tatars to Uzbekistan.

The document emphasizes inadvisability of commemoration in Uzbekistan on the grounds that Uzbekistan as such does not have anything to do with deportation of the Crimean Tatars and has never deported any peoples. The document states as well that the Crimean Tatars residing in Uzbekistan have never known any problems and enjoy rights and privileges like the locals. According to the document, organization of events of this sort in Uzbekistan may be misunderstood by the Crimean Tatars and the indigenous population.