Abhazya ve Güney Osetya'nın bağımsızlığı tanınmalıdır!

Abhazya ve Güney Osetya'nın bağımsızlığı tanınmalıdır!

Geçtiğimiz hafta yaşanan olaylar, modern teknolojinin bile önüne geçen politikalar olabileceğini ve teknolojinin kısa sürede binlerce insanın hayatını almak, koca bir şehri yok etmek ve suçu bir başkasına atmak için yönlendirebileceğini gösterdi.

Yaşadığımız günlerde Kafkasya'nın de fakto yani uygulamada bağımsız cumhuriyetlerinden Güney Osetya'da büyük bir katliam yaşandı. Peki bu olaylarda suçlu kim? Daha doğru söylemek gerekirse en suçlu kim?

Bu katliamı yapanlar mı? Yani, elindeki, bu kadar kısa sürede nasıl geliştiği apaçık belli olan silah teknolojisini bir halk üzerinde denemeye cesaret bulan Gürcü askeri birlikleri mi? Ya da bu askeri birliklere katliam emri veren Gürcistan hükümeti mi? Yoksa bu hükümetin askeri güç ve politikalarına destek veren dış güçler mi? Hepsi de bu katliamın bir parçası değiller mi sizce?

Osetya'da Gürcü güçlerinin açtığı ateş sivilleri vurdu, Tsinkal şehrini tamamiyle yerle bir etti. Bizce katliamın asıl nedeni, Gürcistan hükümetinin, aralıktaki NATO toplantısına sözde toprak bütünlüğünü oluşturmuş olarak katılmak istemesidir. Rusya müdahale etmeseydi bu acımasız katliamın Abhazya'da da devam edeceği apaçık ortadadır. Sovyetler Birliği'nin dağılmasının ardından Gürcistan'ın silahlandırılmasına destek olan devletlerin, bu ülkenin elde ettiği silah ve askeri gücü öncelikle Abhazya ve Güney Osetya karşısında kullanacağını biliyor olmaları gerekir. O zaman, Gürcistan Hükümeti'ni silahlandıran devletler de, Güney Osetya katliamında Gürcistan Hükümeti kadar suçludur.

Planlanmış olduğu asker yoğunluğu ve silah gücünden belli olan Güney Osetya'daki katliamın tam anlamıyla bir etnik temizlik haline gelmemesi ve Abhazya'da da benzer bir durum yaşanmaması için, Rusya'nın, işgalci Gürcü birliklerine müdahalesi bir gereklilikti. Amerika ve İngiltere, insan haklarından ve insanların canlarından daha çok Gürcistan'ın -aslında hiç de gerçekçi olmayan- toprak bütünlüğüne önem verdiklerini göstererek bu katliama seyirci kalmışlardır.

Basın ise gözlerini gerçeklere kapatıp, internet yoluyla Osetya'dan direkt olarak ulaşan ve Oset Halkının dramını yansıtan gerçek görüntüleri kullanmak yerine, Gürcistan'ın işgalini haklı göstermeye çalışan yanlı görüntüleri yayınlamakta ısrar etmektedir. Şimdi sormak lazım, dünya kamuoyunun Güney Osetya'da ve Abhazya'da yaşananlarla ilgili doğru bilgi kaynaklarına ulaşmasını engelleyen hangi yasaklar ya da politikalardır?

SSCB'nin dağılmasının ardından, Gürcistan'ın üç farklı devlet başkanıyla yaşadığı üç farklı savaş, onun, dağılma sırasındaki sınırlarıyla hiç bir zaman tanınamayacağının, bu sınırlarla varolamayacağının kanıtıdır. Gürcistan ve diğer dünya ülkeleri, Abhazya ve Güney Osetya'yı tanımak zorundadır. Çünkü, yaşadığımız yüzyılda bu halkların hatta Gürcistan'ın, özgür ve güven içinde yaşayabilmesinin tek yolu budur.

South Osetia: The real war hitting the non-guilty citizens, the information war hitting the non-guilty side

We have been hearing of attacks by the Georgians to the South Osettians for about a week. In the streets it has been the only talk by the russian speaking community. However, the Repatriants who follow Turkish news were not aware of the reality of the situation since Turkish media has been, as usual, taking the side of the Georgians and disinformating the Turkish speaking community in the world.

On friday morning, when I left the house the neigbours were talking about the dreadful attacks to the South Ossetian city, Tsinval, by the Goergians.

Where were the Russian Peace keeping forces that had to protect the border between Georgia and South Ossettia? The Georgians had invaded 5 villages and have destroyed the capital city with night-long bombing.

It was told that a week ago when the first attacks started many children and women were moved to North-Ossetia and other parts of North- Caucasus. But the views from the city showed many women and children under attack in the city of Tsinval. Now the number goes upto 2000 dead mainly women and children, all civilians.

The US said to Georgia, to stop the war but Georgians got fiercer. The South Ossetian head of state asked from Russian Peace Keepers to do their duty to defend people and to stop the occupation of South Ossetia, as they were titled to be with the 2004 Moscow Nonagression Treatment (that was signed by Georgia as well).

The Russian peace keeping forces in the end intervened to the genocide towards the people of South Ossetia by Georgian forces. The Georgian forces, have been using American and Turkish weaponary during the attack, but the Ossetian forces have done their best without any support from the outside world. On Friday lunch time, Abkhazians, made a press meeting in front of the new parliament building, to support their Osset brothers. They said a voluntary battalion from Abkhazia can be formed immediately. Yesterday, Ossetian forces survived the capital Tsinval. The city is completely destroyed. Now, the Russian Peace keeping forces are trying to do their duty, protecting the civilians that survived the Georgian attacks and partial invasion of the city.

In Abkhazia, you can see everywhere South Ossetian and Abkhazian flags. The people are giving their heartfull support to their brothers. (In Abkhaz language Abkhaz call themselves Apswaa and call Ossetian Awaaps. Awaa means people/nation; Aps means life. This naming shows how close these two nations are. And in the last tragic events taking place the people of life in Ossettia are losing their lives and their borthers in Apsni/Abkhazia cry for them.)

Statement by Adygaa

By leaders of Public Organization "Adyga Khase" of Kabardino-Balkaria Republic (KBR), Union of Abkhazian Volunteers of KBR, Union of Afghanistan veterans of KBR, Special Forces veteran Association "Rus'" of North Caucasus, Circassian Congress of KBR, Tersko-Malkinskiy Cossack district of KBR, Public Organization "Worldwide Circassian Brotherhood".

On august 8^th 2008 Georgian armed forces disloyally attacked South Osetia. Tskhinval city and south osetian people are bombarded by all kinds of land and air artillery, innocent people including women and children are dieing every minute. These actions one more time showed the true face of Georgian government and their target to physically destroy people of South Osetia.

We mentioned many times, that undefined status of South Osetia and Abkhazia provokes the desire of Georgian government to solve the problem with military force.

What is the most cynical, is the fact that Georgia started the war same day the XXIXth Olympic Games opened in Beijing.

Today, when Russian citizens die in South Osetia, including peace keeping forces, the Russian Federation must strongly react and stop the aggressor.

People of Kabardino-Balkaria and South Osetia have been bound for hundreds of years, we always helped and supported each other in difficult times.

Along with the people of the Caucasus and all of Russia we declare our strong will to defend South Osetia from the Georgian governments genocide.

We ask Russian government to do whatever it takes to defend our citizens, residing in South Osetia, organize repulsion to the aggressor and review the recognition of independent status of South Osetia and Abkhazia.

The undersigned:

Thamade of Public organization "Adyga Khase" - Mohamad Hafitza

Head of Union of Abkhazian Volunteers of KBR - Aleksei Bekshokov

Head of Union of Afghanistan veterans of KBR - Timur Tkhagalegov

Head of Special Force veteran Association "Rus'" - Nikolai Shubrov

Ataman of Tersko-Malkinsk Cossack district of KBR - Nikolai Lubunya

Head of Circassian Congress of KBR - Ruslan Keshev

President of Worldwide Circassian Brotherhood - Zamir Shukhov

Statement by Non-governmental Organizations of Abkhazia

Civil society in Abkhazia is appalled at the tragic events in South Ossetia that are developing before the very eyes of the international community as the entire population of South Ossetia have actually become a target for a massive attack from the Georgian army. Georgia has violated all previous agreements, as well as principles of international and humanitarian law.
Despite declarations about adherence to exclusively peaceful ways of conflict resolution, the Georgian leadership has now taken a treacherous decision to start military operations against the people of South Ossetia. Hundreds of civilians are dead and wounded, the hospital, schools accommodation blocks in Tskhinval have been destroyed. Barbaric shelling of the civilian population testifies to a gross transgression by Georgia of human rights and has caused a desperate humanitarian disaster across the whole of South Ossetia.

One can hardly call Georgia's recent actions spontaneous. They are a deliberate fulfilment of Tbilisi's plans to undermine the existing negotiation and peacekeeping formats. In his recent interviews the State Minister of Georgia Temur Jacobashvili has spoken openly about Georgia's intention to liquidate these formats.

By repeatedly declaring its commitment to a peaceful resolution Georgia is attempting to mislead the international community about its true intentions. It must be obvious that Tbilisi has embarked on the path of a resolution of conflicts by force of arms. In light of this the so called 'peace initiatives" by Saakashvili are perceived in South Ossetia and Abkhazia as nothing other than a screen to mask Georgia' s goals, which are far from peaceful.
We cannot but be concerned by the fact that at a time when so much attention from the international community is focused on our region, and just after the visits to Tbilisi of highly placed officials from world powers, Georgia has permitted itself yet again to resort to military force to attain its goals. This demonstrates that too often Tbilisi succeeds in avoiding having to take responsibility for its criminal actions, which destabilize the situation in the Caucasus and place under threat the lives of thousands of people.
In the current situation we expect from the international community, from all countries and organizations involved in the resolution process an unambiguous assessment of the actions of Georgia. We consider that the international community is well placed and obliged to use all levers at its disposal to put a stop to Georgian aggression, if it so wishes.


Centre for Humanitarian Programmes - Arda Inal Ipa, Ilana Kvarchelia, Asida Shakril, Irakliy Hintba

Sukhum Youth House - Elena Kobahiya, Aida Ladariya

Sukhum Media Club - Manana Gurguliya, Diana Kerselyan, Marta Tuzhba

Inva-Promotion Association - Alhas Thagushev, Alena Kuvichko

Association of Women of Abkhazia - Natella Akaba, Marietta Topchyan, Bella Turtseva

Gagra Centre for Civic Initiatives Development - Irina Agrba

Youth Initiative Tkuarchala - Rita Azhiba

Ochamchira Youth House - Selma Zantariya

Pitsunda Youth Centre - Natalya Agrba

Association of Women Entrepreneurs - Julia Goumba

Civilian Initiatives Fund - Leila Taniya

STATEMENT by MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS of the REPUBLIC of ABKHAZIA

The war unleashed by Georgia against South Ossetia demonstrates conclusively that, despite assurances of its commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, Georgia has been intensively preparing for armed aggression. The beginning of the war on the opening day of the International Olympic Games in Peking is nothing but a cynical attempt to divert international attention from developments in South Ossetia. In this context, the passive response of the UN Security Council will do nothing but promote the continuation of a conflict in which civilians are continuing to be killed and which has already led to a large number of refugees.

The actions by Georgia are a grave violation of International law that will lead to a destabilization of the situation in the whole region. It can easily lead to irreversible and unforeseen consequences. The position of the international facilitators in the conflict, who persist in denying the guilt of Georgia for unleashing war, can only promote an escalation of military action. It raises doubts among the Abkhazians about their objectivity and ability to do anything helpful to support the maintenance of peace in the region. In this regard their eventual role in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict will be at best unhelpful, at worst destructive.

The reaction of the International Community to the prevailing situation is seen in Abkhazia as a good indication of its likely reaction, should similar military intervention against Abkhazia be undertaken by the Georgian side. Taking everything into consideration, the conclusion must be clear to all: there are absolutely no prospects for the reintegration of Abkhazia and South Ossetia into Georgia.

Henceforth, any 'assurances' by Georgia to resolve the conflict in Abkhazia and South Ossetia by peaceful means will be considered by the Abkhaz side as a blatant attempt to mislead not only the people of Abkhazia but the whole international community, for there can be no doubt that behind such 'assurances' lies the real threat of renewed military aggression against Abkhazia also. The refusal of Georgia, under any conditions, to withdraw its troops from the upper Kodor Gorge, where they were illegally introduced in 2006, and to sign a Peace Agreement with Abkhazia also only serves to confirm suspicions that Georgia plans to start a war with Abkhazia.

Taking all of this into account, the Abkhaz side calls upon the International Community (inter alia the UN) to abandon its passive position of being a mere observer and give an unambiguous assessment of the actions of Georgia and also to take decisive steps to ensure an immediate end to the military actions in South Ossetia.

Sukhum 08.08.2008