Transnistria - the little nation that doesn't officially exist

[derby378]

Here's a little geography lesson you probably didn't get in high school...

In eastern Europe, there's a little nation called Transnistria. It occupies just over 1,600 square miles stretched in a slender ribbon between Moldova to the west and Ukraine to the eart, both of which used to be part of the Soviet Union. The capitol of Transnistria is Tiraspol, which is home to roughly 160,000 of Transnistria's 537,000 citizens (as of 2007). Igor Smirnov has served as Transnistria's head of state since September 2, 1990, when the region declared its independence from Moldova, which still claims Transnistria as part of its territory.

Here's a very brief synopsis. When the Soviet Union began to disintegrate following the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic was subjected to various ethnic tensions and hostilities, especially when the Supreme Soviet (Council) of the Moldavian SSR adopted Moldovan as its sole official language instead of Russian and began using the Latin alphabet instead of Cyrillic. An ad hoc committee, composed mainly of ethnic minorities who felt threatened by the linguistic and cultural changes sweeping through their land, declared the formation of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic on September 2, 1990 and tried to remain part of the Soviet Union while the rest of the Moldavian SSR, now known as Moldova, pushed for full independence from Moscow. War broke out between the Moldovans and the separatists, whose region is now known in English as Transnistria, and the war raged from November 1990 until a ceasefire in July 1992.

Today, Transnistria is recognized as an independent nation only by itself and by two other disputed regions in the former Soviet Union - Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Moldova claims Transnistria for its own, naturally, and while Russia provided military support for the Transnistrian separatists even after the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has yet to recognize Transnistria as an independent nation, either, although it does maintain a consulate in Tiraspol. Not a single member of the United Nations has granted official recognition to Transnistria. Even so, Transnistria still issues its own passports, mints its own currency, and maintains its own postal service.

Human rights in Transnistria, from what I've gathered, are not looking so good. Transnistria is officially a multi-party nation despite its pro-Russia stance and its frequent use of Soviet symbols and artwork (including the hammer and sickle), but a US State Department report for 2006 indicates that freedom of the press and of speech are restricted, arbitrary arrest and even torture are allegedly employed against political dissidents, and homosexuality is illegal in Transnistria, which means that any uncloseted GLBT Transnistrians are subject to social and legal discrimination.

You can learn more here, for starters:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transnistria

What do you think so far about Transnistria's 20-year struggle for its own identity?

[derby378]

1. In comparison, Rhode Island occupies 1,545 square miles

Just a quick FYI. This is one very skinny would-be nation we're dealing with. Some portions of Transnistria aren't even three miles wide. Keep that in mind the next time you go on a 5K run for cancer survivors.

[On the Road]

2. Strangely Enough

I recently saw a map of Transnistria on the great Strange Maps blog:


http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/2008/09/23/311-transnistria-a-soviet-fly-in-geopolitical-amber/

There are ethnic minority regions in many countries. While people have a right to aspire to independence, countries also have a right to stay in one piece. If every Transnistria tried to break away, there would be hundreds of tiny nations and a lot more wars.

[derby378]

3. Tiny nations I can handle

Our world has plenty of room for the likes of Monaco, Nauru, Lichtenstein, San Marino, and even Vatican City. Still, I agree that you can only take the concept of ethnic autonomy so far in many cases. The Pyrenees states have all folded up one by one, with only Andorra remaining in between Spain and France. And if the Basques were ever going to obtain any real independence from Spain, something tells me their best chance to do so was after the death of Franco, at whose hands they suffered for many years.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. The thing is, they're not really an ethnicity

They're a mixture of people in a border area that's changed hands repeatedly depending on who won the last war. It's really 'mainly people who didn't want to be part of an independent Moldova'. As the Wikipedia article says:

"According to PMR data, only 15 of the 43 members of its parliament were born in the PMR territory (including 12 in Transnistria proper, and 3 in the Bessarabian area in and around the city of Bender, which is controlled by PMR), while 4 others in the rest of Moldova, with the remainder mainly born in Russia or Ukraine.<30> Igor Smirnov, the leader of PMR, arrived in the region in 1987. Most of the MPs who were born elsewhere had moved to the region ten years or more before the conflict erupted.<31> Despite the fact that Moldovans are around a third of Transnistrian population, no ethnic Moldovans are members in the Transnistrian council of ministers.<32>"

It might make more sense for it to join Ukraine, given the sizable number of Ukrainians and Russians in it, but I get the feeling Ukraine doesn't particularly want another area with simmering or boiling-over factional hatred on its hands. And there are more Moldovans/Romanians than either of those ethnicities on their own.

It's messy. Keep a lid on it until both Moldova and Ukraine are on the verge of joining the EU, and then tell them they have to resolve it to be allowed in?

[On the Road]

14. Most of the Tiny Nations That Remain

are either remote, ethnically homogeneous, and/or places that no other country particularly wants.

When Germany and Italy and other parts of Europe were split into many small city-states, wars were constant. It does not generally make for peace for prosperity.

[MattBaggins]

4. Other: Realpolitik

When they kick Moldavian ass they can be an independent nation. Sorry but that's how it really works.

[JVS]

12. The Moldavian's never kicked anyone's ass, they shouldn't be recognized either.

[Cleobulus]

16. Hmm, technically all they had to do was kick Moldovia out of the territory they claim...

Generally speaking that's how wars of independence work. There are quite a few, let's call them "autonomous regions" in the world today that no recognized nation has any control over.

[New Dawn]

19. They have already done that. Pridnestrovie/Transnistria already is de-facto independent.

They just lack international recognition: http://www.pridnestrovie.net/

[pscot]

5. What?

:P

[ddeclue]

6. Transistora? What kind are they?

BJT, MOSFET, JFET?

:shrug:

[protocol rv]

8. I believe that's Transdniestria

It means beyond the Dniester river. I think they should be part of Moldavia.

Otherwise, USA should let the Lakota Sioux have the Black Hills and create a separate nation if they wish. And the British should let Northern Ireland go back to Ireland. And the Chinese should let Tibet go free, and Russia should let Tataria and Chechnya be free, and Nigeria should let the Christian Ibo people be in a separate country, and Somaliland should separate from Somalia, and Kurdistan from Iraq, and the Armenians should let Nagorno Karabakh be part of Azerbaijan. And India should let Kashmir be free. And the people of Diego Garcia should have their island back, and the American base should be forced out. And while you are at this, give Guantanamo back to Cuba.

And on and on.

[bhikkhu]

21. That's the name I read about a couple of years ago

...I don't recall the source, but they were listed as the most heavily armed place on earth - the story being that the Soviets had huge arms depots and weapons factories there, and parked and left quite a bit of munitions during the break-up. The Soviet-leaning PTB there out-gunned the Moldovans easily, and the status quo is likely to remain as long as it suits them, though they have been just above the radar at times for arms smuggling.

Its an interesting situation, and kind of highlights the whole conceptual failing of what a "nation" is, now that the divine right of kings and so forth is long forgotten. A modern view should be that the will of the people should prevail, in which case all those little nations get recognized, and we have a much more fluid and contentious world.

[derby378]

25. I came across that name, too

As for all of those regions you mentioned, however - I tend to think they should have a shot at independence. I definitely want to see Ireland peacefully reunited. And Tibet should be free to pursue its own destiny.

Kashmir is a tricky one. India, Pakistan, and China all occupy a piece of Kashmir, and all three have nukes. China could hypothetically swarm the region with troops, but they'd have to negotiate all those mountains to do it, and the Chinese aren't stupid.

[izquierdista]

9. #2 They should cut the crap

Part of the ideology of the Soviet Union was that no matter what nationality you were, you were a Soviet and all nationalities were to be respected. Now that the Soviet Union is just a memory, people are reverting to a patchwork of ethnic enclaves, which only benefits the oligarchs who let them squabble while they steal all the natural resources. If they succeed in getting their independence, Transnistria will give Moldova a boost, because now they will be the poorest country in Europe. It's time for them to put aside their aspirations and realize that the tide has gone out and left them an ethnic minority a ways off from Mother Russia.

There really isn't a Moldova or a Transnistria. There are Romanians and Russians cohabiting a patch of southeastern Europe who should work together instead of emphasizing their differences.

[JVS]

10. Moldovan written in Latin script? Isn't that also known as Romanian?

[That Is Quite Enough]

11. Normally I root for independence-seeking nations, but I'm wary of their human rights record

[Raksha]

13. Geographically speaking, Transnistria is part of Ukraine

being as it's on the east side of the Dniestr River and all. But ethnically speaking, I guess the Transnistrians are Moldovan and various other ethnicities--Russian, Ukrainian and Jewish and I'm not sure what else at this point.

I picked "This nonsense should stop and Transnistria should be part of Moldova," mainly because I want to be able to say my grandmother was from a real country. I don't even give a damn WHICH country at this point, just as long as it isn't a made-up country. It's just too damn embarrassing. My grandmother was from Rashkov in what is now called Transnistria, but all my life I've thought of her as a Ukrainian Jew. My grandfather was from the other side of the river = Bessarabia = Moldova. That's why I knew a little bit about this stuff before you posted it.

[New Dawn]

18. Less than 1/3 are ethnically Moldovan

http://pridnestrovie.net/2004census.html

Half of my ancestors who immigrated to the US from the Russian Empire around 100 years ago were from that same little part of the world (territory that is now part of Ukraine's Odessa Oblast, Pridnestrovie, and Moldova). I think that Pridnestrovie (called "Transnistria" in Moldovan/Romanian language) should be independent. It is what the majority of the population there want.

I find it very interesting that there is a thread about this here. I wonder how many posters actually have any kind of ancestral ties to that region. Quite a large number of different ethnic groups have settled and lived in that part of the world over the years (Moldovans, Russians, Ukrainians, Turkic peoples, Germans, Jews, Poles, Bulgarians, Greeks, Italians, etc.).

[Raksha]

20. Thanks for the link. It was interesting reading about the changing demographics over time.

My ancestral ties to that area (and yours, apparently) are a lot stronger than the dictator Smirnoff's. I seem to remember reading that he's Russian and a former KGB thug.

[The Wizard]

15. Sounds like the U.S. under the Bush cartel

"....freedom of the press and of speech are restricted, arbitrary arrest and even torture are allegedly employed against political dissidents, and homosexuality is illegal in Transnistria, which means that any uncloseted GLBT Transnistrians are subject to social and legal discrimination."

[unkachuck]

17. I tend to root for the underdog....

....too many humans, too territorial; all we ever argue about are man-made lines on a map....but I say, let the Transnistrians become independent and tax themselves up an army and navy....and see how it feels....

....I think you're pulling our leg, here....this poll is a joke, right?

[derby378]

22. No, the poll was actually rather serious

There have been a lot of good arguments in this thread that Transnistria should suck it up and cast their lot with Moldova or possibly Ukraine instead of trying to stay independent, or at least as independent as they can be given the circumstances.

Although the idea of a Transnistrian navy is somewhat humorous. Aside from their location alongside the Dniester River, they're landlocked.

[mitchtv]

23. there is a Bolivian Navy

on Lake Titicaca, at least so it's possible.

[derby378]

24. Good point (n/t)