Dokument #1019145
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
Cynthia Kaplan, who is Associate Professor
at the Department of Political Science at the University of
California, states that following Estonia's independence, the
"conservative/Orthodox" organizations of the non-Estonian community
and the Communist party of Estonia were disbanded (1993, 218).
According to TASS, the Charter of the
Assembly of the Russian-Speaking population was registered on 6
July 1993 (6 July 1993). TASS indicates that the Assembly
represents all strata of the Russian-speaking population (500,000),
is the only officially recognized organization of the "not
indigenous population," and aims to protect and promote the
interests of the Russian-speaking community in Estonia (ibid.).
The Estonian Radio reports the existence of
an organization called the Russian Citizens' Union in Narva led by
Yuriy Mishin and highly regarded by Petr Rozhok (Zhirinovsky's
representative in Estonia) (BBC 3 Feb. 1994).
The New York Times mentions the
existence of a club of army veterans, and of the Association of the
Russian-speaking Population, led by Nikolai A. Yugantsev, which has
offices at the Tallinn Garrison's Officers Club (1 July 1994). It
is unclear whether the Association is the same as the Assembly
mentioned above.
Further information on political
organizations and cultural associations of ethnic minorities can
also be found in the attached document send by the Consulate
General of Estonia in Toronto (9 Aug. 1994).
For information on human rights of Russians
in Estonia, please consult the attached document entitled Human
Rights and Democratization in Estonia. Country Reports
1993 also contains information on the situation of
Russian-speakers, particularly on page 865, and the Question and
Answer Series entitled Estonia: Ethnic Minorities of
November 1992, both are available at your Regional Documentation
Centre.
This response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does
not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular
claim to refugee status or asylum.
BBC Summary of World Broadcast. 3
February 1994. "Zhirinovxkiy Spokesman Calls for Defence Units,
Calls Estonia Russian Territory." (NEXIS)
Kaplan, Cynthia. 1993. "Estonia: A
Plural Society on the Road to Independence," Nation and Politics
in the Soviet Successor States. Edited by Ian Bremmer and Ray
Taras. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
The New York Times. 1 July 1994.
Steven Erlanger. "Russians in Estonia Feel Lost in a Baltic Limbo."
(NEXIS)
The Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union
(TASS). 6 July 1993. Albert Maloveryan. "Assembly of the
Russian-Speaking Population Set Up in Estonia." (NEXIS)
. 1 July 1993. Albert
Maloveryan."Estonian Cabinet to Debate Russian-Speaking Assembly."
(NEXIS)
BBC Summary of World Broadcast. 3
February 1994. "Zhirinovkiy Spokesman Calls for Defence Units,
Calls Estonia Russian Territory." (NEXIS)
. 4 February 1993. "Russian
Representative Assembly Set Up." (NEXIS)
Consulate General of Estonia, Toronto. 8
August 1994. Document faxed to the DIRB.
Human Rights and Democratization in
Estonia. September 1993. Washington, DC: Commission on Security and
Cooperation in Europe.
Kaplan, Cynthia. 1993. "Estonia: A
Plural Society on the Road to independence," Nation and Politics
in the Soviet Successor States. Edited by Ian Bremmer and Ray
Taras. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
The New York Times. 1 July 1994. Steven
Erlanger. "Russians in Estonia Feel Lost in a Baltic Limbo."
(NEXIS)
The Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union
(TASS). 6 July 1993. Albert Maloveryan. "Assembly of the
Russian-Speaking Population Set Up in Estonia." (NEXIS)
. 1 July 1993. Albert
Maloveryan."Estonain Cabinet to Debate Russian-Speaking Assembly."
(NEXIS)