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TITLE: Don't Back Down Now On Abuses |
AUTHOR: |
PUB: The Moscow Times |
DATE: January 17, 2001 |
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Editorial A delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is once again touring Chechnya to assess whether the Russian military has made any progress combating widespread human rights abuses by its troops there. Once again we must urge the international community not to squander this opportunity to pressure the government to end its horrendous policies in Chechnya. To its credit, the Parliamentary Assembly is one of the few international organizations to take any substantial action in response to Chechnya. Last winter, it suspended Russia's voting rights, and it has seriously debated suspending Russia's membership altogether. It has issued harshly worded reports and deadlines for action. This record stands in sharp contrast to other organizations and Western governments, which, shamefully, have turned a blind eye to a situation that Médecins Sans Frontières calls a "reign of terror." Now, however, is not the time to ease up. Human rights organizations continue to decry military policies that seem intended to prevent refugees from returning to their homes. The Chechen administration has complained about looting by federal troops. In December, Kenneth Gluck - the Chechnya representative of MSF who was kidnapped earlier this month - told the Chicago Tribune: "Average Chechens don't view this as a conflict between two sides. They view this as a daily torment they are being subjected to." Perhaps most emblematic of Russia's lack of repentance over Chechnya is the fate of General Vladimir Shamanov, who commanded federal forces in Chechnya in 1999. Human Rights Watch has meticulously documented scores of abuses - including summary executions of civilians - by Shamanov's troops in the village of Alkhan-Yurt. Confronted with these charges, Shamanov told activists, "[The soldiers] are doing a sacred thing today - they are defending Russia. Don't you dare sully the Russian soldier with your dirty hands." Further, Human Rights Watch has established that Shamanov personally was in the vicinity of Alkhan-Yurt on Dec. 11, 1999, and, when approached by civilians attempting to tell him of atrocities, he reportedly said, "[G]et out of here or I will shoot you right now!" On Dec. 28, 1999, Shamanov received one of the country's highest military decorations, the Hero of Russia medal. This "hero" was the Kremlin's handpicked choice for governor of the Ulyanovsk region, an election he won last month. This is how the Kremlin responds to charges of human rights violations. The Council delegation must continue to call for an accounting in the strongest possible terms. END |