SURI press release

Tallinn, 22 July 2005Tallinn, 07 July 2005

PRESS RELEASE For immediate release
Information Centre of Finno-Ugric Peoples phone/fax: +372 644 9270 e-mail: suri@suri.ee	http://www.suri.ee/press/Eng2006/p060313eng.html

News agency «Regnum» spreads invented information about situation with human rights of Finno-Ugric peoples in the Russian Federation

The member of the Estonian Parliament Katrin Saks, who was appointed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe PACE to prepare a report on the situation of Finno-Ugric peoples in the Russian Federation, informed today the Information Centre of Finno-Ugric Peoples SURI that she did not order any monitoring from the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs IWGIA.

News agency «Regnum» has that IWGIA disagrees with the conclusions made by Katrin Saks concerning the violation of rights of Finno-Ugric peoples occurring in Russia.

Katrin Saks is not the member of the European Parliament as «Regnum» argues but is the member of the Estonian Parliamet Riigikogu as well as the member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Katrin Saks continues to refuse in capacity of PACE rapporteur from comments on the situation of the Finno-Ugric peoples in Russia. Thus, she did neither make any declarations about violations of rights of Finno-Ugrians in Russia.

Initial discussion of Katrin Saks'es report will take place in Prague in the end of March in the PACE commission on culture. The report will be published after its admission to the Parliamentary Assembly.

Today the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs IWGIA spread through the Information Centre of Finno-Ugric Peoples Finugor.ru official rejection to the news of «Regnum» that there were a IWGIA monitoring.

In the rejection it is said that IWGIA « With great concern and surprise has IWGIA read a recent article by the information agency “Regnum” on our position regarding the situation of the Finno-Ugric peoples in Russia. IWGIA has at no time taken any position, made any statement or commented on the situation of the Finno-Ugric peoples in Russia, particularly on the situation in the Mari El Republic or in Mordovia. [- - -] We therefore strongly reject the content of this article and the wrong use of our name.».

In March, 7th, 2006, the following information was spread by the Russian Information Agency “Regnum” (translated from Russian):

“A Danish right-defending organization has not detected any preconceived attitude towards the Finno-Ugric peoples on the side of the State.

The International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), a right-defending organization based in Denmark, disagrees with the conclusions made by Katrin Saks, the member of the European Parliament from Estonia, concerning the violation of rights of Finno-Ugric peoples occurring in Russia. The representatives of the organization told our correspondent, that an additional monitoring of the right situation within the Finno-Ugric peoples in Rissia was made by a request of mrs. Saks. The monitoring did not show any preconcieved or biased attitude towards the Finno-Ugric peoples on the side of the Russion State. The IWGIA concludes, that the isolated cases of conflicts between certain organizations in the Republics of Mordovia and Mari-El were of economic character. This conflicts have only indirect impact upon the Finno-Ugric peoples and they do not occur systematically.

The IWAGA also thinks, that the indigenous and small-number peoples in the Russian Federation have equal rights and possibilities in comparision to the rest of the country’s population. Furthermore, a growing attention is paid by the federal and regional officials to the problem of survival of their cultures and distinct ways of life. The Danish specialists believe, that the Finno-Ugric peoples do have all the needed opportunities and pre-conditions for keeping and developing their ethnic cultures.

As for the lack of interest among a large part of the Finno-Ugric to study their ethnic languages, this should be explained by the limited applicability these languages have rather then by the restrictions imposed by the officials.

The International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) is a non-commercial independent organization, whose main mission is to provide support to the organizations representing the interests of the indigenous peoples.”

The Position of the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) on the Situation of the Finno-Ugric Peoples in Russia, published in Regnum 2006/03/13

With great concern and surprise has IWGIA read a recent article by the information agency “Regnum” on our position regarding the situation of the Finno-Ugric peoples in Russia/ IWGIA has at no time taken any position, made any statement or commented on the situation of the Finno-Ugric peoples in Russia, particularly on the situation in the Mari El Republic or in Mordovia. Neither has IWGIA carried out any rights monitoring among the Finno-Ugric peoples in Russia. We have never been in contact with Ms Katrin Saks and none of our representatives have talked to a correspondent of the information agency “Regnum”.

We therefore strongly reject the content of this article and the wrong use of our name.

IWGIA is working in support of the small numbered indigenous peoples of the Russia North, Siberia and Far East of the Russian Federation and in partnership with several of their representative organization. IWGIA has published several books and articles on the situation of these peoples.