Topband: Crimea DXCC status?

[Yuri Blanarovich]

 From the ARRL  Letter:ARRL Responds to Ukrainian Amateur Radio League 
Regarding DXCC Status of Crimea
The ARRL has responded to an appeal from the Ukrainian Amateur Radio 
League (UARL) to "consider the information regarding the status of 
Crimea as temporarily occupied territory." UARL President Vladimir 
Grishchenko, UT0FT, told the ARRL on May 3, that Russia's "illegal 
annexation" of Crimea "does not change the status of this territory, 
which legally belongs to Ukraine." ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, on May 
21 acknowledged the UARL's position and reiterated the ARRL Awards 
Committee's determination that the annexation did not lend Crimea status 
as a new DXCC entity.
"We appreciate the high regard you have expressed for the DXCC program," 
Sumner wrote. "However, the list of DXCC entities is simply for the 
purpose of giving radio amateurs a consistent way to compare their DX 
achievements. It is not intended to express a position with respect to 
sovereignty and should not be regarded as such."
The Awards Committee has concluded that a QSL with a call sign issued by 
Ukraine and showing the entity name as Ukraine counts as Ukraine, while 
a QSL with a call sign issued by Russia and showing the entity name as 
Russia counts as Russia. "A QSL that satisfies neither condition does 
not count for either entity," the committee said.
Grishchenko had pointed out that the UN does not recognize Crimea's 
annexation, and that the US government is "currently working actively to 
preserve the territorial integrity of Ukraine." He further asserted 
that, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 
Ukraine is responsible for spectrum usage in Crimea, and that only 
Ukraine can issue licenses, despite what he called Crimea's "temporary" 
status as an occupied territory.
Grishchenko had asked the ARRL to consider this information when 
determining "the conditions of meeting award requirements, as well as in 
determining the winners of competitions held."
Sumner told Grishchenko that the ARRL Awards Committee's determination 
"is consistent with the treatment, for DXCC purposes, of other territory 
that may be described as either 'temporarily occupied' or disputed."
"We join the world community in the hope that the difficulties and 
uncertainties currently being faced by the people of Ukraine will be 
resolved peacefully and with full regard for human rights," Sumner 
concluded.
(end of quote)


Unprecedented, ARRL legitimizing Russian occupation of Ukrainian 
territory.
Now can South Korea "issue" licenses for North Korea too?
Looks like Putin has some power over ARRL.
Until situation is resolved politically, ARRL has no business 
legitimizing "annexation" of Crimea by masked thugs.

Yuri, K3BU