Fwd: Russian State Duma outlaws Roman alphabet

[curt fredric woolhiser]

>Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2002 13:06:02 -0600
>To: lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu
>From: curt fredric woolhiser <cfwoolhiser at mail.utexas.edu>
>Subject: Russian State Duma outlaws Roman alphabet
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>Duma outlaws Roman alphabet
>
>(from gazeta.ru)
>
>The State Duma has prohibited Tatars from using the Roman alphabet.
>On Friday deputies passed a bill banning the use of any alphabet
>other than Cyrillic in state languages throughout the Russian
>Federation.
>       The State Duma reviewed and approved in the second, and the
>third and final readings the draft bill envisaging amendments to the
>law on languages of the peoples of the Russian Federation.
>Henceforth, all Russian citizens will be prohibited from using the
>Roman alphabet. The draft bill received the approval of the majority
>of deputies - 336 deputies backed the document, while the liberal
>Union of Rightist Forces and Yabloko refused to take part in the
>voting altogether, saying that the bill, in their opinion, is aimed
>against the peoples of Russia.
>       The debate, according to Kaadyr-ool Bicheldei, one of the
>authors of the draft and chairman of the subcommittee for language
>policy, ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples, proceeded ''quite
>smoothly''. He said that during the debate 3 amendments submitted to
>the bill following the 1st reading were approved and 14 rejected.
>       Unity member Kaadyr-ool Bicheldei reportedly drew up the bill
>setting out the amendments to the law on languages. However,
>according to unofficial reports, the document was elaborated in the
>Kremlin in response to the decision of Tatarstan's State Council on
>the gradual restoration of the Roman alphabet in the mainly Muslim
>republic by 2010. The group of deputies headed by Bicheldei
>backed the document and submitted it to the State Duma. In June this
>year the document received preliminary approval in the lower house.
>       According to Bicheldei, now that the problem of the choice of
>written language is settled, the State Duma has fully eliminated any
>gaps in the legislation on languages. ''We have protected the right
>of citizens to education and access to information,'' the deputy
>said. ''For instance, if Tatarstan moves to restore Roman letters,
>then only 2 million people, those who permanently reside in the
>Republic will be able to use the Tatar language. While the other 4
>million Tatars who live in other regions will not be able to use it
>- since the law (on the use of the Roman alphabet) will be
>applicable only on the territory of that region.''
>       Tatar representatives, however, believe that the bill passed
>by the State Duma on Friday amounts to a gross violation of their
>people's rights.
>As the deputy of the Regions of Russia Fandas Safiullin told Gazeta.Ru, the
>document approved by the lower house on Friday, runs counter to
>seven articles of the Russian Constitution, that enshrines the right
>of preservation and
>development of national languages, and violates international law,
>in particular, the Convention for the Protection of National
>Minorities, ratified by Russia.
>       However, in the deputy's opinion, the bill is so weak that it
>will hardly make any difference to Tatarstan. For example, the
>republican authorities can change the status of the Tatar language
>to that of a non-state language, and thus continue using Roman
>letters. Or, they can simply ignore the bill. In any case, they will
>use the letters they find more convenient.
>       At the same time, holds Safiullin, the passing of the
>amendments may undermine the position of pro-Russian forces in
>former Soviet republics. Those who are willing to re-unite with
>Russia may be scared off by a ban on any alphabet other than
>Cyrillic.
>       Supporters of the new bill insist that once amended the law
>on languages ''will help preserve the single cultural and education
>space''. In particular, the government's envoy to the State Duma
>Andrei Loginov, who backed Bicheldei's draft, said that the law must
>regulate writing since this is an element of a public treaty and if
>everyone invents his or her own writing, it would lead to chaos in
>the state.
>
>                             15 November 18:08

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