MOSCOW, September 27. /TASS/. The State Duma has adopted a statement on inadmissibility of violating the right of indigenous people and national minorities living in Ukraine to study in their native languages at Wednesday’s plenary meeting. This draft was introduced for discussion by representatives of all factions.
"The members of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Council consider as inadmissible violation of the fundamental right of Ukraine’s indigenous people and national minorities to study in their native languages… The law ‘On education’ will become an act of ethnocide of the Russian people in Ukraine," the statement says.
The State Duma points out that the Ukrainian law on education crudely violates Kiev’s obligations under bilateral and international agreements. "Hostile intolerance towards ethnic groups in Ukraine is, unfortunately, a hallmark of the modern Ukrainian power, as could be seen from the decision made by Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the president of Ukraine," the Russian lawmakers stated.
In light of this, the State Duma proposes "uniting efforts of all parliamentary powers in an effort to protect indigenous people and national minorities of Ukraine from compulsive assimilation and propagation of any forms of discrimination." "The State Duma members express solidarity with protest position of authorities in Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, Moldova, Poland and Romania, as well as part of residents in Ukraine itself regarding the law ‘On education’ adopted by Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada and call on the parliaments of other states the official languages of which are recognized by Ukraine as regional languages and languages of national minorities to take action to denounce the adopted law ‘On education,’" the statement says.
The State Duma also calls on international organizations and parliaments of European countries to resolutely condemn "the nationalist zero-tolerance policy" of Ukrainian authorities, as well as "take joint measures to restore the violated rights and protect Ukrainian citizens from indigenous groups from discrimination."
Verkhovna Rada adopted on September 5 the law "On education," that was signed by Ukraine’s president on September 25. The law stipulates that from 2020 educational system in Ukraine will become completely Ukrainophone, which will lead to disappearance of Russian-speaking schools and classes, as well as minority schools.