By Vestnik Kavkaza
Today experts are paying a lot of attention to the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine, and inter-ethnic relations with Russia itself have paled into insignificance. However, the Moscow Bureau for Human Rights thinks that the ethnic issue in Russia is still one of the top priorities of social and political development. Even though, unlike the 1990s, the threat of separatism is reduced, there are risks to the unity of the Russian civil and political legal space. Aggressive xenophobia, radical nationalism and racism take a special place in the row.
Xenophobic trends come both from representatives of the ethnic majority and minorities. There is no special xenophobic party or social movement: such views are spread among representatives of various political camps and a-political men. However, all xenophobic movements are united by one thing. Their aim is not uniting various groups of Russian citizens, but separation according to national and religious belonging. It prevents harmonization of inter-ethnic relations in the country, establishing of a common civil-political nation.
William Smirnov, Head of the Sector of Theory of Law and State at the Institute for State and Law of the RAS, thinks that legal regulation of the ethnic issue is demanded in Russia.
“We often fairly criticize our snail-paced authorities, first of all local authorities, for paying insufficient attention to routine problems of numerous ethnic groups. However, I would like to note that we don't always consider the real situation which exists in regions, various regions, and such problems. We need regional programs which would be sponsored. I take part in the human rights movement, and obviously without a crucial change of attitude of regional authorities, as well as a change of resource support and information support, it will be very difficult for us, almost impossible to face the challenges which our society, our authorities, our state are facing.”
In recent years we can see lawmaking intensification and there are many various drafts. Smirnov as a lawyer thinks that “many of them are poorly developed and very controversial. I am sad about the high politicization of the problem and instances of irresponsible statements by some MPs who cross red lines and go beyond the legal field. And what is the point of talking about separate representatives of radical movements, who are glad to support these immature irresponsible positions and statements?”
According to Smirnov, it is necessary to conduct a legal revision of “the controversial set of laws which regulate the issues, i.e. ethnic problems and migration, systematically. Huge work must be done in the ethnic sphere. We have to respond to the challenges. We won’t solve ethnic problems without a mature reasonable settlement of the legal foundations and changing the situation in our country
