Abstract
Details the Soviet ethnic cleansing program inflicted on Crimean Tatars. Even though thousands of Crimean Tatars had served in the Soviet army in WWII, the ethnic group was spuriously charged with treason by Stalin & deported en masse, as were several other non-Slavic, mostly Muslim minorities. These minorities were also subjected to rape, murder, & destruction of property; many families were forcibly separated. Drawing largely on the accounts of survivors, the Crimean Tatars' ordeal is described, followed by an examination of the 1989 repatriation decree & survivors' concerted acts of commemoration. K. Coddon